Harvard Political Review Essay Competition

1. Prompts

Each team member must choose a different prompt. The number of prompts selected should match the number of people on the team (e.g., 2 members = 2 prompts, up to 5 members = 5 prompts).

• The Future of Higher Education: Over the past year, institutions of higher education such as Harvard have experienced growing public distrust and clashes with the Trump administration over a number of issues, including federal research funding, ideology and academic freedom, affirmative action, and rising international student enrollments. Identify a specific issue or news headline related to higher education (in the United States or elsewhere) and make an original argument about how it shapes (and/or ought to shape) the approaches of the government, academic institutions themselves, and/or students.
• It’s the Economy, Stupid: As political strategist James Carville has famously remarked when describing American elections, “It’s the economy, stupid.” As the United States approaches its 2026 midterm elections, and as many countries ranging from Brazil to Ethiopia to Hungary will hold crucial elections in 2026, economic issues will only rise in importance over the next year. Identify a country and a key economic issue (i.e. inflation, trade policy challenges, tax policy, etc.) and make an original argument about the relationship between the economic issue and the country’s political future.
• Stories of Success: Many readers criticize the journalism industry for focusing only on the problems and tragedies of the world, even as many positive developments occur every day. In the spirit of sharing good news, highlight a success story from the past year and make an argument about its broader implications. This success story could be a political development, policy reform, legal victory, triumph of a person or community over an obstacle, or any other positive event(s). Why can it be considered a success, and how does it contribute to readers’ understanding of politics and its role in their daily lives? What is the role of stories of success in the journalism industry as a whole, and how are they intertwined with or opposed to an ideal of journalism as a free, relevant, and accessible medium for conveying information and catalyzing political discourse?
• Reflections on America’s 250th Anniversary: On July 4, 2026, the United States will celebrate its 250th anniversary (since the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776). As the U.S. approaches this milestone in its history, what should be on the minds of Americans? In what ways has the nation upheld its founding ideals, improved upon them, or departed from them? Whether from the perspective of an American or a global citizen, write about where America stands in its 250th year or how its condition parallels that of another country on a particular issue or founding ideal.

  Example: What is the state of America’s ideal of “the pursuit of happiness?” In terms of economic opportunity, is the so-called American Dream still alive today? Using evidence about economic mobility, public opinion on the economy, and policy approaches, argue the extent to which the American Dream has expanded or contracted over time.
• The Power of Perseverance: The phrase “power in numbers” is traditionally used to describe the strength in collaboration, unity, and collective mobilizations toward achieving a particular purpose. Yet perhaps it can also be taken to point to another type of power: the potential of resilience and repeated action that refuses to back down and maintains momentum despite seemingly unyielding pushback in pursuit of a greater good. Discuss a movement in which this sustained tenacity led to lasting and unexpected social, economic, or political strides. When is persistence justified, and at what point does it become harmful or ineffective? How do individuals or groups sustain this resolve over time, and how can it be curated into a source of power in and of itself?

2. Submission Details

• Individual Category: Submit one essay responding to one of the provided prompts.
• Team Category: Each team member selects a distinct prompt (e.g., a team of 3 submits 3 essays on 3 different prompts).
• Essay Format: 800-1,200 words per essay. All essays must use Times New Roman, 12-point font, double-spaced with APA referencing style.