The Columbia Political Review’s

High School Essay Contest

It is CPR’s mission to cultivate the next generation of politically engaged writers. To that end, we began our annual high school essay contest in 2017, aiming to amplify the voices of talented high school students from all across the country and the world. In the wake of a global pandemic, war, and deep uncertainty, we hope that the Columbia Political Review can serve as a platform for bold and creative solutions to the world’s most pressing issues.

On Columbia’s campus and across the world, the year 2026 has been defined by the upheavals of norms that have governed the modern global system for almost a century, most urgently in our institutions’ commitment to democratic processes, freedom of speech, and civil liberties at large. This year students are being asked the following question:

In many countries, especially liberal democracies, younger generations are growing increasingly dissatisfied with the dominant political systems. This trend has centered especially around the perceived ineffectiveness of voting as the primary democratic practice. What alternative means of political engagement could enable a push towards democratization? Drawing either on past political arrangements or your own imagination, describe a potential structure for political participation and speculate on its benefits or risks if it were to be implemented somewhere today.

If you are a high school student, please submit your response to the question. You will be judged for you clarity, concision, cohesion, strength of argument, use of evidence, and consistency in style and tone. 

We will select three winners, with one award winner receiving a cash prize of $300 and the other two receiving $100.  Please use the following link to submit your work: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1LY409Dlj0_XL-MMutDw3Ibiszrm127G1BEnL1jh95iY/edit