Master's students Essay Competition on America's role in the world
Publishing outstanding US related work from LSE master's students
The LSE Phelan US Centre's Essay Competition seeks 1000-word articles from current LSE Master's students on America’s role in the world.
"What role can democratic citizenry play in shaping America’s role in the world as it enters its 250th year?"
In 2026 the United States will mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. As the US enters this important year, there are increasingly questions about its role in the world and how its citizens can shape its domestic and foreign policy.
In January 2026 the Phelan US Centre issued a call for entries from LSE Master's students to write a 1000-word essay on climate change and the United States with the prompt: "What role can democratic citizenry play in shaping America’s role in the world as it enters its 250th year?” Students were encouraged to interpret this prompt from a variety of perspectives, and with an interdisciplinary focus. Submitted essays were judged by a panel of Phelan US Centre staff and LSE academics.
The winning entry and runners up were published on the US Centre's United States Politics and Policy Blog (USAPP). With over 500,000 visitors every year this is an excellent chance for LSE students to publish their original work on the United States to a wider audience.
Essay competition winner
The most important act of American global leadership may be winning a local primary- Alexander Minford - LSE School of Public Policy (winner)
Essay competition runners-up
Finding Tocqueville in Times Square: how lessons from America’s vibrant civic past can reinvigorate its citizenry in the present - Iman Shaikh - LSE Department of Government (runner-up)
At 250, the world's oldest democracy is autocratising at a global cost that its citizens have the power to stop - Kristýna Šimonová - LSE Department of International Relations (runner-up)
Presentation to the British-American Parliamentary Group in the UK Parliament
The winning student will present their essay to members of the British-American Parliamentary Group and other UK Members of Parliament (MPs). This will be a 15–20 minute in-person presentation summarising the main arguments of their essay in an engaging fashion. This will be followed by a Q&A session, at the UK Parliament in Westminster.
The BAPG is the interparliamentary group for Members of both Houses of Parliament of the United Kingdom to promote closer relations and understanding with Members of both Houses of the US Congress and other US political and leading figures.
Watch the Phelan US Centre video featuring the 2023 climate change essay competition winner and runners-up
▶ Phelan US Centre Climate Change Essay Competition
Header image: Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash