Essay Competition Archive

Q1

What are the particular economic problems facing the nascent UK Labour government in implementing its intended program? Outline some steps it should take in facing these.

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Q2

Is the US’ political and financial strength a good thing for its domestic economy?

 

Q3

How do power and conflict (personal, sectional, class-based etc.) manifest in micro- and macro- economic outcomes? Discuss with reference to a specific outcome such as inflation or income distribution.

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Q4

Robert Solow once said, “You can see the computer age everywhere but in the productivity statistics.”. Was he right, and will the rise of AI be much the same? What are the broader lessons we should draw for the theory and data-analysis of technical change?

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Q5

What is the root cause of the continued plight of the undeveloped world? Are they just unlucky or do developed countries have responsibility for their situation?

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​1st Prize: Keyi Li

Runners-up: Sinan Erkurt, Veera Toraskar

Q1

Discuss, with reference to two countries, to what extent, and under what circumstances, global trade and foreign investment and lending have been important to developing countries’ economic catchup since 1970?

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Q2

Calls for price controls (whether upwards through minimum wages, or downwards through rent and energy price controls) have become politically prominent. At the same time, they are conventionally perceived to distort markets. In what forms, and to what extent, are price controls an effective policy tool?

 

Q3

‘Populism is primarily the product of economic marginalisation’. Discuss.

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Q4

Amidst mounting debt, weak domestic demand and deglobalisation, has the Chinese economic model outlived its usefulness?

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Q5

‘The neoliberal age is over’. Discuss with reference to the resurgence of state intervention.

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​1st Prize: Rory Keeble

Runners-up: Yassin Azeb, Ethan Paynter

Q1

"Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon". Discuss in the context of inflation the UK now faces.

Q2
There is a common view that technological progress slowed significantly between 1970 and 2020, as compared to 1920 to 1970. What are its implications and what are some possible policy solutions?

Q3

Is cryptocurrency the future of money?

Q4

How has the Covid-19 crisis affected global inequality? What are some implications for government policy?

Q5

Despite its dominance in 20th century economic thought, neoclassical ideas have come under considerable criticism in the past decade for its assumptions of rational preferences and utility-maximisation, among others. Is neoclassical economics still relevant to economic analysis today?

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​1st Prize: Thomas Coates

Runners-up: Tarryn Stanhope, George Rudman, Aston Daniel

Q1
Do free markets and limited government actually restrict liberty?

Q2
The global North is rich largely due to exploitation and underdevelopment of the global South, which still goes on to this day, and therefore owes reparations to rectify this rift. Discuss.

Q3
To what extent should Covid-19 change our perceptions of (socio-)economic inequality and the policies in place to address it?

Q4
Assess the need for countries to sacrifice economic growth for the sake of the environment.

Q5
In light of recent conventional monetary and fiscal policy currently reaching their supposed limits, assess alternative ways to resuscitate the economy.

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​1st Prize: Nikhil Mittal

Runners-up: Ruby Zhang, Jason Sutanto, Stephen Yu, Jack Donnelly

Q1

“Ecologically sustainable capitalism is an oxymoron.

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Q.2

What will cause the next global economic crisis?

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Q3

It has been widely acknowledged that GDP is a mislending measure of human development. Discuss how the primacy that we give to GDP has affected economic policy.

 

Q4

“Global attempts to dissipate the threat of secutar stagnation via monetary policy following the 2008 economie crisis have been futile." Discuss.

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Q5

Assess the ways in which the affordability crisis in the UK housing provision could be solved

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1st Prize: Sebastian Nicolas Bowring

Runners-up: Mohamed Faouzi Fradi, Matthew Hawthorn, Anthony Shorrocks, Anika Pachu, Aymen Shakeel

Q1 

“Economics is the most powerful tool of US foreign policy” Discuss.

Q2

"The long shadow of colonialism is still the biggest obstacle in the way for African development" Discuss.

Q3

“Tech giants have become too powerful and the only solution is to break them up.” To what extent is this statement desirable and feasible?  

Q4

Should the sole purpose of the Central Bank be to target a 2% inflation rate?

Q5

"The success of China shows that democracy and capitalism are not the only routes to success" Discuss.

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1st Prize: Cameron Tan - On China and democratic capitalism

Runners-up: Rohan Shah - On colonialism and African development; Emma Short - On China and democratic capitalism; Mipham Samten - On economics and US foreign policy; Shyam Prashik Mamtora - On tech giants and anti-trust