john locke essay competition winner

All essayists must register here by 11:59PM BST on 31 May 2024.

Enter your email address below to:

Register (if this is your first time here)

or Login (if you have already registered).

• myPortledge

NS > Academics

Portledgeclassesoct22_414 1.

Athletics-min

Community Life

Community life-min.

Alumni-mind

About Panel

Portledge in the Now.

Celebrating Joshua L. '27 for Outstanding Achievement in the John Locke Institute 2023 Global Essay Prize

Latest news

List of 3 news stories..

Portledge Varsity Girls Soccer Claims Fourth PSAA Championship

IB Student's Quest at Jones Beach Energy and Nature Center

Become an Integral Part of Our Community.

Get In Touch

The Winter cohort application deadline is November 24, 2024.  

Click here to apply.

Featured Posts

How to Write a College Resume? 8 Tips to Help You Get Started

Finance Institute: Wall Street in the Classroom at Fordham University— Should You Apply?

10 Programs for High School Students in Arkansas

10 Paid Internships for High School Students in California

• 12 min read

The Ultimate Guide to the John Locke Essay Competition [Everything you need to know]

Humanities and social sciences students often lack the opportunities to compete at the global level and demonstrate their expertise. Competitions like ISEF, Science Talent Search, and MIT Think are generally reserved for students in fields like biology, physics, and chemistry.

At Lumiere, many of our talented non-STEM students, who have a flair for writing are looking for ways to flex their skills. In this piece, we’ll go over one such competition - the John Locke Essay Competition. If you’re interested in learning more about how we guide students to win essay contests like this, check out our main page .

What is the John Locke Essay Competition?

The essay competition is one of the various programs conducted by the John Locke Institute (JLI) every year apart from their summer and gap year courses. To understand the philosophy behind this competition, it’ll help if we take a quick detour to know more about the institute that conducts it.

Founded in 2011, JLI is an educational organization that runs summer and gap year courses in the humanities and social sciences for high school students. These courses are primarily taught by academics from Oxford and Princeton along with some other universities. The organization was founded by Martin Cox. Our Lumiere founder, Stephen, has met Martin and had a very positive experience. Martin clearly cares about academic rigor.

The institute's core belief is that the ability to evaluate the merit of information and develop articulate sound judgments is more important than merely consuming information. The essay competition is an extension of the institute - pushing students to reason through complex questions in seven subject areas namely Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology, and Law​.

The organization also seems to have a strong record of admissions of alumni to the top colleges in the US and UK. For instance, between 2011 and 2022, over half of John Locke alumni have gone on to one of eight colleges: Chicago, Columbia, Georgetown, Harvard, Pennsylvania, Princeton, Stanford, and Yale.

How prestigious is the John Locke Contest?

The John Locke Contest is a rigorous and selective writing competition in the social sciences and humanities. While it is not as selective as the Concord Review and has a much broader range of students who can receive prizes, it is still considered a highly competitive program.

Winning a John Locke essay contest will have clear benefits for you in your application process to universities and would reflect well on your application. On the other hand, a shortlist or a commendation might not have a huge impact given that it is awarded to many students (more on this later).

What is the eligibility for the contest?

Students, of any country, who are 18 years old or younger before the date of submission can submit. They also have a junior category for students who are fourteen years old, or younger, on the date of the submission deadline.

Who SHOULD consider this competition?

We recommend this competition for students who are interested in social sciences and humanities, in particular philosophy, politics, and economics. It is also a good fit for students who enjoy writing, want to dive deep into critical reasoning, and have some flair in their writing approach (more on that below).

While STEM students can of course compete, they will have to approach the topics through a social science lens. For example, in 2021, one of the prompts in the division of philosophy was, ‘Are there subjects about which we should not even ask questions?’ Here, students of biology can comfortably write about topics revolving around cloning, gene alteration, etc, however, they will have to make sure that they are able to ground this in the theoretical background of scientific ethics and ethical philosophy in general.

Additional logistics

Each essay should address only one of the questions in your chosen subject category, and must not exceed 2000 words (not counting diagrams, tables of data, footnotes, bibliography, or authorship declaration).

If you are using an in-text-based referencing format, such as APA, your in-text citations are included in the word limit.

You can submit as many essays as you want in any and all categories. (We recommend aiming for only one given how time-consuming it can be to come up with a single good-quality submission)

Important dates

Prompts for the 2023 competition will be released in January 2023. Your submission will be due around 6 months later in June. Shortlisted candidates will be notified in mid-July which will be followed by the final award ceremony in September.

How much does it cost to take part?

What do you win?

A scholarship that will offset the cost of attending a course at the JLI. The amount will vary between $2000 and $10,000 based on whether you are a grand prize winner (best essay across all categories) or a subject category winner. (JLI programs are steeply-priced and even getting a prize in your category would not cover the entire cost of your program. While the website does not mention the cost of the upcoming summer program, a different website mentions it to be 3,000 GBP or 3600 USD)

If you were shortlisted, most probably, you will also receive a commendation certificate and an invitation to attend an academic ceremony at Oxford. However, even here, you will have to foot the bill for attending the conference, which can be a significant one if you are an international student.

How do you submit your entry?

You submit your entry through the website portal that will show up once the prompts for the next competition are up in January! You have to submit your essay in pdf format where the title of the pdf attachment should read SURNAME, First Name, Category, and Question Number (e.g. POPHAM, Alexander, Psychology, Q2).

What are the essay prompts like?

We have three insights here.

Firstly, true to the spirit of the enlightenment thinker it is named after, most of the prompts have a philosophical bent and cover ethical, social, and political themes. In line with JLI’s general philosophy, they force you to think hard and deeply about the topics they cover. Consider a few examples to understand this better:

“Are you more moral than most people you know? How do you know? Should you strive to be more moral? Why or why not?” - Philosophy, 2021

“What are the most important economic effects - good and bad - of forced redistribution? How should this inform government policy?” - Economics, 2020

“Why did the Jesus of Nazareth reserve his strongest condemnation for the self-righteous?” - Theology, 2021

“Should we judge those from the past by the standards of today? How will historians in the future judge us?” - History, 2021

Secondly, at Lumiere, our analysis is that most of these prompts are ‘deceptively rigorous’ because the complexity of the topic reveals itself gradually. The topics do not give you a lot to work with and it is only when you delve deeper into one that you realize the extent to which you need to research/read more. In some of the topics, you are compelled to define the limits of the prompt yourself and in turn, the scope of your essay. This can be a challenging exercise. Allow me to illustrate this with an example of the 2019 philosophy prompt.

“Aristotelian virtue ethics achieved something of a resurgence in the twentieth century. Was this progress or retrogression?”

Here you are supposed to develop your own method for determining what exactly constitutes progress in ethical thought. This in turn involves familiarizing yourself with existing benchmarks of measurement and developing your own method if required. This is a significant intellectual exercise.

Finally, a lot of the topics are on issues of contemporary relevance and especially on issues that are contentious . For instance, in 2019, one of the prompts for economics was about the benefits and costs of immigration whereas the 2020 essay prompt for theology was about whether Islam is a religion of peace . As we explain later, your ‘opinion’ here can be as ‘outrageous’ as you want it to be as long as you are able to back it up with reasonable arguments. Remember, the JLI website clearly declares itself to be, ‘ not a safe space, but a courteous one ’.

How competitive is the JLI Essay Competition?

In 2021, the competition received 4000 entries from 101 countries. Given that there is only one prize winner from each category, this makes this a very competitive opportunity. However, because categories have a different number of applicants, some categories are more competitive than others. One strategy to win could be to focus on fields with fewer submissions like Theology.

There are also a relatively significant number of students who receive commendations called “high commendation.” In the psychology field, for example, about 80 students received a commendation in 2022. At the same time, keep in mind that the number of students shortlisted and invited to Oxford for an academic conference is fairly high and varies by subject. For instance, Theology had around 50 people shortlisted in 2021 whereas Economics had 238 . We, at Lumiere, estimate that approximately 10% of entries of each category make it to the shortlisting stage.

How will your essay be judged?

The essays will be judged on your understanding of the discipline, quality of argumentation and evidence, and writing style. Let’s look at excerpts from various winning essays to see what this looks like in practice.

Level of knowledge and understanding of the relevant material: Differentiating your essay from casual musing requires you to demonstrate knowledge of your discipline. One way to do that is by establishing familiarity with relevant literature and integrating it well into their essay. The winning essay of the 2020 Psychology Prize is a good example of how to do this: “People not only interpret facts in a self-serving way when it comes to their health and well-being; research also demonstrates that we engage in motivated reasoning if the facts challenge our personal beliefs, and essentially, our moral valuation and present understanding of the world. For example, Ditto and Liu showed a link between people’s assessment of facts and their moral convictions” By talking about motivated reasoning in the broader literature, the author can show they are well-versed in the important developments in the field.

Competent use of evidence: In your essay, there are different ways to use evidence effectively. One such way involves backing your argument with results from previous studies . The 2020 Third Place essay in economics shows us what this looks like in practice: “Moreover, this can even be extended to PTSD, where an investigation carried out by Italian doctor G. P. Fichera, led to the conclusion that 13% of the sampling units were likely to have this condition. Initiating economic analysis here, this illustrates that the cost of embarking on this unlawful activity, given the monumental repercussions if caught, is not equal to the costs to society...” The study by G.P. Fichera is used to strengthen the author’s claim on the social costs of crime and give it more weight.

Structure, writing style, and persuasive force: A good argument that is persuasive rarely involves merely backing your claim with good evidence and reasoning. Delivering it in an impactful way is also very important. Let’s see how the winner of the 2020 Law Prize does this: “Slavery still exists, but now it applies to women and its name in prostitution”, wrote Victor Hugo in Les Misérables. Hugo’s portrayal of Fantine under the archetype of a fallen woman forced into prostitution by the most unfortunate of circumstances cannot be more jarringly different from the empowerment-seeking sex workers seen today, highlighting the wide-ranging nuances associated with commercial sex and its implications on the women in the trade. Yet, would Hugo have supported a law prohibiting the selling of sex for the protection of Fantine’s rights?” The use of Victor Hugo in the first line of the essay gives it a literary flair and enhances the impact of the delivery of the argument. Similarly, the rhetorical question, in the end, adds to the literary dimension of the argument. Weaving literary and argumentative skills in a single essay is commendable and something that the institute also recognizes.

Quality of argumentation: Finally, the quality of your argument depends on capturing the various elements mentioned above seamlessly . The third place in theology (2020) does this elegantly while describing bin-Laden’s faulty and selective use of religious verses to commit violence: “He engages in the decontextualization and truncation of Qur'anic verses to manipulate and convince, which dissociates the fatwas from bonafide Islam. For example, in his 1996 fatwa, he quotes the Sword verse but deliberately omits the aforementioned half of the Ayat that calls for mercy. bin-Laden’s intention is not interpretive veracity, but the indoctrination of his followers.” The author’s claim is that bin-Laden lacks religious integrity and thus should not be taken seriously, especially given the content of his messages. To strengthen his argument, he uses actual incidents to dissect this display of faulty reasoning.

These excerpts are great examples of the kind of work you should keep in mind when writing your own draft.

6 Winning Tips from Lumiere

Focus on your essay structure and flow: If logic and argumentation are your guns in this competition, a smooth flow is your bullet. What does a smooth flow mean? It means that the reader should be able to follow your chain of reasoning with ease. This is especially true for essays that explore abstract themes. Let’s see this in detail with the example of a winning philosophy essay. “However, if society were the moral standard, an individual is subjected to circumstantial moral luck concerning whether the rules of the society are good or evil (e.g., 2019 Geneva vs. 1939 Munich). On the other hand, contracts cannot be the standard because people are ignorant of their being under a moral contractual obligation, when, unlike law, it is impossible to be under a contract without being aware. Thus, given the shortcomings of other alternatives, human virtue is the ideal moral norm.” To establish human virtue as the ideal norm, the author points out limitations in society and contracts, leaving out human virtue as the ideal one. Even if you are not familiar with philosophy, you might still be able to follow the reasoning here. This is a great example of the kind of clarity and logical coherence that you should strive for.

Ground your arguments in a solid theoretical framework : Your essay requires you to have well-developed arguments. However, these arguments need to be grounded in academic theory to give them substance and differentiate them from casual opinions. Let me illustrate this with an example of the essay that won second place in the politics category in 2020. “Normatively, the moral authority of governments can be justified on a purely associative basis: citizens have an inherent obligation to obey the state they were born into. As Dworkin argued, “Political association, like family or friendship and other forms of association more local and intimate, is itself pregnant of obligation” (Dworkin). Similar to a family unit where children owe duties to their parents by virtue of being born into that family regardless of their consent, citizens acquire obligations to obey political authority by virtue of being born into a state.” Here, the author is trying to make a point about the nature of political obligation. However, the core of his argument is not the strength of his own reasoning, but the ability to back his reasoning with prior literature. By quoting Dworkin, he includes important scholars of western political thought to give more weight to his arguments. It also displays thorough research on the part of the author to acquire the necessary intellectual tools to write this paper.

The methodology is more important than the conclusion: The 2020 history winners came to opposite conclusions in their essays on whether a strong state hampers or encourages economic growth. While one of them argued that political strength hinders growth when compared to laissez-faire, the other argues that the state is a prerequisite for economic growth . This reflects JLI’s commitment to your reasoning and substantiation instead of the ultimate opinion. The lesson: Don’t be afraid to be bold! Just make sure you are able to back it up.

Establish your framework well: A paragraph (or two) that is able to succinctly describe your methodology, core arguments, and the reasoning behind them displays academic sophistication. A case in point is the introduction of 2019’s Philosophy winner: “To answer the question, we need to construct a method that measures progress in philosophy. I seek to achieve this by asserting that, in philosophy, a certain degree of falsification is achievable. Utilizing philosophical inquiry and thought experiments, we can rationally assess the logical validity of theories and assign “true” and “false” status to philosophical thoughts. With this in mind, I propose to employ the fourth process of the Popperian model of progress…Utilizing these two conditions, I contend that Aristotelian virtue ethics was progress from Kantian ethics and utilitarianism.” Having a framework like this early on gives you a blueprint for what is in the essay and makes it easier for the reader to follow the reasoning. It also helps you as a writer since distilling down your core argument into a paragraph ensures that the first principles of your essay are well established.

Read essays of previous winners: Do this and you will start seeing some patterns in the winning essays. In economics, this might be the ability to present a multidimensional argument and substantiating it with data-backed research. In theology, this might be your critical analysis of religious texts .

Find a mentor: Philosophical logic and argumentation are rarely taught at the high school level. Guidance from an external mentor can fill this academic void by pointing out logical inconsistencies in your arguments and giving critical feedback on your essay. Another important benefit of having a mentor is that it will help you in understanding the heavy literature that is often a key part of the writing/research process in this competition. As we have already seen above, having a strong theoretical framework is crucial in this competition. A mentor can make this process smoother.

If you’d like to supplement your competitive experience with independent research, consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs ! 

This is a selective virtual research program that lets you engage in advanced research and develop a research paper on a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1000+ high school students so far and offers 600+ research specializations for you to choose from. 

You can find the application link here

Lumiere Research Scholar Program

If you’re looking for a mentor to do an essay contest like John Locke or want to build your own independent research paper, then consider applying to the Lumiere Research Scholar Program . Last year over 2100 students applied for about 500 spots in the program. You can find the application form   here .

You can see our admission results here for our students.

Manas is a publication strategy associate at Lumiere Education. He studied public policy and interactive media at NYU and has experience in education consulting.

Hong Kong teen wins John Locke global essay writing competition

• Andre Chung Cheuk-hei won in the Institute’s junior category, wowing a panel of judges at the University of Oxford
• He credits his love of reading for his imagination and writing abilities

Latest Articles

Hong kong braces for 10 million border crossings during golden week, master the art of spelling with these commonly misspelled food words, naming panel to decide the new names for pandas gifted by beijing to hong kong, what poo can teach scientists about dinosaurs and other ancient animals, a third of hong kong pupils will seek help for mental health issues: survey, teens’ designs bring fresh ideas to hong kong’s small businesses.

Hong Kong student Andre Chung Cheuk-hei won a global essay competition organised by the John Locke Institute, beating contestants from all over the world earlier this month.

The 14-year-old winner of the academic writing competition’s junior category was the only Hong Kong contestant among all the winners.

The annual competition invites students worldwide to explore a wide range of challenging and interesting questions beyond the confines of the school curriculum.

Of the seven essay questions provided this year, Andre picked one that asked where he would go if he could travel by time machine.

5 tips to writing an essay that deserves an A

“If you could travel by time machine for your next holiday, which time and place would you visit? What preparations would you make for your journey? What challenges would you face in the first twenty-four hours, and how would you handle them?” the question read.

His answer, which wowed a panel of scholars from Oxford University, was rather “original”, according to the judges.

In his essay of about 2000 words, the student went back to the 18th century to appreciate the opera Polifemo , calling it a high point of art and the creation of humankind.

The judges thought highly of his writing.

“This is a brilliant essay which chooses a highly original destination, and through its consideration of how to prepare for arrival in past times, serves up a rich description and analysis of the early 18th century,” said the examiners, who selected Andre’s essay as the winner in the final round of grading.

It was Andre’s first time submitting to the competition, and he was surprised he won.

“I thought there must have been a finer essayist than I who had submitted a finer essay than mine,” he said.

An avid reader, his love for writing came from his overflowing imagination, which he explains he built up through reading.

20 English idioms about success to raise the bar on your writing

“Ideas, plotlines, and alternative histories are always flowing through my mind,” he said.

Winners of the junior category are awarded a scholarship worth US$2,000 towards the cost of attending any John Locke Institute programme, and Andre’s essay will be published on the Institute’s website.

Winners would also be able to network with scholars, judges and faculty members at the prize ceremony taking place in Oxford.

After receiving such recognition for his writing, Andre, despite still being in secondary school, has set his sights on studying literature at university.

How journaling can help relieve stress and foster creativity

“I feel that I should definitely learn at least French and Italian, the great languages of opera, if not Spanish, Portuguese, German, Polish, and Russian, all of which remain beautiful tongues with tremendous literary traditions.”

He said the key to coming up with so many ideas and being creative is reading.

“Movies and television shows are good … but do not stop there: you must always read.”

• entertainment
• journalism resources
• latest reports
• learning resources
• college & uni life
• career advice

trending topics

• Daily Bulletin
• SJA Calendar & Schedules
• SJA News & Social Media
• Faculty and Staff Directory
• Course Bulletin (PDF)
• Make a Payment
• My School Bucks
• Transcript Request
• A Culture of Caring and Respect
• International Travel and Cultural Exchange
• Signature Programs
• Technical Career Intensive
• Guided Studies Program
• Enjoy Vermont
• Social Media
• Photo Gallery
• Contact Admissions
• Applying as a Boarding Student
• Applying as a Day Student
• Adult Education
• AP Summer Institute
• St. Johnsbury Academy – Jeju
• Operation Creation
• Make a Gift
• Search for:

Suyeon Kim Awarded Commendation in John Locke Institute’s Global Essay Competition

St. Johnsbury Academy junior Suyeon Kim, of Jeju, South Korea, was recently awarded a Commendation in the Theology category of the John Locke Institute’s Global Essay Competition. Suyeon attended the commendation ceremony in London, England in late 2023.

The John Locke Institute’s website offers some background on the organization: “The John Locke Institute is an independent educational organization that works to embolden the best and brightest students to become more academically ambitious and more intellectually adventurous. Through our various programs – residential courses, revision seminars, essay competitions, and special events – we inspire students to aim high and we equip them with the skills they need in order to achieve their goals. The Institute is named in honor of the eminent seventeenth century Oxford philosopher, John Locke.” The John Locke Institute also offers competitive summer programs at Princeton University, Oxford University and in Washington, D.C. and Singapore.

In her essay, Suyeon responded to the question, “What distinguishes a small religion from a large cult?” She begins, “’Cult plus time, or people, is religion’. This is one of the worst and the most pervaded misconceptions about cults. Such an idea is often introduced by impactful media as if it were true. Is it?” Her essay goes on to consider many different aspects of cults, and ends, “As a whole, cults exist for one person, and religions exist for everyone. Cults may seem similar to religion on the outermost surface, but on the inside, everything is different. Even if it is as small as one advisory class, or even smaller, religions seek positive impacts from their gods on their believers whereas people being forcefully gathered to devote themselves to the human cult leader is the number one priority in cults.”

Jamie Whyte, Chairman of Examiners for the John Locke Institute, congratulated Suyeon on the Institute’s behalf: “It is my very great pleasure to congratulate you on being awarded a Commendation in the Theology category of the John Locke Institute’s 2023 Global Essay Competition. You can be proud of this achievement. I hope the experience of researching and writing this essay will confer on you lasting benefits.”

Formerly a student at St. Johnsbury Academy Jeju, St. Johnsbury Academy’s sister school in South Korea, Suyeon Kim began studying at St. Johnsbury Academy as part of the school’s exchange program. After spending a semester in St. Johnsbury, Suyeon decided to transfer permanently, and she now attends St. Johnsbury Academy as a boarding student.

Suyeon was honored to be recognized by this international organization. She said, “When I first got the email that I got into the finalist stage, I was just so happy. As soon as I started writing the essay, I knew that this would become my favorite essay of all time. To win an award for this big competition was, of course, important for me, but the genuine meaning of submitting this essay was to prove that my experiences made me braver and more mature. Now that I have been recognized by the John Locke Institute and from this publication, I feel so grateful to have this meaningful time in my high school. I want to especially thank Mr. Glenn Ehrean, who helped to review my works before the submission and who is also my first history teacher at St. Johnsbury Academy.”

Glenn Ehrean, Suyeon’s teacher and Director of the Academy’s Colwell Center for Global Understanding, said, “Suyeon was a student in my World Civilizations course. She is quiet, gracious, and wise beyond her years. She understands the iterative process of developing ideas and articulating them. It’s hard work, but she embraces it. It was an honor to review her essay. I was not surprised that it was recognized by the board of examiners.”

Headmaster Dr. Sharon Howell is also very proud of Suyeon’s accomplishment. She said, “This is a wonderful example of how good teaching and mentorship can help students achieve in powerful, life-changing ways. I’m grateful to all of Suyeon’s teachers and very proud of her.”

More information about the John Locke Institute and its programs is available at https://www.johnlockeinstitute.com/.

Related News

September 25, 2024

Local Vermont Girls Grapple in Pennsylvania Tournament

Three local Vermont female wrestlers recently traveled to the University of Pennsylvania to compete in a women’s freestyle tournament.

September 12, 2024

SJA Senior Named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist

St. Johnsbury Academy Senior Dillon Chen of Franconia, NH, has been recognized as a semifinalist in the 70th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

September 11, 2024

SJA Welcomes New Faculty and Staff

St. Johnsbury Academy has added nine new faculty and six new staff members to start the 2024-2025 school year.

August 28, 2024

A Reflection on Community

July 25, 2024

Rosie’s Girls Camp

St. Johnsbury Academy hosted a special group of middle school students as part of Rosie’s Girls Camp.

July 23, 2024

Local High School Wrestler Competes at Nationals

On July 13 and 14, St Johnsbury Academy wrestler Brooke Davis ‘25, along with two other Vermont wrestlers, competed in the United States’ toughest wrestling tournament, the US National Women’s Freestyle Tournament in Fargo, ND.

July 08, 2024

Reading, Writing, and Math

Over the last few years, St. Johnsbury Academy has been developing and increasing the capacity of its Student Services Program (formerly Special Services).

Zoë Glentz Brush Nominated for The Congress of Future Medical Leaders

May 23, 2024

Commencement Speaker Announced

Headmaster Dr. Sharon Howell is happy to announce that the journalist Alexis Madrigal will be St. Johnsbury Academy’s 2024 Commencement Speaker.

May 22, 2024

Advice to Seniors

Transitioning from high school to college can be both exciting and terrifying. Nobody feels completely prepared when starting a new chapter of life, and all incoming college freshmen have unanswered questions when they arrive at their new school.

• Coronavirus
• Covid-19 In-depth
• Navigate Bermuda
• RG Fantasy League
• Classifieds
• Drive For Change
• Terms of Service

BHS students win honours in global essay competition

Sienna Spurling learnt about embryonic stem cell research in biology class at the Bermuda High School.

The 14-year-old was intrigued by the controversy. Embryonic stem cells are the building blocks of the body and can become any kind of cell. Scientists want to use them to research a range of diseases but harvesting them kills the embryo.

“There is a global debate with so many different views political, religious, and scientific,” she said. “It is very similar to the abortion debate in that there are opposing pro-life and pro-choice camps.”

Two thousand words on the topic won her a distinction in the prestigious John Locke Institute 2023 Global Essay Competition , based in Oxford, England.

Her classmate, Joy Yammine, also received a distinction in the Under-15 category; 13-year-old Aditi Varwandkar was shortlisted.

Each year 19,000 students from around the world enter the competition; 100 are shortlisted. Three winners are chosen; the top 15 per cent receive distinctions.

Essays were judged on the writer’s understanding of the relevant material, the use of evidence, quality of argumentation, originality, structure, writing style and persuasive force.

The contest was named for the English philosopher John Locke and asks students 18 and under to ponder questions such as why John Locke is considered the father of liberalism; why safety is more important than fun; and if you had $10 billion, how would you use it to make the world better.

Sienna and Joy wrote in response to the question, what is something important that people are often wrong about?

Joy took a philosophical angle, making her essay about happiness.

“It is something I have been interested in for a while,” she said. “My essay was about how people pursue happiness. Often happiness is looked at as a destination, when it is really a journey. It is not a tangible feeling. You do not know if you have reached happiness.”

The 14-year-old looked at the correlation between money and happiness.

“Beyond the point where all your basic needs are met and you are comfortable with food and shelter, there is no correlation with happiness,” she said. “Money does not make you any more happy.

“In my conclusion, I said that if you want to pursue happiness over a long period of time, you first need to find fulfilment, and contentment.”

Aditi tackled the question what, if anything, do parents owe their children?

“My take on it was that a parent owes their child the best life possible and the tools to succeed in life,” she said.

The teenager discussed central things that children need, such as food, water, clothing, and love. She felt they also needed practice for the real world and tools such as education.

“All children deserve a parent but not all parents deserve a child,” Aditi said. “It’s just about making sure that you’re in the position where you can give your child that better life.”

Their prize was a weekend seminar at Oxford University and admission to a prizegiving reception and gala dinner there.

The girls were scheduled to be in England for the weekend of September 16, but Hurricane Lee intervened, brushing past Bermuda with high waves and power cuts.

“Our flights were pushed back,” said Sienna. “Joy and I arrived a day late.”

That meant they missed the gala dinner and workshops arranged for the Saturday morning.

“At least we got to go to most of the seminars and the main award ceremony on Saturday evening at the Sheldonian Theatre,” Joy said. “That was really great.”

The awards ceremony was very formal.

“They don’t make you walk across the stage to receive your certificate [but] they call your name,” Sienna said. “It is very exciting to see so many people from around the world.”

It was her second time attending after she was shortlisted last year for an essay on taxes.

“We were told we were in the room where students take exams,” Sienna said. “There was a giant clock on the wall. The instructor told us that if we went to Oxford this would be one of the most stressful places for us.”

Seminar topics covered everything from essay writing, to tips on the United Kingdom university application process, to application to Oxford and Cambridge. The winning students also shared their essays.

“Getting into Oxford or Cambridge is not my main goal but that was very interesting,” Sienna said. “There were lots of people at the awards ceremony. It was good that BHS could be represented.”

Students took part in the competition with the help of BHS global politics and history teacher Amy Dingley-Jones.

“I’ve directed students to the John Locke essay prize for the last eight or nine years while working in different countries,” she said.

She added that the competition was a great opportunity for students to explore subjects they were interested in.

“They have to cut it down and structure it in a way that is readable but also different to the other thousands of entries,” Ms Dingley-Jones said. “They also have to give references. It is really impressive that they have been not only shortlisted but received distinctions, as well.”

Reading and writing about embryonic stem cell research cemented Sienna’s fascination with science. “I might go into biology or medicine,” she said.

Joy would like to take courses in psychology. “As a career, I might go into medicine or dentistry,” she said.

Meanwhile, Aditi was also considering psychology, or law.

• For more information on the John Locke Institute Global Essay Competition see www.johnlockeinstitute.com/essay-competition

You must be Registered or Signed in to post comment or to vote.

• Electronic Edition
• Registration
• Privacy Policy

Thu, 08/01/2024 - 4:25pm

Evan Reich '26 Named a Finalist in John Locke Essay Competition

Evan Reich ’26 received the best kind of e-mail Wednesday. The rising junior from Greensboro learned that he has been shortlisted as a finalist for the John Locke Institute Global Essay Prize in the category of History. Only 16.9 percent of the 34,823 submissions for the contest were shortlisted. Category winners and the overall grand prize will be announced during a September awards ceremony and academic conference in London that Evan plans to attend. Congratulations, Evan!

• [email protected]
• (650) 338-8226

Cupertino, CA

• Our Philosophy
• Our Results
• News, Media, and Press
• Common Application
• College Application Essay Editing
• Extracurricular Planning
• Academic Guidance
• Summer Programs
• Interview Preparation

Middle School

• Pre-High School Consultation
• Boarding School Admissions

College Admissions

• Academic and Extracurricular Profile Evaluation
• Senior Editor College Application Program
• Summer Program Applications
• Private Consulting Program
• Transfer Admissions
• UC Transfer Admissions
• Ivy League Transfer Admissions

Graduate Admissions

• Graduate School Admissions
• MBA Admissions

Private Tutoring

• SAT/ACT Tutoring
• AP Exam Tutoring
• Olympiad Training

Academic Programs

• Passion Project Program
• Science Research Program
• Humanities Competitions
• Ad Hoc Consulting
• Athletic Recruitment
• National Universities Rankings
• Liberal Arts Colleges Rankings
• Public Schools Rankings

Acceptance Rates

• University Acceptance Rates
• Transfer Acceptance Rates
• Supplemental Essays
• College Admissions Data
• Chances Calculator
• GPA Calculator

National Universities

• College Acceptance Rates
• College Overall Acceptance Rates
• College Regular Acceptance Rates
• College Early Acceptance Rates
• Ivy League Acceptance Rates
• Ivy League Overall Acceptance Rates
• Ivy League Regular Acceptance Rates
• Ivy League Early Acceptance Rates

Public Schools

• Public Schools Acceptance Rates
• Public Schools Overall Acceptance Rates
• Public Schools Regular Acceptance Rates
• Public Schools Early Acceptance Rates

Liberal Arts

• Liberal Arts Colleges Acceptance Rates
• Liberal Arts Colleges Overall Acceptance Rates
• Liberal Arts Colleges Regular Acceptance Rates
• Liberal Arts Colleges Early Acceptance Rates

John Locke Institute Essay Competition: All You Need to Know

By Eric Eng

The philosopher John Locke left a big mark with his ideas. His work has inspired people to think about how we’re governed, our freedoms, and what role the state should play. The John Locke Institute Essay Competition keeps his ideas alive by inviting young minds to think about how his ideas relate to today’s world.

Let’s talk about the John Locke Institute Essay Competition. We’ll give you an overview of the rules and share some helpful tips to craft a winning essay. This comprehensive guide will help you make your essay submission shine.

What Is the John Locke Institute Essay Competition?

The John Locke Institute Essay Competition—also called the John Locke Institute’s Global Essay Prize—is a yearly event hosted by the John Locke Institute , an organization passionate about encouraging young people to excel academically and enjoy learning. Named after the famous English philosopher John Locke, it aims to honor his legacy by inspiring young students to think deeply and critically.

Students from anywhere in the world can enter by writing an essay on topics like politics , economics , philosophy , and history . You can pick from a wide range of topics for your essay, so you can write about what you’re really interested in and show off how curious you are. A group of experts will read all the essays and pick winners based on how original, well thought out, and clear they are.

If you win, you’ll get a scholarship and your work will get published on the John Locke Institute’s website, which is a big deal for your academic record.

What Are the John Locke Institute Essay Competition’s Prizes?

If you win in any subject category or the Junior category of the John Locke Institute Essay Competition, you’ll get a US$2000 scholarship. This scholarship can be used for any program offered by the John Locke Institute, and your winning essay will be published on the Institute’s website.

Plus, if you’re chosen as the overall best essay writer, you’ll become an honorary John Locke Institute Junior Fellow. This includes a US$10,000 scholarship for participating in the Institute’s summer schools or visiting scholars programs.

The prize-giving ceremonies take place in London, where you’ll have the chance to meet judges and faculty members. And whether you win a prize or not, if you’re short-listed, you’ll receive an eCertificate to recognize your achievement.

What Are the John Locke Institute Essay Competition’s Guidelines?

If you’re thinking about joining the John Locke Institute Essay Competition, it’s important to know the rules. Here’s a handy guide to get you started:

Eligibility

Students from any country and school can take part. There are two levels: one for high schoolers aged 15 to 18, and the Junior Prize for middle schoolers aged 14 and under.

There are seven categories to choose from: Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology, and Law. Each category has its own set of questions (listed in the next section).

Essay format

Your essay should only answer one question from your chosen category. It should be no more than 2000 words, not counting diagrams, tables, bibliography, or authorship declaration. Don’t include footnotes, but you can have endnotes and a bibliography.

Your essay needs to be in PDF format and follow the filename format: FirstName-LastName-Category-QuestionNumber.pdf. Example: John-Locke-Economics-1.pdf.

Registration starts on April 1, 2024, and ends on May 31, 2024. Essays must be submitted by June 30, 2024.

You’ll find out if you’re short-listed by July 31, 2024. The academic conference is scheduled for September 20-22, 2024, and the awards night is on September 21, 2024.

Other requirements

There’s no submission fee. It’s free for everyone.

You’ll also need to provide the email address of an academic referee who knows your academic work well. They can be a teacher or another adult who’s not related to you. The institute will email them to verify that your essay is your own work.

If you have any questions, you can email [email protected] . Don’t forget to read through these guidelines carefully before submitting your essay.

John Locke Institute Essay Competition: Topics

Now that you’re familiar with the contest guidelines, it’s time to choose a topic for your essay . Here are the topics you can choose from, organized by category and question number. Remember to use the category and question number in titling the file you will submit:

• Q1. Do we have any good reasons to trust our moral intuition?
• Q2. Do girls have a (moral) right to compete in sporting contests that exclude boys?
• Q3. Should I be held responsible for what I believe?
• Q1. Is there such a thing as too much democracy?
• Q2. Is peace in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip possible?
• Q3. When is compliance complicity?
• Q1. What is the optimal global population?
• Q2. Accurate news reporting is a public good. Does it follow that news agencies should be funded from taxation?
• Q3. Do successful business people benefit others when making their money, when spending it, both, or neither?
• Q1. Why was sustained economic growth so rare before the later 18th century and why did this change?
• Q2. Has music ever significantly changed the course of history?
• Q3. Why do civilisations collapse? Is our civilisation in danger?
• Q1. When, if ever, should a company be permitted to refuse to do business with a person because of that person’s public statements?
• Q2. In the last five years British police have arrested several thousand people for things they posted on social media. Is the UK becoming a police state?
• Q3. Your parents say that 11pm is your bedtime. But they don’t punish you if you don’t go to bed by 11pm. Is 11pm really your bedtime?
• Q1. According to a study by researchers at four British universities, for each 15-point increase in IQ, the likelihood of getting married increases by around 35% for a man but decreases by around 58% for a woman. Why?
• ​Q2. There is an unprecedented epidemic of depression and anxiety among young people. Can we fix this? How?
• Q3. What is the difference between a psychiatric illness and a character flaw?
• Q1. “I am not religious, but I am spiritual.” What could the speaker mean by “spiritual”?
• Q2. Is it reasonable to thank God for protection from some natural harm if He is responsible for causing the harm?
• Q3. Does God reward those who believe in him? If so, why?

Junior Prize

• Q1. Does winning a free and fair election automatically confer a mandate for governing?
• Q2. Has the anti-racism movement reduced racism?
• Q3. Is there life after death?
• Q4. How did it happen that governments came to own and run most high schools, while leaving food production to private enterprise ?
• Q5. When will advancing technology make most of us unemployable? What should we do about this?
• Q6. Should we trust fourteen-year-olds to make decisions about their own bodies?

John Locke Institute Essay Competition: Writing Tips

The contest website states: “The John Locke Institute encourages young people to cultivate the characteristics that turn good students into great writers: independent thought, depth of knowledge, clear reasoning, critical analysis, and persuasive style .”

Let’s zoom in on the five main things they’re after:

1. Independent thought

Independent thought means coming up with your own ideas that challenge the status quo or offer unique insights. Don’t just analyze existing literature. Try to bring new perspectives or suggest innovative solutions to complex problems.

For example, in the Philosophy category, instead of just discussing whether girls should be allowed to compete in sports that exclude boys, you could explore deeper ethical principles. This might involve thinking about fairness and equal opportunity, or looking at how gender segregation in sports affects society.

2. Depth of knowledge

Having a deep understanding is super important for nailing the John Locke Institute Essay Competition. Know the key concepts, theories, and historical contexts of your topic. This could also mean checking out different views on historical events, analyzing primary sources, or considering other theories. You should be able to analyze information effectively, making connections and spotting patterns that deepen your understanding.

In the History category, for example, if you’re writing about the fall of civilizations, it’s not enough to just list events. You need to dig into why it happened, like economic pressures or cultural changes.

3. Clear reasoning

It’s essential to think logically when writing your essays. This means laying out your arguments in a way that makes sense, so each point flows smoothly into the next.

To do this well, you’ll want to avoid common mistakes like using emotional appeals instead of solid reasoning. If you’re debating whether news agencies should be funded by taxes, you’d need to make your case using economic principles and real-world evidence.

Another important aspect of clear reasoning is addressing counterarguments. Acknowledging and responding to opposing views shows that you understand the complexity of the issue. This not only makes your argument stronger but also demonstrates respect for different perspectives. By presenting a well-rounded argument, you can make a compelling case for your position in the competition

4. Critical analysis

Thinking critically means going beyond just summarizing facts. You need to analyze and interpret data, arguments, and evidence to come up with a thoughtful conclusion.

To do this effectively, you can’t just focus on your own viewpoint. You also need to think about other perspectives and respond to them. This shows that you’re open to different ideas and can think critically. For instance, when talking about the ideal global population, you should consider what environmentalists, economists, and policymakers might think, and then integrate those views into your analysis.

Another important part of critical analysis is choosing your sources carefully. Make sure you’re using reliable, up-to-date sources to back up your arguments. Avoid using biased or outdated information. By carefully evaluating your sources and selecting the most relevant and reliable ones, you can make your argument stronger and show that you’ve done thorough research.

5. Persuasive style

In any writing competition , having a persuasive writing style is key. You need to be able to convince the judges of your ideas and arguments. If you’re debating whether a company should be allowed to turn away business based on public statements, you’d need to make a strong, well-supported argument. This could involve citing legal cases, analyzing examples, and providing clear explanations to back up your point.

To make your essay even more persuasive, try using rhetorical devices like ethos, pathos, and logos. Ethos means showing why you’re a credible source, pathos means appealing to the judges’ emotions, and logos means using logic and reason. Using these devices can make your argument stronger and more compelling.

It’s also important to think about your tone and voice. You want to sound confident but also open-minded. Acknowledge any potential counterarguments or limitations to your argument, and respond to them respectfully. Strike the right balance in your tone, and you can make sure your essay is persuasive and engaging to the judges.

John Locke Institute Essay Competition: Sample Winning Works

Another sure way of standing out in the John Locke Institute Essay Competition is to read and study past winning works. Here are a few 1st placers and let’s see what we can learn from them:

1. Hosai Kishida – 1st place, Philosophy Category, 2023

Question: Is tax theft?

Summary: The essay says that taxation is like stealing, even though some people think it’s okay because we agree to it in the social contract. But the author argues that no one would really agree to give up their money to the government if they had a choice, because governments don’t always do a good job of protecting our rights and are often influenced by people who just want to make money. In the end, the author says that because taxation isn’t something we agree to, it’s basically stealing from us.

Analysis and tips

In the winning essay, Kishida used several smart writing tricks to argue against taxation. First off, they made sure to define important terms, like theft and rational consent, right at the start. This helped lay the groundwork for their argument and made sure readers were on the same page. For example, they defined theft as taking someone’s stuff without their okay, setting things up to argue that taxation is a type of theft.

The essay was also well-organized, with each point building on the last. This made for a clear and convincing argument. They started by talking about rational consent and how it relates to state power, then moved on to critique Kant’s ideas about the state, and finished up by discussing why some people think taxation is okay. This logical progression made it easy for readers to follow along.

Kishida also used rhetorical techniques, like logos and ethos, to make their argument stronger. They used logos by giving logical explanations and examples to back up their points. They also used ethos by mentioning famous philosophers like Locke, Kant, and Friedman, which made their argument seem more credible.

To make their argument even stronger, Kishida used real examples and evidence. They talked about bad things that governments have done in the past and argued that not everyone values the goods and services that governments provide equally, which weakens the case for taxation.

Lastly, Kishida kept things respectful and reasonable. Even though they were making a controversial argument, they stayed calm and used logic and evidence to back up their points, instead of using angry or rude language. This helped them keep their credibility with the audience.

2. Joonyoung Heo – 1st place, Junior Category, 2021

Question: Should the law ever prevent people from freely making self-harming decisions? If so, what should and shouldn’t be forbidden — and according to which principles?

Summary: In the essay, the author talks about why it’s not cool for the government to make laws that try to protect people from themselves, which is called legal paternalism. The main idea is that while it might make sense for the government to step in and make laws that protect people (like seatbelt laws), it’s not okay when those laws stop people from making choices that only affect themselves. The author thinks this principle is strong because it respects individual choice, even when the government doesn’t think it’s the best choice.

The winning essay shows how to write a great essay for the John Locke Institute Essay Competition. First, Heo starts by clearly explaining important terms and ideas. This makes sure everyone knows what they’re talking about. For example, they explain legal paternalism and the harm principle right at the start.

Next, the essay is put together in a logical way. Each point builds on the last. This makes the argument strong and easy to follow. The author also uses real examples and evidence to back up their points. They talk about things like Michael Bloomberg’s soda ban and the recent change in Germany’s laws about assisted suicide to support what they’re saying.

Another smart move is how the author thinks about and answers arguments against their own. They show they really know their stuff by considering other viewpoints and responding to them in a smart way. Finally, the author keeps a cool and respectful tone throughout the essay. This helps them stay believable and makes their argument even more convincing.

Joining the John Locke Institute Essay Competition is a great chance to tackle some big philosophical and ethical questions, while also sharpening your critical thinking and writing skills . You’ll get to dive into topics that are not just interesting, but also really relevant to what’s going on in the world today.

So, it’s not just about winning a prize—it’s about growing intellectually, opening up new perspectives, and becoming part of a community of people who love exploring the big ideas that shape our lives.

Who can join the John Locke Institute Essay Competition?

Any student from any country and school can join in. High schoolers aged 15 to 18 can compete in the regular categories, while the Junior Prize is for middle schoolers aged 14 and under.

Can you submit more than one entry to the John Locke Institute Essay Competition?

Yes. Feel free to submit as many essays as you’d like in any or all categories.

Does the John Locke Institute Essay Competition have an entry fee?

The good news is that there’s no entry fee. However, if you miss the regular deadline, there’s a 20.00 USD fee for late submissions.

What is the John Locke Institute?

The John Locke Institute is an educational organization that’s all about encouraging independent thinking, critical thought , and clear reasoning among young people. They run the annual Essay Competition to get students thinking about important philosophical and ethical questions.

Who was John Locke?

John Locke was a 17th-century philosopher and physician, known as one of the most influential Enlightenment thinkers. His thoughts on liberty, property, and the social contract had a big impact on modern political thought.

Want to assess your chances of admission? Take our FREE chances calculator today!

Why College Admissions Isn’t Perfect

US News Rankings

The Personal Statement: The Holy Grail of College Admissions

The Modern Day 4.0 and 1600 SAT Score Student Is No Longer Impressive

The Competitive Nature of College Admissions for Asian Americans

The College Application

Our Comprehensive Approach

Ivy League Schools

How Early Should You Prepare for College?

Featured in US News & World Report Best Colleges Publication

Congratulations to AdmissionSight Students and their Acceptances!

College Rejection

College Rankings

College Consultants Could Make A Difference

College Admissions Scandal and Higher Education

How to Ask Someone to Be a Reference: Sample Email + Tips

How Many Times Can You Take the LSAT? Study Tips + Insights

What Is A DBQ Essay? Tips + Examples

Top 20 Colleges with the Lowest Acceptance Rates

How to Write a Synthesis Essay: Tips + Examples

How to Nail Your Overcoming a Challenge Essay: Advice and Tips

What Happens If You Fail a Class in College? Insights + Tips

Do You Need a Bachelor’s to Get a Master’s Degree?

Top 7 Hidden Ivies in the US: Stats + Tips

What Can You Do with a Philosophy Degree? Job Prospects + Insights

Top 16 National Awards for High School Students

Top 10 Best Sororities in the US

How to Superscore Your SAT: Insights + Tips

Life after College: Insights and Advice

11 Best STEM Colleges in the US

Best Law Student Jobs to Make Money During Law School

How to get into yale: admission requirements and tips, leave a comment cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Recent Articles

How to Ask Someone to...

How Many Times Can You...

What Is A DBQ Essay?...

Top 20 Colleges with the...

How to Write a Synthesis...

How to Nail Your Overcoming...

What Happens If You Fail...

Do You Need a Bachelor’s...

Top 7 Hidden Ivies in...

What Can You Do with...

Top 16 National Awards for...

Top 10 Best Sororities in...

Sign up now to receive insights on how to navigate the college admissions process..

Admissions Counseling

• Academic & Extracurricular Profile Evaluation

Copyright © AdmissionSight 2024

Privacy Policy - Terms and Conditions

• Faculty and Staff Directory
• Archmere Academy History
• Board of Trustees
• The History of The Patio
• Mission and Heritage
• From the Head of School's Desk
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Parent Clubs
• Facility Rentals
• Meet the Interview Team
• Inquire Online
• Shadow Days
• Affording Archmere
• Transportation
• Postgraduate Year
• Global Studies Program
• College Counseling
• College Counseling Blog
• Planning Your College Search
• College Profile
• For College Representatives
• Campus Ministry
• Clubs & Organizations
• Community Service
• School Counseling
• Helena Raskob Arts Institute
• Performing Arts Center
• Ways To Give
• Preserving Our History
• Planned Giving
• Alumni Council Elections
• Sports Hall of Fame
• AuksConnect
• Physicians Society
• Golf Outing
• Multi-Cultural Alumni Collective
• Media Gallery
• Varsity Shop

Alex Chen '23 Wins Third Prize in Global Essay Competition

• Alex Chen '23

Everything You Should Know about the John Locke Institute (JLI) Essay Competition

By Jin Chow

Co-founder of Polygence, Forbes 30 Under 30 for Education

3 minute read

We first wrote about the world-famous John Locke Institute (JLI) Essay Competition in our list of 20 writing contests for high school students . This contest is a unique opportunity to refine your argumentation skills on fascinating and challenging topics that aren’t explored in the classroom.

The Oxford philosopher, medical doctor, political scientist, and economist John Locke was a big believer in challenging old habits of the mind. In that spirit, the JLI started this contest to challenge students to be more adventurous in their thinking. 

While not quite as prestigious as getting published in The Concord Review , winning the grand prize or placing in one of the 7 categories of the John Locke Essay Competition can get your college application noticed by top schools like Princeton, Harvard, Oxford, and Cambridge. Awards include $2,000 scholarships (for category prize winners) and a $10,000 scholarship for the grand prize. (The scholarships can be applied to the JLI’s Summer Schools at Oxford University, Princeton University, or Washington DC, or to its Gap Year programs in Oxford University, Guatemala, or Washington DC) 

But winning isn’t necessarily the best thing about it. Simply entering the contest and writing your essay will give you a profound learning experience like no other. Add to that the fact that your entry will be read and possibly commented on by some of the top minds at Oxford and Princeton University and it’s free to enter the competition. The real question is: why wouldn’t you enter? Here’s a guide to get you started on your essay contest entry.

Do your own research through Polygence!

Polygence pairs you with an expert mentor in your area of passion. Together, you work to create a high quality research project that is uniquely your own.

Eligibility

The John Locke Institute Essay Competition is open to any high school student anywhere in the world, ages 15-18. Students 14 or under are eligible for the Junior prize. 

John Locke Essay Competition Topics

The essay questions change from year to year. You can choose from 7 different categories (Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology, and Law). Within each category, there are 3 intriguing questions you can pick from. When you’re debating which question to write about, here’s a tip. Choose whichever question excites, upsets, or gives you any kind of strong emotional response. If you’re passionate about a topic, it will come through in your research and your writing. If you have any lived experience on the subject, that also helps. 

There are some sample questions the 2023 contest for each of the seven JLI essay subject  categories and the Junior Prize (the questions change each year):

Philosophy: Is tax theft? 

Politics: Do the results of elections express the will of the people?

Economics: What would happen if we banned billionaires?  

History: Which has a bigger effect on history: the plans of the powerful or their mistakes?

Psychology: Can happiness be measured?

Theology: What distinguishes a small religion from a large cult?

Law: Are there too many laws?

Junior Prize: What, if anything, do your parents owe you?

John Locke Writing Contest Requirements

Your essay must not exceed 2,000 words (not counting diagrams, tables of data, endnotes, bibliography, or authorship declaration) and must address only one of the questions in your chosen subject category. No footnotes are allowed, but you may include in-text citations or endnotes. 

Timeline and Deadlines

January - New essay questions are released

April 1st - Registration opens

May 31st  - Registration deadline

June 30th - Essay submission deadline

We highly recommend you check the JLI website as soon as the new questions are released in January and start researching and writing as soon as you can after choosing your topic. You must register for the contest by the end of May. The deadline for the essay submission itself is at the end of June, but we also recommend that you submit it earlier in case any problems arise. If you start right away in January, you can have a few months to work on your essay. 

John Locke Institute Essay Competition Judging Criteria

While the JLI says that their grading system is proprietary, they do also give you this helpful paragraph that describes what they are looking for: “Essays will be judged on knowledge and understanding of the relevant material, the competent use of evidence, quality of argumentation, originality, structure, writing style and persuasive force. The very best essays are likely to be those which would be capable of changing somebody's mind. Essays which ignore or fail to address the strongest objections and counter-arguments are unlikely to be successful. Candidates are advised to answer the question as precisely and directly as possible.” (We’ve bolded important words to keep in mind.) 

You can also join the JLI mailing list (scroll to the bottom of that page) to get contest updates and to learn more about what makes for a winning essay.

The words will fly off the page!

Interested in Literature and Languages? We'll match you with an expert mentor who will help you explore your next project.

Research and Essay Writing Tactics

Give yourself a baseline. First, just write down all your thoughts on the subject without doing any research. What are your gut-level opinions? What about this particular question intrigued you the most? What are some counter-arguments you can think of right away? What you are trying to do here is identify holes in your knowledge or understanding of the subject. What you don’t know or are unsure about can guide your research. Be sure to find evidence to support all the things you think you already know. 

Create a reading/watching list of related books, interviews, articles, podcasts, documentaries, etc. that relate to your topic. Find references that both support and argue against your argument. Choose the most highly reputable sources you can find. You may need to seek out and speak to experts to help you locate the best sources. Read and take notes. Address those questions and holes in the knowledge you identified earlier. Also, continue to read widely and think about your topic as you observe the world from day to day. Sometimes unrelated news stories, literature, film, songs, and visual art can give you an unexpected insight into your essay question. Remember that c is a learning experience and that you are not going to have a rock-solid argument all at once.

Read past essays . These will give you a sense of the criteria judges are using to select winning work. These essays are meant to convince the judges of a very specific stance. The argument must be clear and must include evidence to support it. You will note that winning entries tend to get straight to the point, show an impressive depth of knowledge on the subject with citations to reputable sources, flow with excellent reasoning, and use precise language. They don’t include flowery digressions. Save that for a different type of writing.

Proof your work with a teacher or mentor if possible. Even though your argument needs to be wholly your own, it certainly helps to bounce ideas around with someone who cares about the topic. A teacher or mentor can help you explore different options if you get stuck and point you toward new resources. They can offer general advice and point out errors or weaknesses. Working with a teacher or mentor is important for another reason. When you submit your entry, you will be required to provide the email address of an “academic referee” who is familiar with your work. This should be teachers, mentors, or other faculty members who are not related to you.

Polygence Scholars Are Also Passionate About

Research and prepare for your competition or fair.

Polygence pairs you with an expert mentor in your area of passion. Together, you work to create a high quality research project that is uniquely your own. Our highly-specialized mentors can help guide you to feel even more prepared for an upcoming fair or competion. We also offer options to explore multiple topics, or to showcase your final product!

• PRIVACY POLICY
• Refund POLICY
• SHIPPING POLICY

The International School Bangalore

NAFL Valley

Whitefield - Sarjapur Road

Near Dommasandra Circle

Bangalore - 562125

Karnataka India

         +91 80 6723 5900

• Welcome from the Principal
• Mission and Vision
• Our History
• Board of Governors
• International Baccalaureate Results
• IGCSE Results
• Chairman's Scholarship
• College and University Destinations
• English as an Additional Language
• TISB Training Academy
• Medical Centre
• Welcome to the Primary Years
• IB Learner Profile
• Pastoral Care
• Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten
• Lower Grade 1 - Grade 5
• Curriculum Enrichment and Trips
• Transition into Middle School
• Life in the Senior School
• Middle School (Grades 6 - 8)
• IGCSE (Grades 9 - 10)
• IBDP Programme (Grades 11 - 12)
• College Counselling
• Blitz Notes
• After School Activities
• Trojans Interschool Events
• International Award (IAYP)
• TISBMUN & Future Leaders
• Charity Events
• The Aajivan Lecture Series
• Boarding at TISB
• Boarding Activities
• Admissions Overview
• How to Apply
• Entrance Requirements
• Open Mornings
• Enquiry Form
• Map of TISB Campus
• Keeping in Contact
• Working at TISB
• Living in Bangalore
• #SchoolStories

Winner of The John Locke Essay Competition

TISB Grade 12 student, Samik, recently got awarded a high commendation for his essay on Politics in the John Locke Institute essay competition. The competition attracts thousands of entries every year, with entries from all over the world and across eight subject categories.

My primary objective was to hone my research, analysis, and writing skills under the benchmark of an international forum – Samik, Grade 12.

This year’s John Locke Essay Competition was attended by 2740 contestants from 80 countries around the world. Contestants had to submit their essays on different prompts related to their choice by the 15th of July, 2020. Samik wrote his essay in the Politics category based on the prompt: “American citizens give away more than $300 billion each year in charitable donations. Only a tiny fraction of this (less than 0.001%) is donated to federal, state, and local governments. Politicians claim that they spend taxpayers' money efficiently, to accomplish the most good with the budgets at their disposal. But if this were true wouldn't governments be able to compete more successfully with private charities? What are the implications of your answer?”

The essays were judged by faculty from Harvard, Oxford, Princeton, and the University of Chicago. “Having my writing judged by a panel of esteemed judges has been very gratifying for me and has inspired me to continue honing my research, critical thinking, and writing skills”, says Samik who received a high commendation in his category, placing him in the top 28 contestants. 

Samik believes that the John Locke Essay competition is a great way for students to explore their interests, and to sharpen their analytical and writing skills. “I know that our school has many phenomenal writers and hope this encourages my juniors to actively participate in such opportunities as well”, says Samik. 

To read more about the John Locke Essay Competition, visit the John Locke Institute’s website .  

You may also be interested in...

+91 80 6723 5900

• Connect /TISBANGALORE

#SchoolWebsite Design by Interactive Schools

John locke essay competition result

Quick Reply

Related discussions.

• Law essay competitions
• John Locke Essay Competition
• cambridge sixth form law conference 2024??
• Economics at Cambridge- y11
• Does John Locke Global Essay Competition appreciate creativite format of writing?
• Essay Competitions
• Summer 2025 John Locke
• Help wanders
• Oxford biomedical application
• Economics Personal Statement Competitions
• Economics Personal Statement
• Cambridge or Oxford
• A-level Preparation
• Banking work experience
• Applying to American colleges as a Uk student
• How likely am I to be given an offer at Cambridge for Law?
• calling all shortlisted candidates for john locke essay comp: join the chat!
• what does cambridge actually want from a medical applicant?
• Applying for History at Cambridge

Last reply 5 hours ago

Last reply 8 hours ago

Last reply 1 day ago

Last reply 3 days ago

Last reply 5 days ago

Last reply 6 days ago

Last reply 1 week ago

Last reply 2 weeks ago

Last reply 1 month ago

Articles for you

Employability questions you should ask before choosing a university

Students react after GCSE History Paper 2 on 4 June 2024

Studying for a law degree: how to choose the best university for you

Junior University: Liverpool celebration day diary

Try out the app

Continue on web

What is the socially efficient level of crime?

Raphael Conte, Sir William Borlase's Grammar School, United Kingdom

Winner of the 2020 Economics Prize ​| 10 min read 

In this essay, it is argued that the socially efficient level of crime is actually significantly above nil, despite rampant social costs, due to the necessary trade-off between prevention expenditure and costs inflicted by crimes, as well as the potential beneficial effects of crime. [1]  However, it must be recognised that there is no ‘simple relationship’ between crime and social costs derived from it, although cost-benefit analysis supplemented by case studies provides an indication. [2] Firstly, there are the social costs of crime with an added opportunity cost dimension. Secondly, there are prevention costs followed by the potential social benefits. Finally, the use of fines may help to determine a socially efficient level. Here, crime refers to various acts that imply a transgression of social norms and are punishable by law, from financial crimes to homicide, although naturally “crime” can have varying definitions, within different legal systems.

In this context, ‘social efficiency’ can be characterised as taking all the consequences of crime on all economic agents into consideration. [3] specifically, social efficiency can be defined as: marginal social costs totalling marginal social benefits (msc=msb) with social costs divided into preemptive prevention costs and the social costs of the crimes expenditure and costs inflicted by crimes, as well as the potential beneficial effects of crimes themselves. [4] therefore, in order to minimise overall social costs, the marginal cost of preventing crime should equal the marginal social cost of crime (mcp=msc). if mcp>msc of crime, then crimes are more costly to prevent than allowing them to occur, thus contributing to a higher overall social cost. contrastingly, if mcp<msc, then crime could have been prevented at a lower social cost than the social cost inflicted by the crime., however, it can be argued that the socially efficient level of crime is nil as it is ‘the primary source of inefficiency in the economy,’ effectively ‘bypassing the market.’ [5] [6] principally, external costs involved in crime can be so considerable that it should not be present at all. this includes costs attached to crime which can be divided into apprehension, conviction and punishment costs. [7] firstly, apprehension costs can be estimated using uk police spending, which was £14,063m in 2019-20. [8] secondly, average unit conviction costs range from £200 for commercial theft to £800,980 for homicide. [9] thirdly, incarceration cost the taxpayer £2,753,747,261 in the uk in 2015, i.e. £32,510 per prisoner. [10] in 2018-19, the total ministry of justice operating expenditure was £10 billion, with an income of £1.6 billion. [11] similar statistics in the us are even more alarming with criminal justice system expenditure in 2012 amounting to $210 billion. [12] such sums exemplify the huge social costs of crime, suggesting that the optimum level is close to nil, if not absolute zero., additionally, there are considerable social costs as consequences of crime, such as the lost output of crime victims. for example, in the uk, the average cost of lost productivity for violent crime victims is £2,060 (5 hours off work and 36 reduced productivity hours). [13] the same rationale can be used to estimate the social costs of crime regarding healthcare costs. for the same crime, average unit costs of healthcare amount to £920. [14] moreover, there are also large anticipatory and reactionary social costs, notably defensive precautions taken by potential victims. this includes a range of measures such as insurance, locks, doors, private cctv and alarms, with uk cost estimates ranging from £3bn to £4bn to around £25bn.’ [15] this allocation of resources to hinder crime naturally inflicts significant monetary and psychological costs to society, although it does provide employment and other economic benefits. similarly, resources used to commit a crime also represent costs to society. [16] [17] here, an opportunity cost dimension must be added to fully capture the argument. [18] principally, the criminals’ human and physical capital could have been utilised to contribute to the productive potential of the economy, creating potential social gains instead of inflicting high social costs through crime. this opportunity cost also includes the resources expended by potential victims to protect themselves from crime. the next best alternative may have been expenditure on goods and services to improve real living standards., however, it can also be argued that the socially efficient level of crime is relatively high because resources allocated towards prevention can generate an even greater burden on society than if some crimes were allowed to occur (mcp<msc). this is corroborated by friedman stating that ‘theft is inefficient, but spending $100 to prevent a $10 theft is more inefficient.’ [19] the following analysis can be divided into the high monetary and non-monetary costs of prevention., on a monetary level, such high costs would take the form of expenditure on human and physical resources such as enhanced police presence and surveillance. although this creates employment, an opportunity cost is still presented. in order to estimate the expenditure required to bring crime levels close to 0, the example of singapore can be used where high penalties are coupled with high policing expenditure of over $200 us per capita [20] to achieve a relatively low crime rate of 617 per 100,000 with an intentional homicide rate of 0.7 per 100,000. [21] [22] this also implies that innumerable resources would be required to achieve a point where crime was virtually nil, inflicting even greater social costs through taxation than the crimes themselves., non-monetary costs of prevention also suggest that the socially efficient level of crime is well above nil. these social costs focus on the infringements of citizens’ rights and liberties, such as freedom of assembly and movement, which would undoubtedly be restricted by a police state seeking extremely low levels of crime. a relevant example for this is the former gdr where the secret police crushed crime and dissent through ‘increased social control, draconian state sanctions and reduced opportunity structures.’ [23] however, this inevitably led to spiralling long-term social costs with recent articles stating that ‘memories of the police state continue to exact a profound psychological toll,’ even 30 years after german reunification. [24] as a consequence of the actions of the stasi, psychologists have diagnosed various conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression. [25] overall, this case study demonstrates how efforts to reduce crime to very low levels tend to lead to far greater social costs than those actually created by crimes themselves. this example shows the lasting harm of such measures. even if a more social-liberal rather than authoritarian approach was taken, as in scandinavian countries, whereby the incentive to commit crime is reduced through redistributive measures, costs would remain high and crime would probably persist. even today, economists argue that in the usa, ‘spending less on policing would increase social welfare. [26], however, the idea that prevention is better than cure can also be applied with regard to crime. although it is very difficult to calculate the social benefit stemming from preventative measures, a study of cctv (closed-circuit television) suggests that the trade-off between infringement on civil rights and liberties and reducing crime is not as great as commonly perceived. firstly, it is accepted that ‘cctv can, when properly implemented and monitored, be effective at reducing crime.’ [27] however, roman and farrell also argue that ‘there is evidence that cctv can be introduced without infringing upon people's freedoms.’ [28] similarly, the argument regarding the infringement on civil liberties is weakened by the fact that it is arguing ‘for a right to anonymously commit crime.’ [29] therefore, as technology develops, it can be argued that the trade-off between prevention and social costs created is becoming less applicable, suggesting that the socially efficient level will decrease in the long-term., secondly, it can be claimed that the socially efficient level of crime in some circumstances is perhaps surprisingly high, due to the potential social benefits. this is particularly significant in relation to redistributive crimes such as theft and fraud which are effectively transfer payments. from a utilitarian perspective, if some resources are reallocated from wealthier agents to poorer agents, then total utility for the overall population increases. this is explained by the law of diminishing marginal utility which states that less affluent agents have higher levels of marginal utility, i.e. an increase in their resources will dramatically improve living standards. if crime can have this effect, then this may be able to improve development outcomes. from a macroeconomic perspective, the transfer will increase consumption, a key component of aggregate demand (ad=c+i+g+(x-m)) (ad-ad1) due to poorer individuals’ higher marginal propensity to consume which could, in turn, lead to an expansion of gdp (y-y1). this suggests that a certain type and level of crime can lead to economic benefits. however, the net improvement is likely to be marginal and will reduce long-term consumption trends. from a microeconomic perspective, if a poor thief were more likely to purchase merit goods and the wealthy were more likely to buy demerit goods, then crime would be contributing to correcting market failures caused by negative externalities., however, redistributive crimes are also committed by prosperous individuals and firms through tax evasion. additionally, the proceeds of organised crime are unlikely to be invested in social capital but tend to be used to fund further crime. moreover, crimes such as counterfeiting, ‘theft by false pretenses,’ can have significant social costs such as resulting demand-pull inflation and the inefficient use of resources required for counterfeiting, undermining the redistributive effect. [30] at the core of the redistributive argument, which states that the private benefits to the criminal partially negate the private cost, lies the ethical dilemma that the ‘criminal’s illicit gain should not count as a social benefit.’ [31] furthermore, if crime is allowed to rise to dangerous levels, then the incentive to accumulate wealth legally may erode, increasing the risk of capital and labour flight, inflicting vast social costs. to summarise, it is inefficient to allow ‘pure coercive transfers of wealth.’ [32], however, social costs can be minimised in many cases by applying fines, the most common form of punishment used today. [33] primarily fines do not consume social resources, but act as a transfer payment. acting as a pigouvian tax, fines can internalise the externality and correct the inefficient outcomes caused by crime. this is illustrated by the diagram below, with the social optimum being: mpc+ fines = msc. moreover, fines may avoid an expensive prison system. ‘indeed, fines are so cheap to administer that they yield a profit to the state.’ [34] overall, this suggests that minor offences sanctioned by fines generate a small social cost, supporting the argument that the socially efficient level is greater than nil. alternatively, community service could be used more extensively to offset crime-induced social loss., however, the use of fines to determine a socially efficient level of crime is ethically questionable,  inflicting  potentially  long-term  social  costs  as  they  ‘permit  offences  to be bought  for  a  price.’ [35]  additionally,  debates arise as to how fines should be calculated, inevitably causing government failure and further inefficiencies. furthermore, some crimes are arguably ‘so heinous that no amount of money could compensate for the harm inflicted,’ making fines unsuitable. [36] this also exposes further difficulties when attempting to establish a socially efficient level as the value is wholly dependent on the types of crime committed. however,  while redistributive crimes can imply some inefficiencies,  so-called  ‘efficien crimes’ [37]  do exist, suggesting that the social optimum is not absolute zero. reasoned speeding is a common example used to justify this argument as there may be times where the potential cost of an accident is less than the benefits of speeding. however, this can be ethically doubtful, due to the subjectivity of this concept., overall, despite best attempts, crime is an inevitable social evil. hence, instead of devoting more resources to combat it, increasing the burden on the taxpayer, criminal law should ensure that crime delivers as few social costs as possible through efficient punishments or perhaps through the legalisation of some acts such as the possession and supply of class b drugs such as cannabis. accordingly, the socially efficient level of crime varies according to the offence, but is perhaps greater than commonly assumed, although it is impossible to give a conclusive value..

1 Friedman, D., n.d. Crime. [online] Econlib. Available at: <https:// www.econlib.org/library/Enc/Crime.html > [Accessed 30 April 2020].

2 Skogh, G. and Stuart, C., 1982. An Economic Analysis of Crime Rates, Punishment, and the Social Consequences of Crime. Public Choice, [online] 38(2), p.171. Available at: <https:// www.jstor.org/stable/30023585?seq=1 > [Accessed 30 April 2020].

3 Bohm, P., 1987. Social Efficiency: A Concise Introduction To Welfare Economics. 2nd ed. [ebook] London: Macmillan Education Ltd., p.xii. Available at: < https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/bfm%3A978-1-349-18786-7%2F1.pdf > [Accessed 30 April 2020].

4 Cooper, R. and Ulen, T., 2013. AN ECONOMIC THEORY OF CRIME AND PUNISHMENT CHAPTER 11. [ebook] Pearson, p.471. Available at: < http://web4.uwindsor.ca/users/m/mfc/41240.nsf/831fc2c71873e46285256d6e006c367a/10ff8b04ff3a317885256d88005720f6 $FILE/C&U4thchpt11.pdf> [Accessed 30 April 2020].

5 Ferraz, E. and Soares, R., 2018. Socially Optimal Crime And Punishment. [ebook] p.13. Available at: <https:// www.fea.usp.br/sites/default/files/anexoevento/socp_ferraz_soares.pdf > [Accessed 30 April 2020].

6 Posner, R., 1985. An Economic Theory of the Criminal Law. Columbia Law Review, [online] 85(6), p.1195. Available at: < https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/6448/aee7b1aaa0785667ee8f0ba4fb7e9fe0a3c0.pdf >.

7 Becker, G., 1968. Crime and Punishment: An Economic Approach. Journal of Political Economy, [online] 76(2), p.207. Available at: < http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0022-3808(196803/04)76:2%3C169:CAPAEA%3E2.0.CO;2-I > [Accessed 30 April 2020].

8 Home Office, 2019. Police Funding For England & Wales 2015-2020 Statistical Bulletin. London, p.6.

9 Home Office, 2018. The Economic And Social Costs Of Crime Second Edition Research Report 99. London, p.58.

10 Ministry of Justice, 2016. Costs Per Place And Costs Per Prisoner By Individual Prison National Offender Management Service Annual Report And Accounts 2015-16 Management Information Addendum. London: Ministry of Justice Press Office, p.3.

11 House of Commons Library, 2019. The Spending Of The Ministry Of Justice Debate Pack. London, p.3.

12 Ferraz, E. and Soares, R., 2018. Socially Optimal Crime And Punishment. [ebook] p.1. Available at: <https:// www.fea.usp.br/sites/default/files/anexo-evento/socp_ferraz_soares.pdf > [Accessed 30 April 2020].

13 Home Office, 2018. The Economic And Social Costs Of Crime Second Edition Research Report 99. London, p.42.

14 Ibid. p.46.

15 Ibid. p.23.

16 Skogh, G. and Stuart, C., 1982. An Economic Analysis of Crime Rates, Punishment, and the Social Consequences of Crime. Public Choice, [online] 38(2), p.171. Available at: <https:// www.jstor.org/stable/30023585?seq=1 > [Accessed 30 April 2020].

18 Cooper, R. and Ulen, T., 2013. AN ECONOMIC THEORY OF CRIME AND PUNISHMENT CHAPTER 11. [ebook] Pearson, p 471. Available at: < http://web4.uwindsor.ca/users/m/mfc/41240.nsf/831fc2c71873e46285256d6e006c367a/10ff8b04ff3a317885256d88005720f6/ $FILE/C&U4thchpt11.pdf> [Accessed 30 April 2020].

19 Friedman, D., n.d. Crime. [online] Econlib. Available at: <https:// www.econlib.org/library/Enc/Crime.html > [Accessed 30 April 2020].

20 Farrell, G. and Clark, K., 2004. WHAT DOES THE WORLD SPEND ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE?. [ebook] Helsinki: The European Institute for Crime Prevention and Control, p.16. Available at: <https:// www.heuni.fi/material/attachments/heuni/papers/6KtlkZMtL/HEUNI_papers_20.pdf > [Accessed 13 May 2020].

22 Hirschmann, R., 2020. Singapore: Crime Rate 2019 | Statista. [online] Statista. Available at: <https:// www.statista.com/statistics/628339/crime-rates-in-singapore/ > [Accessed 13 May 2020].

23 Kury, H. and Smartt, U., 2001. The Changing Face Of Germany's Crime Rate Since Unification. [ebook] Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, p.47. Available at: <https:// www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/sites/crimeandjustice.org.uk/files/09627250108553673.pdf > [Accessed 30 April 2020].

24 Bailey, C., 2019. The Lingering Trauma of Stasi Surveillance. The Atlantic, [online] Available at: <https:// www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2019/11/lingering-trauma-east-german-police-state/601669/ > [Accessed 30 April 2020].

26 Ferraz, E. and Soares, R., 2018. Socially Optimal Crime And Punishment. [ebook] p.31. Available at: <https:// www.fea.usp.br/sites/default/files/anexo-evento/socp_ferraz_soares.pdf > [Accessed 30 April 2020].

27 Roman, J. and Farrell, G., n.d. COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS FOR CRIME PREVENTION: Opportunity Costs, Routine Savings And Crime Externalities. [ebook] pp.80, 81. Available at: < http://www.socialvalueuk.org/app/uploads/2016/03/cba%20for%20crim%20prevention.pdf > [Accessed 30 April 2020].

28 Roman, J. and Farrell, G., n.d. COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS FOR CRIME PREVENTION: Opportunity Costs, Routine Savings And Crime Externalities. [ebook] pp.80, 81. Available at: < http://www.socialvalueuk.org/app/uploads/2016/03/cba%20for%20crim%20prevention.pdf > [Accessed 30 April 2020].

30 Posner, R., 1985. An Economic Theory of the Criminal Law. Columbia Law Review, [online] 85(6), p.1198. Available at:

< https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/6448/aee7b1aaa0785667ee8f0ba4fb7e9fe0a3c0.pdf

31 Cooper, R. and Ulen, T., 2013. AN ECONOMIC THEORY OF CRIME AND PUNISHMENT CHAPTER 11. [ebook] Pearson,

p.471. Available at: < http://web4.uwindsor.ca/users/m/mfc/41-240.nsf/831fc2c71873e46285256d6e006c367a/10ff8b04ff3a317885256d88005720f6/

$FILE/C&U4thchpt11.pdf> [Accessed 30 April 2020].

32 Posner, R., 1985. An Economic Theory of the Criminal Law. Columbia Law Review, [online] 85(6), p.1196. Available at: < https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/6448/aee7b1aaa0785667ee8f0ba4fb7e9fe0a3c0.pdf

33 Becker, G., 1968. Crime and Punishment: An Economic Approach. Journal of Political Economy, [online] 76(2), p.193. Available at: < http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0022-3808(196803/04)76:2%3C169:CAPAEA%3E2.0.CO;2-I > [Accessed 30 April 2020].

34 Cooper, R. and Ulen, T., 2013. AN ECONOMIC THEORY OF CRIME AND PUNISHMENT CHAPTER 11. [ebook] Pearson, p.474. Available at: < http://web4.uwindsor.ca/users/m/mfc/41-240.nsf/831fc2c71873e46285256d6e006c367a/10ff8b04ff3a317885256d88005720f6/

35 Becker, G., 1968. Crime and Punishment: An Economic Approach. Journal of Political Economy, [online] 76(2), p.196. Available at: < http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0022-3808(196803/04)76:2%3C169:CAPAEA%3E2.0.CO;2-I > [Accessed 30 April 2020].

37 Friedman, D., n.d. David Friedman, Price Theory: Chapter 20: The Economics Of Law And Law Breaking. [online] Daviddfriedman.com. Available at:

< http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Academic/Price_Theory/PThy_Chapter_20/PThy_Chapter_20.html > [Accessed 30 April 2020].

Bibliography

Becker, G., 1968. C rime and Punishment: An Economic Approach. Journal of Political Economy, [online] 76(2), pp.191, 193, 196, 207. Available at:

< http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0022-3808(196803/04)76:2%3C169:CAPAEA%3E2.0.CO;2-I > [Accessed 30 April 2020].

Bohm, P., 1987. Social Efficiency: A Concise Introduction To Welfare Economics. 2nd ed. [ebook] London: Macmillan Education Ltd., p.xii. Available at:

< https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/bfm%3A978-1-349-18786-7%2F1.pdf > [Accessed 30 April 2020].

Cooper, R. and Ulen, T., 2013. AN ECONOMIC THEORY OF CRIME AND PUNISHMENT CHAPTER  11. [ebook] Pearson, pp.445, 47, 474. Available at:

< http://web4.uwindsor.ca/users/m/mfc/41-240.nsf/831fc2c71873e46285256d6e006c367a/10ff8b04ff3 a317885256d88005720f6/$FILE/C&U4thchpt11.pdf> [Accessed 30 April 2020].

Farrell, G. and Clark, K., 2004. WHAT DOES THE WORLD SPEND ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE?.  [ebook] Helsinki: The European Institute for Crime Prevention and Control, p.16. Available at:

<https ://www.heuni.fi/material/attachments/heuni/papers/6KtlkZMtL/HEUNI_papers_20.pdf > [Accessed 13 May 2020].

Ferraz, E. and Soares, R., 2018. Socially Optimal Crime And Punishment. [ebook] pp.1, 2, 13, 31. Available at: <https ://www.fea.usp.br/sites/default/files/anexo-evento/socp_ferraz_soares.pdf > [Accessed 30 April 2020].

Friedman, D., n.d. Crime. [online] Econlib. Available at:  <https ://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/Crime.html > [Accessed 30 April 2020].

Friedman, D., n.d. David Friedman, Price Theory: Chapter 20: The Economics Of Law And Law Breaking. [online] Daviddfriedman.com. Available at:

Hirschmann, R., 2020. Singapore: Crime Rate 2019 | Statista. [online] Statista. Available at:  <https ://www.statista.com/statistics/628339/crime-rates-in-singapore/ > [Accessed 13 May 2020].

Home Office, 2019. Police Funding For England & Wales 2015-2020 Statistical Bulletin. London, p.6.

Home Office, 2018. The Economic And Social Costs Of Crime Second Edition Research Report 99. London, pp. 23, 42, 46.

House of Commons Library, 2019. The Spending Of The Ministry Of Justice Debate Pack. London, p.3.

Ministry of Justice, 2016. Costs Per Place And Costs Per Prisoner By Individual Prison National Offender Management Service Annual Report And Accounts 2015-16 Management Information Addendum. London: Ministry of Justice Press Office, p.3.

Posner, R., 1985. An Economic Theory of the Criminal Law. Columbia Law Review, [online] 85(6), pp.1195, 1196, 1198. Available at:  < https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/6448/aee7b1aaa0785667ee8f0ba4fb7e9fe0a3c0.pdf

Roman, J. and Farrell, G., n.d. COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS FOR CRIME PREVENTION: Opportunity Costs, Routine Savings And Crime Externalities. [ebook] pp.80, 81. Available at:

< http://www.socialvalueuk.org/app/uploads/2016/03/cba%20for%20crim%20prevention.pdf > [Accessed 30 April 2020].

Skogh, G. and Stuart, C., 1982. An Economic Analysis of Crime Rates, Punishment, and the Social Consequences of Crime. Public Choice, [online] 38(2), p.171. Available at:

<https ://www.jstor.org/stable/30023585?seq=1 > [Accessed 30 April 2020].