Undergraduate Essay Competition
The Civics School at ASU is pleased to announce its second annual Undergraduate Essay Competition. Each year, students are invited to submit essays on a timely question related to foundational freedoms, responsibilities, and governance in a constitutional republic like the United States of America.
For 2026, we invite responses to the question:
Should U.S. citizens be required to pass the citizenship test before they can vote?
Winners
First Place - $2,500
Second Place - $1,500
Emily Leach
“'Not a Test, But a Trap': The Constitutional Fate of Citizenship Test Voting Requirements"
Third Place - $1,000
Elias Ramirez
"The Second Revolution: Madison’s Warning Against the Citizenship Test For Voting"
Past topics
2025 Topic
Should the U.S. Constitution be amended to limit the presidential pardoning power?
Winners: Sophia Thomason, Alexander England, Danielle Dizes