We are delighted to present this year’s competition for A- Level and IB students, with a prize of £500 for the entry judged best and £250 each for the three runners up. There is also a prize of £500 for the school with the highest number of entrants. The four top winners, along with the other best entries, will all be invited to a special one day event at the IEA in the Autumn term at which they will be given a certificate and the award.
Entries should be submitted by post to Dr S. Davies, Education Director, Institute of Economic Affairs, 2 Lord North Street, London SW1P 3LB. The final deadline for this year’s competition is Friday 26th July.
The prize for this competition is now named after Dorian Fisher, the wife of Sir Anthony Fisher, founder of the IEA, who was a long time supporter of the Institute and its work.
An entry to the competition should contain the following three pieces of work.
1. A short essay, of roughly 1,200 words, on one of the following questions:
(a) What do economists see as the causes of economic growth and which of these do you see as the most important?
(b) Do we have any explanations for the continuing problems of the euro and do they in turn suggest any ways of resolving them?
(c) In the light of the most recent World Bank reports on the Millennium Development Goals, should we say that globalization since 1990 has been an unmitigated success?
2. A 500 word answer to one of the following three questions:
(a) What part does the idea of knowledge play in modern economics?
(b) Are there inherent problems with the idea of market failure?
(c) What is the difference between risk and uncertainty and why does this matter in economics?
3. A 500 word answer to the following question.
Identify an area of economics that you think should be given more attention in the A- Level or IB syllabus and say why this is so.
