First Place: $1,500
Second Place: $1,000
Third Place: $500
In his recent book, American Covenant: How the Constitution Unified Our Nation―and Could Again, Yuval Levin argues the following:
“Too many Americans are... persuaded that our Constitution is unsuited to our contemporary circumstances—that it assumes a more unified society than we now have, makes it too difficult to adapt to changing times, and so can only make our problems worse in this divided era. But the Constitution is not the problem we face. It is more like the solution. It was designed with an exceptionally sophisticated grasp of the nature of political division and diversity, and it aims to create—and not just to occupy—common ground in our society... We have... lost sight of how the Constitution goes about creating common ground... in ways that drag us into common action even (indeed, especially) when we disagree.”
Analyze Levin’s argument in two parts.
In Part I, explain what, exactly, he means. Explain how the Constitution forces Americans to build common ground. What are the mechanisms or incentives for building that common ground?
In Part II, discuss what non-constitutional aspects of modern life pull against the Constitution? That is, if the Constitution is part of the solution, why do we see the problems Levin describes in contemporary civic discourse and politics? What can we do to overcome them?
Be sure to support your argument with key examples from American history and from a scholarly discipline (or disciplines) of your choosing.
Instructions and notes:
- 10 pages maximum
- 12-point New Roman font
- Standard margin size
- Include a title page with your name (do not include your name on any other page)
- Use parenthetical references (Washington 2024, 12) with a separate reference section for citations
- Submit electronically to ryan.owens@fsu.edu by Friday, January 10, 2025 at 5:00 PM ET
- Title the subject as "IGC Student Essay Scholarship Submission"
- A committee will read and rank the essays and announce winners in February
- Only full time FSU undergraduates allowed to submit
- Scholarships processed through Financial Aid and disbursed through Student Business Service