Each year the Department awards prizes to the graduating seniors who have written the best senior essay in the fields of American Politics, the U.S. Constitution and its first ten amendments, Comparative Politics, International Relations, and Political Philosophy.
A total of 138 seniors wrote essays this year. Many were outstanding and were nominated for prizes. The Senior Essay Prize Committee have asked us to single out the following students and essays for special distinction:
- Alex Brod, “The Role of Roll” (advisor John Henderson): Frank Miner Patterson Prize for the best senior essay on the American Political System
- Maxime Pradier, “Why do Louisiana Prosecutors Seek the Death Penalty in Aggravated Murder Cases?” (advisor Gregory Huber): Percival Wood Clement Prize for the best senior essay on the U.S. Constitution and its First Ten Amendments
- John Kauffman, “Judges Picking Judges” (advisor Steven Calabresi): Charles Washburn Clark Prize for the best senior essay in Comparative Politics
- Clara Ma, “The United States and China in the Arctic” (advisor Daniel Mattingly): James Gordon Bennett Prize for the best senior essay in International Relations
- Elliot Setzer, “Citizenship and Political Economy in Nineteenth Century French Liberal Thought” (advisor Giulia Oskian): Philo Sherman Bennett Prize for the best senior essays in Political Philosophy
- Daniel Wasserman, “The Passion of Justice: Plato’s Education of Anger in the Republic” (advisor Steven Smith): Philo Sherman Bennett Prize for the best senior essays in Political Philosophy
We would also like to recognize Sanoja Bhaumik, co-winner of this year’s Richard Hegel Senior Essay Prize, for her essay “Choice is Being Able to Choose: Examining Voluntary Desegregation through Interdistrict School Choice in New Haven Public Schools” (advisor Cynthia Horan).
Please join us in congratulating this year’s senior essay prize recipients.