Prizes

Distinction

Distinction is awarded to majors who have earned grades of A or A– in three–quarters of the credits in the major and a grade of A or A– on the senior essay. All courses that are counted for the major are included in the calculation for distinction. Courses taken on a Credit/D/Fail basis are included as non–A grades.

Prizes

The Department awards the following prizes for senior essays:

Prize Winning Senior Essays 2023-24

• Ethan Yan, “Reclaiming States’ Rights: States as Drivers of National Constitutional Change” (advisor Steven Calabresi): Percival Wood Clement Prizes for the best senior essay on the U.S. constitution and its first ten amendments.
• Isabella Marin-Quintero, “Echoes of Militarism: Presidential Cabinets as a Tool to Mediate Coup Risk After Transitions from Bureaucratic-Authoritarian Regimes” (advisor Emily Sellers) and Razel Suansing, “Salam Sa Bangsamoro: An Exploration of Violence Mitigation Strategies against Salfi-Jihadist Groups in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao in the Philippines” (advisor Maria Jose Hierro): Charles Washburn Clark Prize for the most outstanding senior essays on comparative government or politics.
• Dylan Carlson, “The Making of Partisan Environmental Policy: Tracking the Evolution of Environmental Voting in the U.S. Congress From 1970 to 2020” (advisor Shiro Kuriwaki): Frank M. Patterson Prize for the most outstanding senior essay on the American political system.
• Galia Newberger, “Protecting Democracy from Itself: Plato’s Lessons for Modern Democracies” (advisor Bryan Garsten): Philo Sherman Bennett Prize for the most outstanding senior essay on political philosophy.

Prize Winning Senior Essays 2022-23

• Tyler Jager, “Can “Grassroots” Aid Organizations Reduce Anti-Refugee Hostility? Evidence from Fieldwork on the Northern Aegean Islands” (advisor Elisabeth Wood): James Gordon Bennett Prize for the most outstanding senior essay on international relations.
• Jonathan Oates, “Race in Democracy, On Tocqueville and the Social Death of Black America” (advisor Giulia Oskian): Philo Sherman Bennett Prize for the most outstanding senior essay on political philosophy or theory.
• Tyler Brown “Contact and Competition: How refugees and labor markets mediate far-right voting in Austria” (advisor Emily Erikson): Charles Washburn Clark Prize for the most outstanding senior essay on comparative government or politics.
• Kevin Xiao, “Capture by Congress, Staffing as a Tool of Political Control at the Federal Election Commission” (advisor Christina Kinane): Frank M. Patterson Prize for the most outstanding senior essay on the American political system.

Prize Winning Senior Essays 2021-22

• Kieran Mitchell, “Migration-Based Hybrid Warfare on Europe’s Externalized Borders: Case Studies on Morocco and Belarus in 2021” (advisor Tyler Pratt): James Gordon Bennett Prize for the most outstanding senior essay on international relations.
• Nick Jones, “Oedipus Politikos: Tyranny, Liberation, and the Limit of Politics in Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex” (advisor Daniel Schillinger) and Andrew Sorota, “Bad Ideology: Spinozist Affects and the Power of Inadequate Ideas” (advisors Michael Della Rocca and Samuel Moyn): Philo Sherman Bennett Prize for the most outstanding senior essay on political philosophy or theory.
• Numi Katz,  “A New Model of Religion and We lfare State Preferences: Evidence from Israeli Health Reform” (advisor Isabela Mares): Charles Washburn Clark Prize for the most outstanding senior essay on political philosophy or theory.
• Montana Love (who’s essay also won the college-wide John Addison Porter Prize), “Agreeing to Disagree: Examining the Role of Dissent in Talmudic and U.S. Constitutional Law” (advisor Maria E. Doerfler): Percival Wood Clement Prize for the best thess in the support of the principles of the Constitution of the United States of America and the first ten amendments.
• Max Teirstein, “How Corporate Dark Money Weakens Democracy and Shapes Climate Policy” (advisor Jacob Hacker) and Shannon Sommers, “How Do You Solve a Problem Like a Precedent?” (advisor Kelly Rader): Frank M. Patterson Prize for the most outstanding senior essay on the American political system.

Prize Winning Senior Essays 2020-21

• Akhil Rajan, “Beyond Left and Right: How Redistricting Changes the Shape of Our Democracy” (advisor Josh Kalla):  Frank Miner Patterson Prize for the best senior essay on the American Political System                
• Nathalie Beauchamps, “The Good Kind of Discrimination: How to Remedy Past Injustices Amidst Demands for a Colorblind Constitution” (advisor Mordechai Levy-Eichel) and Alina Glaubitz, “How should liability be attributed for harms caused by biases in Artificial Intelligence?” (advisor Nathaniel Raymond):  Percival Wood Clement Prizes for the best senior essays on the U.S. Constitution and its First Ten Amendments    
• Collett Preston, “Brexit and Betrayal Exploring the Continuity of Insecurities and Development of Identity within the Unionist Community of Northern Ireland” (advisor Bonnie Weir) and Alena Rajwani, “Motivating Subnational Research on Female Labor Force Participation Patterns: A Case Study of Malaysia” (advisor Frances Rosenbluth):  Charles Washburn Clark Prize for the best senior essays in Comparative Politics
• Tanisha Gupta, “Western Election monitoring: A Signaling Game between Pseudo-Democratic Host Countries and the Democratized West” (advisor Ana De La O):  James Gordon Bennett Prize for the best senior essay in International Relations
• Ben Dormus, “Hit the road, Jack: Dislodging John Locke from the Logic of Public Safety in the United States Toward Police Abolitionist Theory and Practice” (advisor Gregory Collins): Philo Sherman Bennett Prize for the best senior essays in Political Philosophy
• Honorable mention: Aakshi Agarwal, winner of this year’s Harvey M. Applebaum ‘59 Prize, for her essay “Regulatory Agency Capture:  How the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Approved the Mountain Valley Pipeline” (advisor Michael Fotos)

Prize Winning Senior Essays 2019-20

• Katharine Barr Berman, “From the Balfour Declaration of 1917 to the Farhud of 1941: Treatment of Jews in Iraq and Patterns of Jewish Emigration” (Advised by Jeffrey Macris):  2020 James Gordon Bennett Prize (International Relations) - Best paper based on work completed in the fall term and the first half of the spring term.
• Elias Mastakouris and Chaltu Musse:  2020 James Gordon Bennett Prize (International Relations) - Most outstanding scholarship in international relations throughout the course of the major.
• Chloe Prendergast for selections from her senior essay (which was titled “The Comic Effect: Humor and the Construction of National Identity in Northern Ireland”) including “Conceptual Foundations” and “Comedy and National Identity in Northern Ireland: Television.” (Advised by Bonnie Weir):  2020 Charles Washburn Clark Prize (Comparative Politics)
• Marwan Safar Jalani:  2020 Charles Washburn Clark Prize (Comparative Politics) - Most outstanding scholarship in comparative politics throughout the course of the major.
• Holly Jackson, “Creedal Passion Politics? The End of Yale’s Calhoun College and the Start of a Green New Deal Revolution” (Advised by John Dearborn):  2020 Percival Wood Clement Prize (US Constitution) - Best paper based on work completed in the fall term and the first half of the spring term.
• Steven Tian:  2020 Percival Wood Clement Prize (US Constitution) - Most outstanding scholarship on American Constitutional issues throughout the course of the major.
• Steven Rome, “Fairness under Fire: Ricci v. DeStefano and the Racial Legitimacy Gap” (Advised by John DeStefano):  2020 Frank M. Patterson Prize (American Politics) - Best paper based on work completed in the fall term and the first half of the spring term.
• Neil Goodman, Christina Pao, and Benjamin Waldman:  2020 Frank M. Patterson Prize (American Politics) - Most outstanding scholarship on American Politics throughout the course of the major.
• Isaiah Affron, for selections from his senior essay, “‘Alter or Abolish’: The American Right of Revolution” including “Chapter One: The Duty to Resist from Calvin to Locke” (advised by Steven Smith):  2020 Philo Sherman Bennett Prize (Political Philosophy) - Best paper based on work completed in the fall term and the first half of the spring term.
• Keerthana Annamaneni and Justin Jin:  2020 Philo Sherman Bennett Prize (Political Philosophy) - Most outstanding scholarship on political philosophy throughout the course of the major.

Prize Winning Senior Essays 2018-19

• 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

Prize Winning Senior Essays 2017-18

• Anna Lipin:  Percival Wood Clement Prize for the best senior essay on the U.S. Constitution and its First Ten Amendments
• Kyle Deakins:  Frank Miner Patterson Prize for the best senior essay on the American Political System
• Matthew Toland:  Charles Washburn Clark Prize for the best senior essays in Comparative Politics
• Hillary Lutkus:  James Gordon Bennett Prize for the best senior essay in International Relations
• Simiao Li:  Philo Sherman Bennett Prize for the best senior essay in Political Philosophy

Prize Winning Senior Essays 2016-17

• Azeezat Adeleke: Percival Wood Clement Prize for the best senior essay on the U.S. Constitution and its first ten amendments
• Abigail Bessler: Frank Miner Patterson Prize for the best senior essay on the American political system
• Simone Paci: Charles Washburn Clark Prize for the best senior essay on Comparative Politics
• Joseph Tomchak: Charles Washburn Clark Prize for the best senior essay on Comparative Politics 
• Rachel Williams: James Gordon Bennett Prize for the best senior essay on International Relations
• Angelina Xing: Philo Sherman Bennett Prize for the best senior essay on Political Philosophy

Prize Winning Senior Essays 2015-16

• Anna Baron: Frank Miner Patterson Prize for the best senior essay on the American political system
• Colleen Flynn: Frank Miner Patterson Prize for the best senior essay on the American political system
• Alina Sidorova: Charles Washburn Clark Prize for the best senior essay on Comparative Politics
• Ameze Belo-Osagie: James Gordon Bennett Prize for the best senior essay on International Relations
• Deborah Won: Percival Wood Clement Prize for the best senior essay on the U.S. Constitution and its first ten amendments

Prize Winning Senior Essays 2014-15

• Eric Stern: Frank Miner Patterson Prize for the best senior essay on the American political system
• Danielle Ellison: Charles Washburn Clark Prize for the best senior essay on Comparative Politics
• Charlotte Storch: James Gordon Bennett Prize for the best senior essay on International Relations
• Dana Schneider: Percival Wood Clement Prize for the best senior essay on the U.S. Constitution and its first ten amendments
• Zachary Krislov: Philo Sherman Bennett Prize for the best senior essay on Political Philosophy

Prize Winning Senior Essays 2013-14

• Joshua Kalla: Frank Miner Patterson Prize for the best senior essay on the American political system
• Christina Hull: Charles Washburn Clark Prize for the best senior essay on Comparative Politics
• Drew Morrison: Charles Washburn Clark Prize for the best senior essay on Comparative Politics
• Marissa Dearing: James Gordon Bennett Prize for the best senior essay on International Relations
• Patrick Toth: Percival Wood Clement Prize for the best senior essay on the U.S. Constitution and its first ten amendments
• Gabriel Levine: Philo Sherman Bennett Prize for the best senior essay on Political Philosophy

Prize Winning Senior Essays 2012-13

• Stacey Chen: Frank Miner Patterson Prize for the best senior essay on the American political system
• Anna Moore: Charles Washburn Clark Prize for the best senior essay on Comparative Politics
• Baobao Zhang: James Gordon Bennett Prize for the best senior essay on International Relations
• Emily Gray: Percival Wood Clement Prize for the best senior essay on the U.S. Constitution and its first ten amendments

Prize Winning Senior Essays 2011-12

• Joshua Rosmarin: Frank Miner Patterson Prize for the best senior essay on the American political system
• Carmen Lu: Charles Washburn Clark Prize for the best senior essay on Comparative Politics
• Devin Smith: James Gordon Bennett Prize for the best senior essay on International Relations
• Tony Cheng: Percival Wood Clement Prize for the best senior essay on the U.S. Constitution and its first ten amendments

Prize Winning Senior Essays 2010-11

• David Broockman: Frank Miner Patterson Prize for the best senior essay on the American political system
• Garentina Kraja: Charles Washburn Clark Prize for the best senior essay on Comparative Politics
• George Bogden: James Gordon Bennett Prize for the best senior essay on International Relations
• Daniel Beniak: Percival Wood Clement Prize for the best senior essay on the U.S. Constitution and its first ten amendments
• Samuel Jackson: Philo Sherman Bennett Prize for the best senior essay on Political Philosophy

Last updated: 09-15-24