Showcase your ideas on public policy and the role of markets by entering the Fraser Institute essay competition.

New prize amounts for 2014: $9,000 in cash prizes awarded this year.
Special category for high school students only.
Winning essays may be published in Fraser Institute journals.

ELIGIBILITY:

The contest is open to Canadian and foreign students, studying in Canada or abroad. A student is defined as someone who attends school in the 2013/2014 school year.
Submissions will be considered from secondary and post-secondary (undergraduate and graduate) students in all disciplines.

Topic: The rise of crony capitalism: how government and business gain at the taxpayers’ expense

In recent years, we have seen a call for more government intervention, and a movement against capitalism, to save the economy from failing market forces. However, it can be argued that it is not capitalism, but crony capitalism, that is hindering economic recovery. While these two terms are fundamentally opposed, they are often confused by the general public.
Crony capitalism occurs when government and businesses collude to create advantages for some at the expense of others. It distorts market competition and can promote reckless behavior, leading to power and money shifts, and creates unequal opportunities for those involved. Crony capitalism can take several forms, including taxes, tariffs, subsidies, price controls, regulations, and bailouts. Society pays the economic and socials costs of cronyism. These costs include corruption, reduced competition, less business and job opportunities, inflated prices, and a general decrease in economic activity.
Using a historical perspective (as opposed to a hypothetical), empirical evidence, and economic analysis, examine a form of crony capitalism and the cost that it imposed or still imposes on society as a whole. You can use a specific example, or many, to argue your case, or, examine crony capitalism in a broader context. Your essay does not have to include Canadian examples.

High School
1st Prize: $1,500
2nd Prize: $1,000
3rd Prize: $500
Undergraduate
1st Prize: $1,500
2nd Prize: $1,000
3rd Prize: $500
Graduate
1st Prize: $1,500
2nd Prize: $1,000
3rd Prize: $500

More details here: http://www.naijacompetitions.com/2013/11/2014-fraser-institute-international.html