2025 Independent Review Essay Contest Winners
The deadline for the 2025 Independent Review student essay contest was May 15, 2025. The winning essays were posted online in January, 2025 as part of the Winter 2025/26 issue of The Independent Review. The winners, announced August 20, 2025:
First Place (tie)
“Hayek vs. Ujamaa: Knowledge, Identity, and Economic Planning in Post-colonial Tanzania” by Brayden Myers (University of Alabama)
Prize: $2,750
“A Cooperative Hospital: A Thought Experiment Inspired by History” by Tz-Shiang Shia (Hillsdale College)
Prize: $2,750
Faculty sponsor: Christopher Martin, Hillsdale College
Third Place
“The Federal Technocracy: How the Administrative State Eroded Popular Consent” by Patrick McDonald (Hillsdale)
Prize: $1,500
Honorable Mention
“Praxeology and Time: Bridging Apriorism and Institutional Temporalities” by Daniel Mayorga (Universidad de Especialidades Espíritu Santo)
