The Center for Citizenship & Constitutional Government is pleased to be accepting submissions for its fourth annual Publius Prize for Undergraduate Writing on Public Affairs.
Two $250 prizes will be awarded to two Notre Dame undergraduates for essays or articles published during 2024-25 academic year that refine and enlarge the public’s views on a topic related to politics, philosophy, law, economics, culture, or religion. Inspired by the writers of The Federalist Papers, the prize both reflects and furthers the Center’s mission of cultivating thoughtful and educated citizens. Past winners can be viewed here: 2024, 2023, and 2022.
There are two categories for writing submissions, each with its own $250 prize. The first category includes any articles or essays published in campus publications (Observer, Irish Rover, Scholastic). The second category includes national and international media outlets.
Submission guidelines:
- The author must be a current Notre Dame undergraduate (including 2025 graduates).
- Pieces must have been published by a campus or national/international outlet within the 2024-2025 academic year and should deal with a relevant issue in politics, philosophy, law, economics, culture, or religion.
- Published pieces can take any form, including but not limited to long- or short-form journalistic pieces or op-eds. Although pure reporting pieces will be considered, preference will be given to pieces that make an argument or critically analyze an issue.
- Papers written for courses will not be considered.
- If submitting multiple entries, please fill out separate form entries for each one. No more than two pieces for each category (four total) can be submitted by one student.
The submission deadline is Wednesday, May 14 at 11:59pm EDT. Winners will be announced by the end of May. Please contact Tyler Castle (tcastle2@nd.edu) with any questions.