- First Prize: $1,000
- Second Prize: $500
The 2024 Essay Question
On November 5, 2024, United States citizens will vote to elect a president and other leaders of their government, which enacts laws and executes policies on behalf of a population numbering more than 340 million people and makes decisions that impact people not just domestically, but throughout the world.
If you are over the age of 18, you can influence how issues important to you should be resolved in our representative government through voting. Marshall University finds your right to do so crucial; it therefore works hard to establish itself as a Voter Friendly Campus, empowering you to exercise this right.
This year’s essay contest asks you to identify an issue important to you that is at stake in this year’s election, to research and explain the various positions taken by politicians and others on your issue, and to propose solutions. You must also discuss how our founding documents — the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution — relate to your issue. You must thoroughly describe the issue and why it is important, and your essay should reflect research into prior attempts to address the issue as well as possible solutions.
Background
The U.S. Constitution drafted in the summer of 1787 created a representative democracy, with leaders elected by large numbers of people; checks and balances among three independent branches of government; federalism, which divided powers between state and federal governments; and courts to enforce the rule of law. The Constitution also provides that it can be amended (see U.S. Constitution, Article V), as the Framers anticipated that changes might be necessary to address issues not resolved then or future issues they could not foresee.
The Declaration of Independence, which will celebrate its 250th anniversary in 2026, was a statement in 1776 by those who rebelled against the British government, articulating the values that inspired them and why they found it necessary for what became the United States to separate from British rule. Its proclamation that all people “are created equal” and have the inalienable right to “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” has been relied upon by those seeking the expansion of rights for Black people, women, indigenous people, and others, and is reflected in the 13th, 14th, 15th, 19th, 24th and 26th Amendments to the Constitution.
The expanded recognition of citizenship, human rights, and equal protection of the law throughout our history has not been straightforward or easy; it has involved great sacrifice, suffering, bloodshed, and a Civil War. But the country has endured, grown, and changed when the ideas for its betterment have been pursued by its citizens. To continue peaceful progress, even in the face of the polarization of our electorate, we must identify and discuss issues important to us and how they can be resolved.
Regarding the upcoming election, both major political parties have identified various priorities in their party platforms. The Republican Party adopted its platform at its convention in July. Also in July, the Democratic Party released its proposed platform, which will likely be adopted at its convention in August.
You, of course, may identify an issue not in the platforms of the major parties and/or advocate a resolution to an issue that they do not address. It should, however, be a known issue that can be addressed by governmental action. Examples include, but are not limited to:
- Constitutional amendments to change the undemocratic aspects of the existing Constitution, such as the electoral college or U.S. Senate
- campaign finance reform
- changes to the U.S. Supreme Court
- climate change
- income inequality
- immigration
- reproductive rights
- the First Amendment’s protection of freedom of speech, press, religion, and your right to petition the government
- the Second Amendment
- protecting equal rights
- protecting voting rights
- changes to the criminal justice system
- whether there should be a right to education
In summary, your essay must thoroughly describe the issue you selected and explain why it is critical. You should articulate how it relates to the ideas in the Declaration of Independence and how the U.S. Constitution, as it now exists, permits government to address the issue. If it does not, you must argue whether and how the Constitution should be reformed to allow it to be addressed. Your essay must explain the history of attempts to address your issue, your suggested resolution, how to effectuate it through legal means, and how voting behaviors could impact your desired resolution. Note that you can agree with a position already existing or suggest something you think would be better.
Rules for the Contest
Eligibility: This contest is open to all students (undergraduate and graduate) who will be enrolled at Marshall University full-time in the fall of 2024.
Deadline: Your essay must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, September 9, 2024. Submissions are to be made via email to Patricia.Proctor@marshall.edu with the subject heading “O’Hanlon Essay yourlastname.” Both a PDF and Microsoft Word version of your essay must be attached to your submission email. Use the “read receipt” feature to ensure your entry was received.
Judges: Entries will be evaluated by a panel of judges.
Length: Your essay should be between 8 and 15 pages long, though if needed it can be slightly longer or shorter.
Writing: You are to edit your work carefully to ensure that it meets collegiate writing standards, i.e. no spelling, grammar, or syntax errors, no mis-used words, etc.
Citation of Sources: You are expected to cite sources to support your arguments, including peer-reviewed and scholarly sources. Your research should reflect a high degree of information literacy with respect to the quality of materials you rely upon. You must be sure that all your sources are properly cited and thus can be located and verified by the contest judges. You should include in-text citations as well as a bibliography.
Academic Honesty: Your research and writing should be your own. All entries will be submitted to plagiarism-detecting software programs and checked to ensure that they comply with the Marshall University policies regarding academic integrity.
Contestants are prohibited from using generative AI in any way in this contest. The use of generative AI in this contest will be considered a violation of Marshall’s Academic Dishonesty Policy and will be dealt with accordingly.
History of the Contest
The Dan O’Hanlon Essay Competition was established in 2009, after an anonymous donor requested that Marshall find a way to promote scholarship related to the Constitution and simultaneously honor retired Cabell County Circuit Court Judge Dan O’Hanlon. Prior to his long career on the bench, Judge O’Hanlon served as professor and chair of the Marshall University Criminal Justice Department. In 2007, he was selected by the West Virginia Justice Association as Judge of the Year.
Previous Winners
2023 Winners
- Brendin Flinn (1st) Healing a Divided Nation: A Path to Repairing Democratic Norms in the Face of Pernicious Polarization and Political Violence
- Connor Waller (2nd) Finding and Declaring Our Conscience: The Battle for Democracy and the Principles of “Americanism”
2022 Winners
- Nicolas Raffinengo (1st) Equality Throughout a Nation The Equal Rights Amendment is the Key to Protect All Citizens
- Addie McDaniel (2nd) The Potential Abandonment of Stare Decisis and the Necessity of the Equal Rights Amendment
2021
- Brendin Flinn (1st) : Adapting to the New Public Forum: Free Expression in the Age of Big Tech
- YÉMAYA (2nd) : www.g-dd@m/ a Defense for the Preservation of Section 230 of the CDA
2020
- Brendin Flinn (1st) : Justice’s Vision: Historicizing Black Lives Matter as the Modern Abolition Movement
- Payton Fitchpatrick (2nd) : “Striking” Similarities Between The West Virginia Mine Wars and George Floyd Protests: How They Pertain to Civil Disobedience and the Civic Duty All Americans Have to Keep Their “American Creed”
2019
- Miranda Smith (1st) : Rebalancing the Scales: The Need for a Limited and Nonpartisan Supreme Court Amid Threats to Its Legitimacy and Impartiality
- Melody Shea Russell (2nd) : A Case for Changing Congressional Process, not the Supreme Court
2017
- Erin L. Shaver (1st) – Fighting Harmful Words: Balancing Free Speech and Student Well-being for Public Colleges and Universities
- Matthew Gallagher (2nd) – Free Speech, the University, and the Examined Life
2016
- Gregory Ward (1st) – Defending the Fence: The Electoral College’s Vital Role within Madison’s Constitutional Model
- Cindy D. Krepps (2nd) – Dissolving the Electoral College: America’s Cry for Change
2015
- Nicholas Alexander O’Donnell (1st)-SuperPAC Ed: How Citizens United Sets a Faulty Precedent for Corruption and Distortion
- Sepideh Ghenatnevi Dunham (2nd)-Citizens Unite: Combating Corporate Suppression of the Voice of the People
2014
- Sophia D. Mills (1st)-A Step Too Far: Protecting Privacy in a Digital Age
- Olivia Milam (2nd)- The NSA’s Bulk Metadata Program and the Fourth Amendment: Holding True to the Spirit of the Constitution in the Face of Technology
2013
- Laurel Anne Peace (1st) – Disobeying the Constitution
- Adam Shaver (2nd) – The Constitution’s Necessity in American Government
2012
- Joshua Thompson (1st) – “The Individual’s Voice in Democracy: The Right to Vote”
- Lesley Cruickshank (2nd) – “Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act: Preclearance and Public Policy”
2011
- W. Austin Smith II (1st) – “Constitutional Interpretation”
- Justin Setliff (2nd) – “The View of an Originalist”
2010
- Aaron Preece – “The Right to Free Speech in an Academic Setting”
2009
- Joshua Cottle — “Protecting the Constitution: Balancing the Rights of the People and the Union”