John Locke Institute Essay Prize 2026 Key Information & Bri…

Dear Writer,

I am writing to seek your expert collaboration in preparing a submission for the John Locke Institute Global Essay Prize 2026. My chosen question for the Economics category is:

Technology now allows personalised pricing. If this came to be widely used, what effects should we expect?

I am committed to producing an essay that is competitive at the very top tier of this prestigious competition. To ensure we share a clear vision and methodology, I have prepared this comprehensive brief based on extensive research into the competition’s winning strategies.

1. Competition Ethos & Assessment Framework

This competition, judged by senior academics from Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, and others, evaluates essays as works of independent scholarly argument, not displays of memorised knowledge. As per the Institutes own criteria and analysis of past winners, success hinges on:

• Intellectual Depth & Originality: Cultivating a unique, insightful perspective.
• Analytical Rigour & Dialectical Reasoning: Building a thesis that survives serious critique through a “Point-Counterpoint-Reinforcement” structure.
• Persuasive Force: The ultimate goal is to craft an essay capable of changing a sceptical reader’s mind. Essays that are descriptive, one-sided, or fail to engage the strongest objections will not succeed.

2. Our Core Argumentative Strategy

To meet this standard, our essay must move beyond a simple list of effects. I propose we adopt a framework emphasised by successful entrants and tutors:

• Precision Dissection: We must first define the scopee.g., distinguishing between first, second, and third-degree price discrimination enabled by technologyand set clear boundaries for our analysis.
• Dialectical Thesis: Our central claim should be robust and nuanced. For example: While widespread personalised pricing promises significant gains in allocative efficiency and firm profitability, its net effect is contingent on regulatory frameworks capable of mitigating profound risks to equity, competition, and privacy; without such guardrails, the societal costs will likely outweigh the benefits.
• Mandatory Engagement with Counter-Arguments: Each major claim (e.g., efficiency gains from perfect price discrimination) must be immediately stress-tested with its strongest objection (e.g., equity concerns, consumer surplus extraction, algorithmic collusion) and then reinforced with reasoned analysis.

3. Required Research & Preparation Methodology

I am prepared to undertake 100+ hours of structured work, following a model derived from past winners experiences.

• Phase 1: Foundation (Weeks 1-2): Finalise argument angle and gather 40+ high-quality sources. This will include seminal economic texts on price discrimination (Pigou, Tirole), contemporary academic papers on algorithmic pricing, and real-world case studies (e.g., dynamic pricing in travel/e-commerce, regulatory responses like the EU’s Digital Markets Act).
• Phase 2: Construction (Weeks 3-4): Develop a detailed outline adhering to the winning structural template:
• Introduction: Hook, precise definitions, and a clear dialectical thesis.
• Body: Paragraphs following the “Claim-Evidence-Counter-Rebuttal” model.
• Conclusion: A synthesising restatement that offers a forward-looking insight, not mere summary.
• Phase 3: Refinement (Weeks 5-6): Successive edits focused on logical flow, clarity, and persuasive language. I will arrange for review by a critical third party to identify gaps.

4. Mandatory Benchmarks & Resources

To align our work with the competitions unique style, the following are essential references:

• Video Analyses: You must actively use these channels to understand the expected analytical depth and structural finesse:
• https://www.youtube.com/@viptutorsco/search?query=economics
• https://www.youtube.com/@qingyingyu
• https://www.aralia.com/helpful-information/guide-to-john-locke-essay-competition/
• https://doxa.co.uk/undergraduate-mentors/karimphil
• https://mypaperexperts.co.uk/john-locke-how-to-write-a-winning-essay-2025/
• https://www.universityadmissionstutors.co.uk/post/how-to-use-the-john-locke-essay-competition-in-your-university-application
• https://www.lumiere-education.com/post/the-ultimate-guide-to-the-john-locke-essay-competition
• https://www.career-lane.com/blog/7-writing-tips-to-submit-a-winning-entry-for-the-john-locke-essay-competition/
• https://www.tokyoacademics.com/blog/blog-john-locke-essay-competition-guide/
• https://thedegreegap.com/exploring-the-2025-john-locke-essay-competition-what-you-need-to-know
• https://qconsult.org/au-uni/how-to-excel-in-the-john-locke-essay-competition-a-tactical-theory-driven-guide/
• https://doxa.co.uk/undergraduateresources/johnlocke
• https://www.polygence.org/blog/john-locke-institute-essay-competition-guide
• Exemplar Essays: I have attached winning essays from prior years. These are the primary benchmarks for tone, sophistication, and argumentative quality. Please study their approach to using evidence, integrating theory, and structuring complex arguments.
• Substantive Depth: The essay must be rigorously economics-focused. Key areas for analysis include:
• Theory: Price discrimination (1st/2nd/3rd-degree), consumer/producer surplus, deadweight loss, game theory models of competition.
• Risks & Trade-offs: Equity vs. efficiency, behavioural exploitation (nudges, price walking), data privacy as an externality, algorithmic tacit collusion.
• Evidence & Examples: Empirical studies on dynamic pricing outcomes, regulatory approaches from different jurisdictions.

5. Compliance & Final Standards

• Format: 2000 words (excluding bibliography). No footnotes; author name omitted. Clean, academic presentation.
• Originality & AI Policy: The essay must be entirely original. AI can be used only for brainstorming and identifying objections, not for generating prose, structure, or arguments. This is a strict competition rule.
• Goal: To produce a work of undergraduate-plus standard that stands out for its clarity, originality, and compelling force.

I will manage the primary research, sourcing, and drafting, seeking your expertise to shape the argument’s rigour, economic precision, and structural power. Please confirm your availability for this collaboration and your agreement with this detailed approach.

Thank you for your consideration.

Kind regards.