FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 

For a pdf version click here

 

Who can enter?

The competition is open to anyone in full-time education; including Bachelors, Masters and PhD students and those on vocational courses. The competition is aimed at Higher Education students, and while anyone in full-time education may enter it is not recommended for those in secondary education.

 

Format guidelines

 

Essays should be supplied in Word or RTF documents.  Mac and Unix users, please save as a .doc file

 

You do not need to add an abstract or bibliography

 

Please provide references for any quotes in your essay. This will not count toward the 3000 word limit.

How long should my essay be?

 

Essays should be 3000 words or under (excluding any and all referencing)

 

What are the titles for the essay?

 

Community Participation:
Know thy neighbour? - Does it still make sense to talk about geographically defined political communities? 

Theory of Democracy:
Is democracy essentially about the majority or the minority? 

Hot Topic 2009:
Elections in the public sector: are elected police chiefs and healthcare officials the way forward?

Diversity & Equality:
People like me: is an increase in diversity and equality in politics the best way to re-engage the public?

 

Can I submit an entry for each different title?

 

Yes, submit as many entries as you like.

 

Who can I contact if I have a question?

 

If your question isn’t covered in the FAQ, please e-mail info@thomashare.org or contact the electoral reform society on 0207 928 1622

 

What is the deadline?

 

The deadline for all submissions is the 30th of March 2009
DEADLINE EXTENDED TO MONDAY 13TH OF APRIL

 

When is the judging date/publishing date?

 

Entries will be judged between the 30th of March and the 3rd of May

 

When will I know how I’ve done?

 

We’ll be sending updates to let entrants know how the competition is going, and we will inform everybody of the winners on the 4th of May.

 

Will I get confirmation my essay has been received?

 

You will receive an automatic confirmation e-mail to show your essay has been uploaded successfully.

 

Can I get feedback on my essay?

 

Unfortunately we are unable to offer any feedback on essays

 

Can I send my essay by post?

 

We much prefer to receive electronic copies, as we are able to confirm receipt of the essay. However you may send a copy to the following address:

 

Thomas Hare Essay Competition
Thomas Hare House,
6 Chancel Street
London
SE1 0UU

 

Please ensure that you include on a separate piece of paper, your name, postal address, contact number, university or college and the course you are studying.

 

How is the competition judged?

 

Long-listing will be conducted by members of the electoral reform society, followed by an independent panel. For privacy reasons we are unable to provide their contact details.

 

What happens to my essay?

 

By submitting your essay, you grant to The Thomas Hare Essay Competition and it’s sponsor organisations (the Electoral Reform Society, X-Change and the McDougall Trust) a non-exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free license to use all or part of the work in any manner, in both conventional and electronic media. In doing so you understand and agree that The Thomas Hare Essay Competition and its sponsor organisations’ use of your work shall not create any association, partnership or joint venture between them and yourself.

 

What is the Electoral Reform Society?

 

The Electoral Reform Society one of the UK’s leading authorities on Electoral Systems and their impact on democracy, and campaigns to change the way we choose our politicians. We believe that a fair voting system will improve our democracy, allow politicians to better represent you and help them to tackle the serious issues facing our society. Fairness, accountability and a real choice for voters should not be compromised. For more information on the work of the Society, visit www.electoral-reform.org.uk

 

What is X-Change?

 

X-Change is the Youth and Student wing of the Electoral Reform Society and works with young people and youth-focused organisations to improve democracy and develop citizenship resources. For more information, visit www.x-change.org.uk

 

Who is Thomas Hare?

 

Thomas Hare (1806-1891) was a British political thinker and electoral reformer, who invented the Single Transferable Vote. You can find out more about him on the website.

 

More questions? E-mail us at …
info@thomashare.org