USSYP FINALIST INTERVIEWS

2025-2026

Essay Questions USSYP

November 2025

Your answer to ONE of the following essay questions will help our committee get a better understanding of your interest and aptitude in government, history, and politics, which is part of the United States Senate Youth Scholarship Program selection process.
Please choose a prompt to write an essay of 300 words or less exploring as fully as possible ONE of the following issues.
At the top of your essay, underneath your name, please type “I affirm” as recognition of this statement regarding the use of AI in writing your essay.
I affirm that all work not cited to its original author/creator submitted as part of the 2025–2026 USSYP application is entirely my own original effort free from plagiarism. I have not used artificial intelligence (AI) in the creation of any written, visual, or creative components of this submission or received unauthorized assistance not otherwise permitted as an approved reasonable accommodation for a disability. I understand that failure to comply may result in the cancellation of my application.

Every Republican president since Ronald Reagan has praised the Unitary Executive Theory, a constitutional interpretation which argues that the President of the United States holds sole authority over the executive branch (including its officials and agencies), with no constraints from Congress or the judiciary. What constitutional issues, if any, are raised by the theory? Discuss the arguments for and against the unitary executive theory, using examples.
What constitutional issues, if any, are raised by the Trump Administration’s decision to freeze federal research funding and limit international students’ enrollment at Harvard and other select universities? How might President Trump defend his power to unilaterally take such actions.
Discuss the prospects for a lasting peace treaty to end the war in Gaza.
George Washington’s decision to voluntarily step down after two terms as President established one of the most enduring precedents in American political history. Evaluate how this precedent shaped American democratic norms and the peaceful transfer of power for over a century. What does Washington’s precedent reveal about the tension between democratic flexibility and institutional constraints in American governance?

Please Note: We will be using Google Docs for your Essays. Each of you has a document prepared for you to write your essay.

NOTE: You can check the word count by selecting ‘Tools’ at the top of the screen. Then select ‘word count’ from the drop-down menu.