“Sit-In to Stand-Up: A Victory for 504”

Ian Lillie and Addy Phillips

$100 Award

Ian and Addy did a great job identifying how cost/benefit analysis can be used to evaluate government policies. When asked about the costs associated with implementing federal section 504, they did a good job identifying both private business and societal costs associated with improving access for disabled people. Against these costs they balanced the financial and societal benefits of integrating disabled people into our workforce and concluded that the benefits exceeded the costs.

“From Selma to Saigon: The Civil Rights Movement’s Shifting Stand on the Vietnam War”

Eleanor Hansen and Amanda Wasserman

$100 Award

Historical context dominated the economics, but both students elaborated well on multiple economic concepts including opportunity cost of war, political expediency, diminishing benefits of war and the micro ramifications of war on particular demographics, namely African-American people, in America. Overall, both students did a stellar job and offered knowledge in extracting economic principles from this historical event.

“The Congo Reform Association: History’s First Humanitarian Movement”

Elias Jinich, Neusha Kharrati, Gabriel Jinich and Avi Waldman

$100 Award

This senior group website that very articulately demonstrated a solid comprehension of economic concepts related to their project. They understood per capita income, opportunity costs, mercantilism, economic growth, the relationship between a political system and economic conditions. The students were able to extrapolate from history to our modern era, drawing important connections to better evaluate government policy and its implications. The most insightful point was how the Congo economy has minimally progressed to this day anchored by its past.

“Milton Friedman: Using Media to Influence the Politics Fueling Both Capitalism and Freedom”

James Cockerman

$150 Award

Our grand prize of $150 goes to an individual junior exhibit that did an utterly amazing job capturing the influence Milton Friedman had on Reaganomics. James articulated economic concepts and vocabulary, like money supply, monetarism, incentives, the Federal Reserve and inflation, to name a few) throughout his presentation. He did a great job connecting to the History Day theme discussing how Friedman used his prolific book writing, the radio, TV and newspapers to get his message out.