COMPETITION RULES
How do you make it to Washington D.C.?
STEP 1
Form you team
We don’t want to leave anyone out. Teams may consist of students from multiple universities, so if you are not on the official team at your school and are interested in competing, we can help connect you with interested students at other colleges/universities. We have several independent teams each season.
After registering, you can alter your team composition until travel is booked for the finals, as long as all other rules are satisfied.
If you are having difficulty finding teammates, reach out to our Program Coordinator, Erica Patella, for aid in finding a team. [email protected]
STEP 2
Register & Get Started
Register here to receive your unique Team ID number. To keep the competition fair from biases, judges do not know the student’s university affiliations until the winners are announced. You must include your team ID number on all submissions & exclude any references to their university affiliation(s).
Once you are registered, you will receive a confirmation email and access to a shared drive of resources & past presentations.
We recommend registering your team early to avoid any technical issues & to receive as many of the free resources we can provide as possible. You may have a faculty advisor, but it is not required.
STEP 3
Develop Your Proposal
The goal of the competition is to maintain the federal debt-to-GDP ratio over a 30-year planning horizon. Your task is to develop a budget plan that will keep the debt-to-GDP ratio at approximately 95% by Q2 2054.
The debt calculation is the total U.S. federal debt held by the public. The GDP is National Gross Domestic Product. You can visit FRED Code FYGFGDQ188S and references therein for further information.
You can set your own 30-year target for the Debt-to-GDP ratio but must thoroughly justify why your own specified goal puts the U.S. on a sustainable fiscal path.
STEP 4
Submitting your First Round Proposal
Students create and submit a 20-minute video presentation for round one. You should include slides and audio accompaniment without showing yourself on camera.
For the purpose of fair judging, you should not include any identification of team members, advisors, or school affiliations such as school colors, emblems, logos, etc.
First-round submissions are due Friday, March 8th, 2024.
Upload your presentation as an unlisted video on Youtube and email the link along with your slide deck to [email protected]
We anticipate first-round results to be announced via email and social media by Tuesday, March 12th.
STEP 5
Defend Your Plan in the Capitol
Our advising Committee will identify the top 6 (six) teams; first round results will be available roughly 72 hours after the submission deadline. Finalists will have the option to present and defend their presentations in front of the panel of expert judges in Washington or telecommuting software. Teams will present their plan to the judges and then have the opportunity for Q&A.
Finals will be held in Washington D.C. April 2024.
We assist with travel and hotel accommodations.
criteria
Judging Rubric
You can review the current judging rubric here.
