The Cato Vision for Liberty Award honors the most original and compelling works advancing individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace.
In a noisy political environment, familiar arguments are not enough. We are looking for fresh insights and breakthrough ideas that challenge conventional wisdom and open new paths for liberty. We will begin accepting article submissions on March 1, 2027. Start thinking about your article submission now.
You do not need a policy background, an academic title, or a famous name. The award is open to US residents of the 50 States and Washington, D.C., 18 or older. Academics, entrepreneurs, policy professionals, Hill staffers, students, government employees, private sector workers, independent thinkers, and anyone else are all welcome. Need some help? We’re also accepting entries with multiple authors. What matters is the quality of your thinking and your writing.
Sign up for an Email ReminderThe Awards
First place
The Thomas Jefferson Award
Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence and made individual liberty the American founding creed.
$50,000
Second place
The David Boaz Award
For more than four decades, David Boaz built the Cato Institute and defined the modern libertarian project, including in his book The Libertarian Mind.
$25,000
Third place
The Trenchard & Gordon Award
Writing under the pen name “Cato” in the 1720s, John Trenchard and Thomas Gordon published Cato’s Letters, the essays on liberty and power that inspired the American founders and gave this Institute its name.
$12,500
Award Details
Length:
1,500 words or fewer
Language:
English only
Submissions open:
March 1, 2027
Deadline:
July 4, 2027
Winners announced:
September 2027
The Prompt
“Write an article in support of libertarianism, analyze the world through a libertarian lens, propose an innovative libertarian policy proposal, or pen an article with a distinct libertarian theme.”
Argue your point with philosophy, social science, psychology, economics, empirical evidence, mathematics, your wits, or any other intellectual tools at your disposal.
That is the whole prompt. There is no assigned topic, no required discipline, and no preferred format. A philosophical argument, an empirical analysis, a policy proposal, and an essay that defies category all compete on equal terms. The best entries will say something true and important about liberty that has not been said before, or say something familiar so well that it reads like a discovery.
How to Enter
Submit your article through the submission portal by July 4, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Your submission must include the following.
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Your article, in English, as a PDF or Microsoft Word document, no more than 1,500 words. Citations, figures, tables, and appendices do not count against the limit.
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A separate title page with your full name, email address, physical address, and phone number. Keep your name and contact information off the article itself.
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A brief bio of 250 words or less.
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A short answer to one question. What thinkers, authors, or people have influenced you the most?
You may submit more than one entry, but no entrant will win more than one award. If a winning entry was submitted by multiple authors, the prize amount shall be divided equally between the authors.
Questions? Contact visionforliberty@cato.org.
Sign up for a reminder when submissions open for the Cato Vision for Liberty Award on March 1, 2027.