Event · EP

Economics & Policy

Governments change taxes and rules. You work out who ends up paying and who comes out ahead.

Practice case Register

Good fit if: You like arguing about policy and want numbers to back it up.
Regionals: February 22, 2027 · online
Nationals: March 27, 2027 · online
Entry: $25 per student · nonrefundable

Topics

What it covers

Markets and incentives
Government intervention
Public policy design
Macro context
Externalities
Distributional effects

You do not need to memorize AP Micro or Macro. Each case gives you the data and asks what you would do.

Format

The two rounds

Regionals

Questions about a tax, subsidy, regulation, or trade change, using data we give you.

Online and timed, on February 22, 2027.

Nationals

You get a policy case and recommend what to do. Judges question you as the people the policy affects.

March 27, 2027.

Sample question

What a question looks like

A city proposes a $2 fee on every rideshare trip to pay for bus service. You get ride volumes by neighborhood, bus ridership, and median incomes. Who pays the fee? Who benefits? What would you want to know before deciding if it works?

What a good answer does

A good answer notices that the person charged the fee is not always the one who ends up paying it. It uses the income and ridership numbers and says what information would change the recommendation.

Practice

Get ready

2026–27