For the Campaign Speech Writing Contest, we asked students to write a 300-400 word speech explaining what they would do if they could be elected president. We received hundreds of entries and narrowed it down to the following top 10 finalists. Congratulations to all of the following students, whose campaign speeches represent the best written, most compelling, and most original of all of the entries we received.

Vote for your favorite campaign speech and make sure to share these with your friends and family! You can vote once every 24-hour period so make sure to come back every day if you want your favorite entry to win! The voting deadline is February 1 and the winner will be announced February 4th.

The Grand Prize winner will receive a $1,000 cash scholarship. We urge you to review the entries below and give your vote to the student you find to be the most deserving!

“Four score and seven years ago, you lent me your ears to hear my acceptance of the presidential nomination. Since then, our “grand ole” country has fallen deeper into debt and foreign calamity. You have heard my proposed plan many a time, but today I place it before the American people to reflect upon. The structure of my plan relies on the ancient institution of a monarchy. I believe our country will be brought into the next decade through the reinstitution of an old acquaintance. You may say this is idiotic, but my proposed solution bypasses the regulations enforced in our current system, encouraging production and completion rather than stagnation.

Firstly, those in my cabinet will become nobles of 50 territories; they will appoint the bureaucracy of their hamlet. Secondly, the legislative bodies will be dismissed, just as Charles I of England did in 1625. As the people readily see, our ruling bodies are in partisan stalemate. Rather than waste a century yearning for two factions to unite, they will simply be abolished. Parliament will be raised only after I have completed my roadmap to recovery: the abolishment of all civil services, and through this, a balancing of the budget, trade regulation through my allies in a mercantilist policy, and finally, the waging of wars to avenge personal trivialities.

My opponents question if I will evolve my power into a absolute monarchy. And I say yes to their query. This country desperately needs established leadership, and I am that leader. I was born to a Virginian planter family, yet I was not pampered. I had the same duties as the stable hands and performed them with high standards. School came before all else, and I graduated with flying colors from a well respected institution. The next 10 years were spent leaving a trail of good will and fortune to the poor in Calcutta. I returned to the states in 1989, avoiding the “Epoch of Excess”. I rejoined society a better person, not though my machinations, but through the will of God and others. I ran for Senator, but pulled out after corruption tainted my family. I love this country and hope through my iron hand I will be able to rejuvenate her people. Please elect me as your President and King. I thank you for your time.”

“225 years ago, our Founding Fathers wrote a document called the United States Constitution. Its premise was as revolutionary as the men who wrote it. It was specifically written to eliminate tyranny and to set up a government by the people for the people. This concept was virtually unheard of at its inception. The Constitution once accepted guaranteed priceless civil liberties as well as the basic enumerated human rights that the American people had lacked for so long.

But ladies and gentlemen, what has happened to our Constitution since?

After decades of neglect, it collapsed under the weight of injustices such as the Patriot Act, the National Defense Authorization Act, and needless prohibition of drugs. As a people, we have stood by idly and watched as government power expanded beyond anything that the Founding Fathers had ever imagined. We watched as the Constitution became tainted.

I speak on behalf of all of those who love liberty when I say that I have had enough of this perversion of freedom. As your candidate for president, I promise to restore the Constitution, which has been collecting dust for so long. I promise to repeal the Patriot Act, the law which gives the government the uninhibited ability to wiretap us, spy on threats, and search citizens business records. I promise an end to the National Defense Authorization Act, which has given government a green light to indefinitely detain anyone of its choosing — without legal counsel and without habeas corpus. James Madison is turning in his grave.

I also will fight for the end of the drug war and for the legalization of marijuana. Prohibition is nothing more than Big Brother government watching over us, telling us what is and isnt safe for us. I personally do not favor the drug itself, but I recognize that the American people have the absolute right to use the substance. All prohibition has done is strip away our American right to choose what we can and cannot do, and incarcerate innocent citizens as criminals for victimless crimes.

We deserve a smaller government that represents us. We deserve to have our civil liberties returned to us again.

Ladies and gentlemen, the brightest future can be found by looking into the deepest past. I ask that you to join with me, and vote for me in November. Together, with your help, we can revive the Constitution.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much.

Madam Chairwoman, delegates, I accept your nomination as President of the United States.

Just fifteen years ago I took my first step on American soil. Little did I know my life would embody the American Dream. My parents, from a foreign country, brought me here because they foresaw opportunity in this land of freedom. Land built on underlying promises that if you work hard could accomplish all your dreams, if you take responsibility for yourself you will indeed be successful, and if you try something new you will have a fair shot to thrive at anything.

I saw all these elements of the American Dream in the years of my life past, but then I began to see it slipping from the grasp of other fellow citizens of America. The ever-growing list of teachers getting fired due to budget cuts is increasing exponentially, the number of students from low-income families taken off financial aid is sky-rocketing, America’s levels in math and science proficiency have and is falling to incredibly low levels.

As a result our country wonders why all the jobs are being outsourced and why there is such a large percentage of college graduates who are unemployed.

My fellow Americans, let me remind you that you elected me not because you wanted me to tell you what you wanted to hear, but you elected me to tell you the truth. The truth is the American students are becoming less inspired to work hard because of the disappointing failures in our economy these recent years. The truth is our student population cannot start innovation if they do not even have the basics of education as a foundation. The truth is America has forgotten how to put meaning into their work because we are more worried about what it takes to survive in this deteriorating economy.

As your 2012-2016 President, I will conquer this challenge by appointing a committee of fourteen accomplished citizens who will represent different cultures in the American life on my behalf: law, education, science, sports, entrepreneurs, technology, medicine, environment, arts, big business, defense, religion, farming, and philanthropy. This plan will charge America with imagining innovative industries that put Americans to work and add value to our world.

My dear fellow citizens and compatriots, have hope in America because the best is yet to come. God Bless America!”

“My Fellow Americans,

In looking back at the history of this great nation, you will see that we Americans are a perseverant people. This Union has gone through its fair share of struggles and difficulties; yet we have rebounded, maintaining our way of life. This nation has survived invasions, open rebellion, economic collapse and world war, all the while improving itself for the next generation of Americans. We are a land of peace and freedom, a land of opportunity and equality, and a land of tolerance and strength, and we need to stay that way!

I will be frank with you: the challenges we face today are real. These challenges and how we deal with them will decide how our children lead their lives. How we deal with the challenges of today will determine the future of the American way of life.

America has long been looked to as the leader of the free world, but the policies that have been implemented over the past decade concerning our foreign allies, as well as our adversaries, have been off the mark. We have become more of an imperialistic nation rather than a world leader. I believe that we need to concern ourselves with America and our own people and our own interests rather that meddle in the affairs of nations half a world away.

Today we face an economy on the brink of collapse. This is not something new for us, as we have battled and beaten the beasts of depression and recession before and won. In order to vanquish this demon once and for all, policies have to be set in place that assure that all Americans, regardless of economic status, pay their fair share, and solutions to the growing job crisis have to be found.

Issues regarding equality and tolerance, which this nation has embraced throughout its relatively short history, are of great importance. Marriage equality is a policy that I stand by, and I believe that discrimination based on a person’s gender, race or sexual orientation should not be tolerated.
The final decision however, rests in your hands, America. I am asking for your vote because the only way we can preserve the America we know and love and pass it on to our children is by effectively solving the problems we face today.

Thank You. God Bless You, and God Bless these United States.”

“Republicans, Democrats, then back again. Conservative, liberal. Us, them. I look around me and I don’t see America anywhere. The talking heads, the pandering politicians, the entertainment junkie of a media have corrupted the political system. Ours is a system founded on the ideals of democracy. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness!!! These fundamentals of America are being buried in the feud-like, extremist politics of today. Amidst the ruthless competition and the petty bickering, the interests of the American people are nowhere to be seen. The only thing that the well being of Americans is used for nowadays is political leverage. This country doesn’t need another Democrat or Republican candidate. This country doesn’t need the same politics, the ones that have long gone stale. As president, I would immediately reform the political system. Only then, can America’s leaders accurately gauge and respond to the needs of the people. For instance, the dismal state of the economy is a tricky business. The government needs to be in tune with the public if it hopes to even begin to fathom the issue. Millions are out of work, out of hope. Foreign relations with the Middle East are tense at best and frequently approach the brink of catastrophic. The Congress struggles with a perpetual gridlock; nothing is getting done. Great rhetoric is nothing without the deeds to back it up.

Mitt Romney is right in one respect: the American people can’t afford four more years of this, but I do not refer to just the Obama administration. I’m talking about this bipartisan battle that is tearing the country apart. Disillusioned by the gross mutilations of the truth on the national stage? Burned out by the same talking points being brought up endlessly? Sick of the mudslinging commercials on TV? Ready for a president that will put the American people before a political game? If yes, then your choice is clear. When you get into that voting booth in November, don’t vote for four more years of the same. Be different. Be Green!”

“It’s time we stop living in the shadows of recession. It’s time we get people working again. The strength and prosperity of our nation comes only from the strength and prosperity of our people. There are families who have relied on government aid for so long that they’re stuck in a cycle where they can’t, won’t, or are too scared to work. This is bad for the economy, the taxpayers, and most importantly the individual. I will not only add work incentives and requirements to Welfare, but also create 7 million jobs in the private sector. The goal is to provide jobs and promote self-esteem to minimize the amount of people needing federal aid. We need to strive to make the American people working and proud.

However, we cannot strive towards anything if we are unstable as a nation. In 1798, after the Revolutionary War, the first property tax was instituted to expand the army and navy in the case of a war with France. There are always threats pending to our nation and our armies must always be prepared to fight. Cutting military during a time with no war only leaves us vulnerable to attack. A restaurant does not close when the customers leave. The staff must prepare food, clean, take inventory, and count money before and after hours. In the same way, our armies must always be working to be up-to-date with our defense technology. The military must be the last resort when cutting spending.

ObamaCare, however, is not something I wouldn’t mind cutting spending on. In fact, I would abolish ObamaCare entirely when elected. There is a reason why Canadians come to the United States to receive care, why cancer patients from around the world want to come here to have treatment. It is because our healthcare system is among the best in the world, and it did not get there from the government being in charge. It got there through medical professionals doing their jobs and taking control of what they know best. It did not get there from people with law degrees making decisions. Actually, I suppose in a way it did.

The healthcare system became great because former politicians let it thrive on its own. The government in the past threw up its hands and said “Lai­ssez Faire”. That’s what we need to do now America. It’s time we took our hands off.”

Creating a Better America

“People of America I have not come to speak to you about common politics but I have come to make you aware that I wish to meet your needs. During the course of the election I have seen the saddening horrors that go on beyond the quarters of the White house. I have listened to the voices of the people in America and I plan to do something about it.

All across the country residents of marginalized communities are struggling to break free from their cycle of poverty. For one reason or another they just can’t manage to get by. Either they don’t have enough gas in the car or maybe they can’t make month’s rent. Either way they still cannot manage to conquer the daunting fact that lower class citizens have to face. Struggle! They suffer from a struggle with a relentless contender and a cruel adversary that objects one’s personal content. This very adversary is poverty. Not everyone has to fight this weakening battle but the people who do hardly ever turn out victorious. However my plan can solve this and aid the American people.

Transportation investment can be our ally against the oppressor. It can cure the breakout of this national epidemic and liberate the American people. If the citizens of these marginalized communities had the transportation they needed then they would have access to higher paying jobs in inner cities. The type of transportation that can meet mass public needs is mass transit. With this type of transportation citizens would no longer have to settle for a job at a fast food restaurant because they weren’t able to get an office job downtown. No one should have to settle for less because of a lack of a simple resource such as transportation.

With this plan the mother out in Birmingham or Knoxville can get the job she needs to get her family out of poverty. She can finally put food on the table. Her children will never have to go hungry or wonder when they are going to get their next meal. She could finally afford the doctor she needs to get treatment for her back pains caused form long hours of work with little pay. Now I have heard your needs and tended to them as president because I have listened to you. Now may god bless America!”

“America today faces formidable economic and social challenges, but we have the resources to face those challenges. We must reject defeatism and the belief that future generations will have poorer lives than their predecessors. First, we must start with education. Our children are the future, and if they don’t have the skills to flourish in a rapidly changing economy, the U.S. will be overwhelmed by the economies of China and India. But education cannot be only for economic strength. Authoritarian China has no real democracy, in China people exist for the state and economy. But that is not the American way. Our children must continue to be trained as not just economic citizens but as true democratic citizens. We must strengthen civics and humanities education so today’s children will be tomorrow’s problem solvers.

Income inequality is today’s severest threat. Millions are excluded from political participation because they are too worried about paying bills to read the newspaper or converse about our international challenges like peace in the Middle East, or how to ensure rights to women in traditionalistic third world countries, or medical crises in Africa.

With technological change, the world shrinks. We are immediately impacted by disasters in Bangladesh or famine in the Ukraine; we can no longer turn a blind eye. We must assume an attitude of “we can instead of losing hope, and the key in that phrase is WE.” We mean that by being and acting together, we become so much more powerful than individuals are acting for themselves. We have seen the theory that social happiness and prosperity comes from individuals trying to improve their own lot, waiting for the invisible hand to shower blessings on society. The American way is cooperation. We achieved our freedom through a revolutionary struggle that was not about individuals just looking out for themselves, but cooperating to achieve a common goal. That revolution continues. We must strive together to spread the blessings of liberty, for which our founding fathers so eloquently fought, to those parts of America frustrated by want and insecurity. Only When Americans have their basic needs met can they begin to dream, and an American is never as American as when she or he dreams. Because it is out of those dreams that we build a future together. Join me, fellow Americans, in rebuilding a true American dream in which all Americans can participate.”

“Welcome! My name is Joshua Yen, and as you all know, I am running for president. I believe that we the people deserve more than either candidate is promising to do over the next four years, and I promise to bring the people a better future.

If I am elected president, I will reduce the national debt by a third, keep jobs in America, and improve education. Our national debt is over sixteen trillion dollars, which is unacceptable. To close the deficit, I will close loopholes, cut unnecessary spending, and allow each and every dollar to be used in the most efficient way possible. I will do this by personally ordering an independent committee to investigate the spending of the federal government and to point out where spending could be made more efficient or simply cut. The instant the results are released, I will personally oversee the full process of putting these measures into place. Moreover, I will cut all tax cuts for the rich. After all, they are rich enough to not need tax cuts. Furthermore, because small businesses are more likely to keep jobs in America, I will encourage small business by creating tax exemptions for them, which will help America become more competitive. Finally, I will implement a merit-based system for teachers while taking into account the demographics of an area. Those teachers who are the most effective will be rewarded. Our children are the future of America, and we should give them the best education possible. I want to leave to our children the best legacy we possibly can so that we will be remembered for decades to come as the generation that worked together to save America.

In our present government, Democrats and Republicans are bitterly divided and constantly blame each other. I am an independent, and I will reach to both Republicans and Democrats to pass the bills that America needs to come roaring back. I believe that government’s purpose is to help the people, not to play a blame game. As a result, I will reach across party lines to bring politicians together for change. These changes will carry America to its golden age. Moreover, I have a dream that the people of America will wake up to a superb America. As of now, I am the only candidate who can bring this dream about. If you share my dream, vote for me.”

“Having the honor of becoming the president of the United States comes with multiple responsibilities that I’m willing to undertake. I promise my leadership will guide our country to success and peace even more then previous presidents and running candidates. As a president, one must understand each issue and evaluate it while providing the people with their basic needs. I can deliver our nation and lead us to prosperity, despite the obstacles we will face. I hope you understand I have a true outlook on how to improve our economy and the lives of people in ways that others can’t. Why not choose a candidate that understands your struggle and is more than certain of how to fix it?

One incredibly important issue to me is taxes, particularly on the middle class and poor. The state of our economy disables the payment of taxes. Taxes are necessary but must be limited and balanced; certain products should have taxes and others should have no tax. For example, there should be taxes on products shipped from overseas. However, there shouldn’t be an increase in tax for the Verrazano Bridge. We can even see that the paychecks adults receive have numerous taxes. It’s clear that the Founding Fathers never intended a nation where citizens would pay almost half of everything they earned to the government. The more powerful taxes become, the more destroyed we are as a nation.

Another issue that comes to mind is unemployment. As of 2010, there was 9.9% of population without jobs. This leads to our issues with hunger and health care. Employers hire illegal immigrants so they can pay them less, causing American citizens to lose their jobs. This makes it a great concern that I feel we can conquer with fairness.

I would also like to address issues like drug and alcohol abuse in the youth of this country. I’d like to place stricter limits on and investigate the use of drugs and alcohol by teens. Violence is another problem young children are facing, especially while they’re receiving an education. In the last decade, 284 kids have been murdered through violent school abuse. Drugs, alcohol, and violence in schools are all pressing issues that need to be immediately banned/regulated.

If elected as president, I’ll lead this nation with wisdom and unity. As McGannon states, ‘Leadership is action, not position’. I promise to embody that.”