The 2026 Great American Think Off Essay Topic Announced

“Is the pursuit of happiness making Americans unhappy?” That is the question for debate in the 2026 Great American Think Off Essay contest. With this year marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of The Declaration of Independence, the Great American Think-Off Team purposefully chose a topic that taps into Thomas Jefferson’s famous words of, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” As the executive director of the New York Mills Regional Cultural Center, Betsy Roder, has stated, “This question invites us to pause and consider what truly matters – and whether our pursuit of happiness brings us closer to joy or takes us further from it.”

The rules of the essay contest do not allow for any “middle of the road” arguments. One must definitively argue either “yes” or “no” where the pursuit of happiness is concerned in 750 words that are grounded in personal experience. The deadline for entries is April 01st, 2026 for the 2026 Great American Think Off essay contest. And entries into the 2026 Great American Think Off essay contest can be submitted at kulcher.org/think-off/submit-your-essay or by e-mail at info@think-off.org. For those who prefer to trust an envelope with a stamp on it, essay submissions can also be mailed in to Think-Off, c/o Cultural Center, PO Box 246, New York Mills, MN 56567.

This year marks the 33rd year of The Great American Think – Off essay contest. With the finalists for the essay contest set to be awarded $500 cash, full support for a weekend in New York Mills, and a chance to compete in-person for the title of “America’s Greatest Thinker”. As “Is the pursuit of happiness making Americans unhappy?” will be debated live on Saturday, June 13th, 2026 from the New York Mills School Auditorium followed by a reception at the cultural center in New York Mills, Minnesota.

There is no age limit or minimum for entry into the essay contest. In fact, the essay contest is designed to be an exhibition of civil disagreement between “powerful ideas that connect to your life at the gut level” and is open to people of all ages and backgrounds. Previous essay topics over the years have included, “Is the Pen Mightier than the sword?” and “Does Technology Free Us or Trap Us?”

Founded by a graduate of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, John Davis, the New York Mills Regional Cultural center is located in the rural farm and manufacturing town of New York Mills, Minnesota. With the annual philosophy contest being designed to support “civil discourse and big thinking” in the middle part of the USA. An advocate of promoting the arts in rural communities, Davis, who is described as a “serial intellectual entrepreneur” has stated that one of the most successful openings for an art exhibit that he has ever done was an art exhibit involving a livestock auction. He partnered with the Minnesota Beef council and Filmore County Cattle Association who grilled steaks out in front of the art gallery for the livestock auction exhibit. A popular culinary event which led to 300 people attending the opening of the exhibition with some of the attendees even buying their first ever works of art at it.

Luisa Reyes is a Tuscaloosa attorney, piano instructor, and vocalist.