Does Your EA Topic Count as a Real Political Issue?
10 diagnostic questions to test your topic before you commit — because most students waste weeks on topics that won't score. The EA is a formal written report of approximately 1,500 words — this checklist helps you confirm your topic and engagement are strong before you begin writing.
Three Things Every Strong EA Needs
Format reminder: The EA is submitted as a formal written report of a maximum of 2,000 words. It is not a diary or reflection journal — it is an assessed piece of analytical writing structured around these three components below.
A Focused Political Issue
Not a broad theme. "Climate change" is a topic area, not a political issue. A political issue is specific and contested: "the failure of the Paris Agreement to enforce state compliance" or "the criminalisation of sea-crossing migrants under the UK Illegal Migration Act 2023".
Real Engagement
Direct contact with the political world: an interview, attending a council meeting, working with an NGO, observing a campaign. Reading articles and watching documentaries is research — it is not engagement. The IB requires you to do something, not just learn about it.
Analytical Reflection
Using power, sovereignty, legitimacy, or interdependence to analyse what you learned — not just describing what happened. The reflection is not a diary entry. It is an analysis of what your engagement taught you about how political power operates.
Weak Topics vs Strong Topics
The left column shows the kind of topic that gets submitted every year and scores poorly. The right column shows what a strong version looks like.
| Weak topic | Why it fails | Strong version |
|---|---|---|
| "Climate change" | Too broad, not a specific political issue | "The failure of COP28 commitments to include binding enforcement mechanisms" |
| "Human rights in China" | Too broad — covers hundreds of different issues | "The use of surveillance technology in Xinjiang as a tool of state control" |
| "The UN" | A institution, not a political issue | "The UN Security Council's inability to respond to the Russia–Ukraine conflict due to veto power" |
| "Immigration" | Too broad — a social topic, not a political issue | "The criminalisation of sea-crossing migrants under the UK Illegal Migration Act 2023" |
| "War in Ukraine" | A conflict, not a focused political issue | "The legitimacy of NATO's material support for Ukraine under international law" |
The 10-Point EA Topic Checklist
Tick each question that you can honestly answer "yes" to. Your score at the bottom tells you where you stand.
8–10 ticked
Strong topic — proceed with confidence. Your issue is focused, political, and your engagement is real.
5–7 ticked
Promising — revise the focus before committing. Check which questions you said no to and address them.
Under 5 ticked
Restart — your topic is too broad or is not a political issue yet. Use the strong examples above as a model.
Concept-Linked Reflection Starters
Use these prompts to write your reflection. Each one is linked to a core concept and pushes you toward analysis, not description.
Who has the power to change this issue, and who is excluded from decision-making?
Think about which actors hold formal power (states, institutions) and which hold informal power (NGOs, media, protests). Who benefits from the current arrangement and who is harmed by it?
Does your issue involve a state acting within or beyond its borders? Who claims authority?
Consider whether the issue involves competing claims to authority — between states, between states and international institutions, or between governments and citizens. What does this reveal about sovereignty in practice?
Is the political action you are examining seen as justified by those affected? Why or why not?
Legitimacy is not the same as legality. A law can be legal but not seen as legitimate by those it affects. Consider whether the political action or policy you examined has popular consent, procedural justification, or moral authority.
How does your issue connect actors across borders? What are the consequences of this connection?
Look for the ways in which your local or national issue is shaped by global forces, or how a global issue manifests locally. Who is made more vulnerable by interdependence, and who benefits from it?
Three Strong EA Topics — And Why They Work
These examples show what it looks like when topic, engagement, and concept are all working together.
Veto power in the UN Security Council
Engagement type
Interview with a university lecturer in international relations, a foreign policy think-tank researcher, or a diplomat at your country's foreign ministry
Why it is strong
Direct stakeholder access, highly focused political issue, and a clear concept link to both sovereignty (the veto as an expression of state power) and legitimacy (the question of whether P5 veto rights are justifiable). A university IR department is a realistic starting point for finding an interviewee.
The criminalisation of climate activism in the UK
Engagement type
Attending a legal observer training session with a civil liberties NGO
Why it is strong
Real, accessible engagement. A specific national political context (Public Order Act 2023). The concept of power is directly applicable — examining how states use legislation to limit protest, and who holds the power to define what counts as "disruption".
Food insecurity as a consequence of the Ukraine conflict
Engagement type
Working with a local food bank and interviewing the manager about supply chain effects
Why it is strong
Connects a local, accessible engagement to a global political issue. Demonstrates interdependence clearly — how a conflict in Eastern Europe disrupts food supply to local communities. Offers a strong reflection angle on how global political decisions affect ordinary people.
Ready to Build Your Full EA?
The full EA program includes engagement planning templates, reflection frameworks, supervisor meeting guides, and criterion-by-criterion mark breakdowns.