Fangyuan Cao
曹方源

Authored “The Asymmetry of Moral Obligations” (2025), applying multilevel social contract theory to argue that obligations to future generations must rest on instrumental rather than traditional moral reasoning. Placed in the top ~1% globally. Previously awarded High Commendation in Philosophy and Merit in History (2024).
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Awarded Outstanding Capstone for research on U.S. patent reform, arguing that over-broad patents suppress follow-on innovation by raising entry costs and proposing post-grant review expansion under the AIA. Paid co-author on a depolarization white paper published with Business for America. Co-authored 4 nonpartisan briefs on trade policy, U.S. debt, and foreign funding.

Authored “Beyond Carbon Subsidies.” Compared carbon taxes and cap-and-trade via marginal abatement cost curves, demonstrating allocative superiority of carbon taxes under standard conditions. Examined market distortions from permit banking and political economy constraints; concluded optimal design depends on institutional context. Top ~5% of ~347 entries, judged by Harvard Economics faculty.
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Co-authored a podcast script titled “Lett-uce Unpack,” sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Investigated fast food’s role in agricultural monopolization (CAFOs), labor market volatility, and inflation. Proposed solutions including tax incentives for food deserts and community-based nutrition education. Selected for publication in the 2024 Journal of Future Economics — one of 12 published out of 195 entries.

Led bi-weekly philosophy lectures on ethics, epistemology, and religion for ~25 attendees — one of the largest non-sport clubs at Miramonte. Founded and manage the Academus Journal for the Social Sciences and Humanities, publishing 3 double-blind peer-reviewed issues comprising 15 academic papers.

Ranked in the top 50 out of 1,952 international entries in a competition judged by faculty from Yale, Harvard, Oxford, and Cambridge. Authored “Evaluating Governmental Controls on Social Media Speech,” arguing that state regulation of social media fails due to politicization of enforcement and enforcement limits, and that media literacy is a more durable alternative.
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Selected for a four-week residential business immersion at the Wharton School (UPenn). Engaged in lectures on finance, marketing, and entrepreneurship. Co-developed a case presentation on Duolingo and led a team to win 3rd place out of 23 groups in the final case competition.

Promoted from summer intern to Editor-in-Chief. Lead an editorial team of ~10 article writers, publishing 20+ articles spanning personal finance, monetary policy, and macroeconomic theory. Mentor writers on economic reasoning, research depth, and citation rigor. Raised blog traffic by 50% through newsletter advertisements.

Created a website titled “No Prey, No Pay, No Tyranny,” arguing that pirates during the Golden Age of Piracy represented the most democratic and egalitarian institutions in the pre-Enlightenment era — contrasting with the Royal Navy and merchant service. Analyzed primary sources to demonstrate how pirates practiced constitutional governance. Selected as one of 15 state finalists in California and was the sole recipient of the Maritime History Award in the senior division.

Authored “A Fertility Crisis” for the Cambridge University Economics Society’s annual contest. Applied the Solow Growth Model to project GDP contraction from sustained below-replacement fertility. Evaluated pro-natalist transfer programs against the Easterlin hypothesis, arguing economic stability is a more durable fertility lever than cash transfers. Top ~4% of over 1,000 international entries.

Selected for a two-semester, project-based entrepreneurship incubator at UC Berkeley Haas (~10% acceptance). Conducted customer discovery, validated a business model, and built operating and financial plans for an AI college counseling service (Future U Assist). Pitched the prototype to a panel of Haas professors and entrepreneurs.

Review humanities and social-science manuscripts for the Journal of Research High School (JRHS), Questions Journal (PLATO), and the Journal of Policy Analysis. Evaluate submissions for clarity, writing quality, and citation accuracy; only ~30% of JRHS submissions are published. Nominated for JRHS Junior Editor of the Year 2026.

Authored a comprehensive historical and demographic analysis exploring how Maoist policies, the pervasive influence of Scientism, and Western fears of overpopulation shaped the origins and implementation of China’s One-Child Policy.
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Selected for the California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA), a rigorous month-long conservatory at CalArts pursuing intensive pre-professional studio training. Won 3rd Place in the Congressional Art Competition, showcasing original work to the U.S. House of Representatives.

A few of my compositions/arrangements are listed here.

Manage a private violin studio, teaching weekly one-on-one lessons to 10 students with individualized practice plans. Formed a student ensemble that busks original compositions outside local businesses, donating ~$500 in proceeds to charity. Lead the first violin section (~15 players) of the Lamorinda Community Orchestra, planning monthly sectionals, coaching students on intonation, rhythm, musical phrasing, and concert-readiness.

Symphony of Service (Vice-President): Organize monthly concerts at 3 senior centers in the Bay Area, coordinating ~12 volunteers per event and logging 400+ collective service hours. Manage the student-to-senior letter-writing program (100+ letters sent).

This, and other similar activities resulted in the President’s Volunteer Service Award — Bronze (120+ hours, 2024) and Gold (250+ hours, 2025).