While reading a copy of Reading Digest, Homer finds an entry form for an essay contest for which Lisa signs up. When she successfully wins the contest, she and the family travel to Washington, DC where the finals are to be held. Here, Lisa bears witness to the seedy underbelly of politics and becomes bitterly disappointed after learning of a bribery scandal involving Springfield's state congressman. In her final essay, she disdains and condemns the government system, which leads to the arrest of the corrupt congressman. While she fails to win the contest, her faith in government is restored.
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