speech on the topic government

25 Essay Topics for American Government Classes

Writing Ideas That Will Make Students Think

• Teaching Resources
• An Introduction to Teaching
• Tips & Strategies
• Policies & Discipline
• Community Involvement
• School Administration
• Technology in the Classroom
• Teaching Adult Learners
• Issues In Education
• Becoming A Teacher
• Assessments & Tests
• Elementary Education
• Secondary Education
• Special Education
• Homeschooling
• M.Ed., Curriculum and Instruction, University of Florida
• B.A., History, University of Florida

If you are a teacher searching for essay topics to assign to your U.S. government or civics class or looking for ideas, do not fret. It is easy to integrate debates and discussions into the classroom environment. These topic suggestions provide a wealth of ideas for written assignments such as  position papers , compare-and-contrast essays , and  argumentative essays . Scan the following 25 question topics and ideas to find just the right one. You'll soon be reading interesting papers from your students after they grapple with these challenging and important issues.

• Compare and contrast what is a direct democracy versus representative democracy. 
• React to the following statement: Democratic decision-making should be extended to all areas of life including schools, the workplace, and the government. 
• Compare and contrast the Virginia and New Jersey plans. Explain how these led to the Great Compromise .
• Pick one thing about the U.S. Constitution including its amendments that you think should be changed. What modifications would you make? Explain your reasons for making this change.
• What did Thomas Jefferson mean when he said, "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants?" Do you think that this statement still applies to today's world? 
• Compare and contrast mandates and conditions of aid regarding the federal government's relationship with states. For example, how has the Federal Emergency Management Agency delivered support to states and commonwealths that have experienced natural disasters?
• Should individual states have more or less power compared to the federal government when implementing laws dealing with topics such as the legalization of marijuana  and abortion ? 
• Outline a program that would get more people to vote in presidential elections or local elections.
• What are the dangers of gerrymandering when it comes to voting and presidential elections?
• Compare and contrast the major political parties in the United States. What policies are they preparing for upcoming elections?
• Why would voters choose to vote for a third party, even though they know that their candidate has virtually no chance of winning? 
• Describe the major sources of money that are donated to political campaigns. Check out the Federal Election Regulatory Commission's website for information.
• Should corporations be treated as individuals regarding being allowed to donate to political campaigns?  Look at the 2010 Citizens United v. FEC ruling on the issue. Defend your answer. 
• Explain the role of social media in connecting interest groups that have grown stronger as the major political parties have grown weaker. 
• Explain why the media has been called the fourth branch of government. Include your opinion on whether this is an accurate portrayal.
• Compare and contrast the campaigns of U.S. Senate and House of Representatives candidates.
• Should term limits be instituted for members of Congress? Explain your answer.
• Should members of Congress vote their conscience or follow the will of the people who elected them into office? Explain your answer.
• Explain how executive orders have been used by presidents throughout the history of the U.S. What is the number of executive orders issued by the current president?
• In your opinion, which of the three branches of the federal government has the most power? Defend your answer.
• Which of the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment do you consider the most important? Explain your answer. 
• Should a school be required to get a warrant before searching a student's property? Defend your answer. 
• Why did the Equal Rights Amendment fail? What kind of campaign could be run to see it passed?
• Explain how the 14th Amendment has affected civil liberties in the United States from the time of its passage at the end of the Civil War.
• Do you think that the federal government has enough, too much or just the right amount of power? Defend your answer.
• January Writing Prompts
• Key Election Terms for Students
• Voting Rights Background for Students
• Presidential Elections: ESL Lesson
• 501 Topic Suggestions for Writing Essays and Speeches
• Expository Essay Genre With Suggested Prompts
• Current Political Campaign Contribution Limits
• 50 Argumentative Essay Topics
• American Government Journal Topics
• Campaign Finance Laws: Definition and Examples
• 12 Interesting Ethical Topics for Essay Papers
• What Is Political Participation? Definition and Examples
• Fun March Writing Prompts for Journaling
• The Important Role of US Third Parties
• Why Puerto Rico Matters in the US Presidential Election
• What Is a Caucus? Definition and Examples

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112 Persuasive Speech Topics That Are Actually Engaging

What’s covered:, how to pick an awesome persuasive speech topic, 112 engaging persuasive speech topics, tips for preparing your persuasive speech.

Writing a stellar persuasive speech requires a carefully crafted argument that will resonate with your audience to sway them to your side. This feat can be challenging to accomplish, but an engaging, thought-provoking speech topic is an excellent place to start.

When it comes time to select a topic for your persuasive speech, you may feel overwhelmed by all the options to choose from—or your brain may be drawing a completely blank slate. If you’re having trouble thinking of the perfect topic, don’t worry. We’re here to help!

In this post, we’re sharing how to choose the perfect persuasive speech topic and tips to prepare for your speech. Plus, you’ll find 112 persuasive speech topics that you can take directly from us or use as creative inspiration for your own ideas!

Choose Something You’re Passionate About

It’s much easier to write, research, and deliver a speech about a cause you care about. Even if it’s challenging to find a topic that completely sparks your interest, try to choose a topic that aligns with your passions.

However, keep in mind that not everyone has the same interests as you. Try to choose a general topic to grab the attention of the majority of your audience, but one that’s specific enough to keep them engaged.

For example, suppose you’re giving a persuasive speech about book censorship. In that case, it’s probably too niche to talk about why “To Kill a Mockingbird” shouldn’t be censored (even if it’s your favorite book), and it’s too broad to talk about media censorship in general.

Steer Clear of Cliches

Have you already heard a persuasive speech topic presented dozens of times? If so, it’s probably not an excellent choice for your speech—even if it’s an issue you’re incredibly passionate about.

Although polarizing topics like abortion and climate control are important to discuss, they aren’t great persuasive speech topics. Most people have already formed an opinion on these topics, which will either cause them to tune out or have a negative impression of your speech.

Instead, choose topics that are fresh, unique, and new. If your audience has never heard your idea presented before, they will be more open to your argument and engaged in your speech.

Have a Clear Side of Opposition

For a persuasive speech to be engaging, there must be a clear side of opposition. To help determine the arguability of your topic, ask yourself: “If I presented my viewpoint on this topic to a group of peers, would someone disagree with me?” If the answer is yes, then you’ve chosen a great topic!

Now that we’ve laid the groundwork for what it takes to choose a great persuasive speech topic, here are over one hundred options for you to choose from.

• Should high school athletes get tested for steroids?
• Should schools be required to have physical education courses?
• Should sports grades in school depend on things like athletic ability?
• What sport should be added to or removed from the Olympics?
• Should college athletes be able to make money off of their merchandise?
• Should sports teams be able to recruit young athletes without a college degree?
• Should we consider video gamers as professional athletes?
• Is cheerleading considered a sport?
• Should parents allow their kids to play contact sports?
• Should professional female athletes be paid the same as professional male athletes?
• Should college be free at the undergraduate level?
• Is the traditional college experience obsolete?
• Should you choose a major based on your interests or your potential salary?
• Should high school students have to meet a required number of service hours before graduating?
• Should teachers earn more or less based on how their students perform on standardized tests?
• Are private high schools more effective than public high schools?
• Should there be a minimum number of attendance days required to graduate?
• Are GPAs harmful or helpful?
• Should schools be required to teach about standardized testing?
• Should Greek Life be banned in the United States?
• Should schools offer science classes explicitly about mental health?
• Should students be able to bring their cell phones to school?
• Should all public restrooms be all-gender?
• Should undocumented immigrants have the same employment and education opportunities as citizens?
• Should everyone be paid a living wage regardless of their employment status?
• Should supremacist groups be able to hold public events?
• Should guns be allowed in public places?
• Should the national drinking age be lowered?
• Should prisoners be allowed to vote?
• Should the government raise or lower the retirement age?
• Should the government be able to control the population?
• Is the death penalty ethical?

Environment

• Should stores charge customers for plastic bags?
• Should breeding animals (dogs, cats, etc.) be illegal?
• Is it okay to have exotic animals as pets?
• Should people be fined for not recycling?
• Should compost bins become mandatory for restaurants?
• Should electric vehicles have their own transportation infrastructure?
• Would heavier fining policies reduce corporations’ emissions?
• Should hunting be encouraged or illegal?
• Should reusable diapers replace disposable diapers?

Science & Technology

• Is paper media more reliable than digital news sources?
• Should automated/self-driving cars be legalized?
• Should schools be required to provide laptops to all students?
• Should software companies be able to have pre-downloaded programs and applications on devices?
• Should drones be allowed in military warfare?
• Should scientists invest more or less money into cancer research?
• Should cloning be illegal?
• Should societies colonize other planets?
• Should there be legal oversight over the development of technology?

Social Media

• Should there be an age limit on social media?
• Should cyberbullying have the same repercussions as in-person bullying?
• Are online relationships as valuable as in-person relationships?
• Does “cancel culture” have a positive or negative impact on societies?
• Are social media platforms reliable information or news sources?
• Should social media be censored?
• Does social media create an unrealistic standard of beauty?
• Is regular social media usage damaging to real-life interactions?
• Is social media distorting democracy?
• How many branches of government should there be?
• Who is the best/worst president of all time?
• How long should judges serve in the U.S. Supreme Court?
• Should a more significant portion of the U.S. budget be contributed towards education?
• Should the government invest in rapid transcontinental transportation infrastructure?
• Should airport screening be more or less stringent?
• Should the electoral college be dismantled?
• Should the U.S. have open borders?
• Should the government spend more or less money on space exploration?
• Should students sing Christmas carols, say the pledge of allegiance, or perform other tangentially religious activities?
• Should nuns and priests become genderless roles?
• Should schools and other public buildings have prayer rooms?
• Should animal sacrifice be legal if it occurs in a religious context?
• Should countries be allowed to impose a national religion on their citizens?
• Should the church be separated from the state?
• Does freedom of religion positively or negatively affect societies?

Parenting & Family

• Is it better to have children at a younger or older age?
• Is it better for children to go to daycare or stay home with their parents?
• Does birth order affect personality?
• Should parents or the school system teach their kids about sex?
• Are family traditions important?
• Should parents smoke or drink around young children?
• Should “spanking” children be illegal?
• Should parents use swear words in front of their children?
• Should parents allow their children to play violent video games?

Entertainment

• Should all actors be paid the same regardless of gender or ethnicity?
• Should all award shows be based on popular vote?
• Who should be responsible for paying taxes on prize money, the game show staff or the contestants?
• Should movies and television shows have ethnicity and gender quotas?
• Should newspapers and magazines move to a completely online format?
• Should streaming services like Netflix and Hulu be free for students?
• Is the movie rating system still effective?
• Should celebrities have more privacy rights?

Arts & Humanities

• Are libraries becoming obsolete?
• Should all schools have mandatory art or music courses in their curriculum?
• Should offensive language be censored from classic literary works?
• Is it ethical for museums to keep indigenous artifacts?
• Should digital designs be considered an art form? 
• Should abstract art be considered an art form?
• Is music therapy effective?
• Should tattoos be regarded as “professional dress” for work?
• Should schools place greater emphasis on the arts programs?
• Should euthanasia be allowed in hospitals and other clinical settings?
• Should the government support and implement universal healthcare?
• Would obesity rates lower if the government intervened to make healthy foods more affordable?
• Should teenagers be given access to birth control pills without parental consent?
• Should food allergies be considered a disease?
• Should health insurance cover homeopathic medicine?
• Is using painkillers healthy?
• Should genetically modified foods be banned?
• Should there be a tax on unhealthy foods?
• Should tobacco products be banned from the country?
• Should the birth control pill be free for everyone?

If you need more help brainstorming topics, especially those that are personalized to your interests, you can  use CollegeVine’s free AI tutor, Ivy . Ivy can help you come up with original persuasive speech ideas, and she can also help with the rest of your homework, from math to languages.

Do Your Research

A great persuasive speech is supported with plenty of well-researched facts and evidence. So before you begin the writing process, research both sides of the topic you’re presenting in-depth to gain a well-rounded perspective of the topic.

Understand Your Audience

It’s critical to understand your audience to deliver a great persuasive speech. After all, you are trying to convince them that your viewpoint is correct. Before writing your speech, consider the facts and information that your audience may already know, and think about the beliefs and concerns they may have about your topic. Then, address these concerns in your speech, and be mindful to include fresh, new information.

Have Someone Read Your Speech

Once you have finished writing your speech, have someone read it to check for areas of strength and improvement. You can use CollegeVine’s free essay review tool to get feedback on your speech from a peer!

Practice Makes Perfect

After completing your final draft, the key to success is to practice. Present your speech out loud in front of a mirror, your family, friends, and basically, anyone who will listen. Not only will the feedback of others help you to make your speech better, but you’ll become more confident in your presentation skills and may even be able to commit your speech to memory.

Hopefully, these ideas have inspired you to write a powerful, unique persuasive speech. With the perfect topic, plenty of practice, and a boost of self-confidence, we know you’ll impress your audience with a remarkable speech!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Interested in suggesting a potential topic, learning about how topics are selected, or applying to be part of a topic wording committee? 

Current Topics

Lincoln-douglas.

A Note About the LD Topic Release Schedule: Each summer, the Lincoln-Douglas Wording Committee assigns a set of three topics to each bi-monthly topic cycle. All potential topics for the year are released the Monday following the conclusion of the National Tournament. In June, chapter advisors and member students will know, “These three topics will be voted on for September/October. These three topics will be voted on for November/December,” etc. One week prior to the topic being released for that topic cycle, chapter advisors and member students will vote on which of the three topics they prefer. The topic that receives the most votes will be the topic for that cycle. 

Lincoln-Douglas Debate – 2024 March/April Topic

• Resolved: The primary objective of the United States criminal justice system ought to be rehabilitation.

A total of 910 coaches and 3,285 students voted for the resolution. The winning resolution received 41% of the coach vote and 41% of the student vote.

Lincoln-Douglas Debate – Novice Topic

Resolved: In the United States, national service ought to be mandatory.

Note: The novice Lincoln-Douglas topic is an optional topic that coaches and tournaments may choose to use each year in September/October, or the first two months of the novice season. The same topic is used each year and is created to be accessible to new debaters so that coaches can have a consistent, beginner-friendly topic to guide their novice LD curriculum using educational materials provided by the NSDA. Coaches are encouraged to check with tournament hosts in their area before exclusively prepping for one topic over another.   Access sample cases   on the mandatory national service topic.

Public Forum

A Note About the PF Topic Release Schedule: Each summer, the Public Forum Wording Committee assigns a set of two topics to each topic cycle. All potential topic areas and resolutions for the year are released the Monday following the conclusion of the National Tournament. In June, chapter advisors and member students will know, “These two topics will be voted on for September/October. These two topics will be voted on for November/December,” etc. One week prior to the topic being released for that topic cycle, chapter advisors and member students will vote on which of the two topics they prefer. The topic that receives the most votes will be the topic for that cycle. 

Public Forum Debate – 2024 March Topic

Public forum debate – 2024 april topic, policy debate.

Policy Debate – 2023-2024 Topic

Read a synopsis of the problem areas proposed for the 2023-2024 Policy Debate resolution.

Novice Case Limits for the 2023-2024 Policy Debate Topic

• Basic Income: Universal Basic Income
• Basic Income: Basic Income for Persons at or near the Poverty Level
• Federal Jobs Guarantee: Green New Deal
• Social Security: Medicare for All

Policy Debate – 2024-2025 Topic

Resolved: The United States federal government should significantly strengthen its protection of domestic intellectual property rights in copyrights, patents, and/or trademarks.

Read a synopsis of the problem areas proposed for the 2024-2025 Policy Debate resolution.

Visit the NFHS website for a complete map of how states voted as well as the press release .

Novice Case Limits for the 2024-2025 Policy Debate Topic

• Patents: Emerging Technologies
• Patents: Green Technology
• Copyrights: Protect the Creative Arts
• Trademarks: Trademark Trolls

Big Questions

Big Questions – 2023-2024 Topic

Resolved: Belief in the supernatural is incompatible with belief in science.

A total of 563 coaches and 1,557 students voted for the resolution. The winning resolution received 55% of the coach vote and 65% of the student vote.

Check out the   Big Questions Topic Papers   for an overview of the two topics proposed for the 2023-2024 season.

We invite you to incorporate issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion into your speech and debate activities. Explore our Extemp questions , Impromptu questions , and Congress legislation focused on these important topics.

Congress Legislation

A sample docket is provided monthly, on the first of the month.

Extemp Questions

Sample questions are provided monthly, on the first of the month.

World Schools Debate

Sample motions are provided monthly, on the first of the month

Potential Topics

Lincoln-douglas debate 2023-2024 potential topics.

The Lincoln-Douglas Wording Committee has developed a variety of potential resolutions for the 2023-2024 season. Member students and one chapter advisor per active school may vote for each topic one week prior to the topic release date. Topic voting for the September/October topic opens July 25, and the topic will be announced August 1.

2023 September/October

• Resolved: The United States ought to guarantee the right to housing.
• Resolved: The United States ought to substantially increase the use of nuclear power to generate electricity.
• Resolved: The United States ought to establish a public option for banking.

2023 November/December

• Resolved: States ought to prohibit resource extraction within the Arctic Circle.
• Resolved: The United States ought to prohibit the extraction of fossil fuels from federal public lands and waters.
• Resolved: The United States federal government ought to implement a Social Wealth Fund.

2024 January/February

• Resolved: The United States federal government ought to substantially strengthen its obligation of trust responsibility toward Indigenous Nations.
• Resolved: The United States ought to recognize Iraqi Kurdistan.
• Resolved: The United States ought to substantially reduce its military presence in the West Asia-North Africa region.

2024 March/April

• Resolved: An inquisitorial justice system is preferable to an adversarial justice system.
• Resolved: In the United States, the use of eminent domain to promote private enterprise is unjust.

2024 National Tournament

• Resolved: In a democracy, a people ought to have the right to secede from their government.
• Resolved: Democracies ought to have electoral gender quotas.
• Resolved: In a democracy, non-citizen residents ought to have the right to vote in national elections.

Public Forum Debate 2023-2024 Potential Topics

The Public Forum Wording Committee has developed a variety of potential resolutions for the 2023-2024 season. Member students and one chapter advisor per active school may vote for each topic one week prior to the topic release date. Topic voting for the September/October topic opens July 25, and the topic will be announced August 1.

• Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its military presence in the Arctic.
• Resolved: The benefits of European Union enlargement outweigh the harms.
• Resolved: The United States federal government should forgive all federal student loan debt.
• Resolved: On balance, the benefits of school choice programs in the United States outweigh the harms.

2024 January

• Resolved: The United States federal government should repeal Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.
• Resolved: On balance, the benefits of the Chevron deference doctrine outweigh the harms.

2024 February

• Resolved: The Federative Republic of Brazil should prioritize its environmental protection over its economic development.
• Resolved: The United States federal government should ban single-use plastics.
• Resolved: In the United States, collegiate student-athletes should be classified as employees of their educational institution.
• Resolved: The United States federal government should restore the banking regulations of the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010.
• Resolved: The Republic of Korea should develop nuclear weapons.
• Resolved: The United Nations should abolish permanent membership on its Security Council.
• Resolved: The United States should establish a comprehensive bilateral trade agreement with the European Union.
• Resolved: On balance, the benefits of the EU-Mercosur free trade deal outweigh the harms.

Past Topics

Past topics - big questions.

2022-2023 – Resolved: Humans are primarily driven by self-interest.

2021-2022 – Resolved: On balance, societies benefit from religious belief and practice.

2020-2021 – Resolved: Mathematics was discovered, not invented.

2019-2020 – Resolved: Objective morality exists.

2018-2019 – Resolved: Humans are primarily driven by self-interest.

Past Topics - Lincoln-Douglas Debate

• March/April – Resolved: The primary objective of the United States criminal justice system ought to be rehabilitation.
• January/February – Resolved: The United States ought to substantially reduce its military presence in the West Asia-North Africa region.
• November/December – Resolved: The United States ought to prohibit the extraction of fossil fuels from federal public lands and waters.
• September/October – Resolved: The United States ought to guarantee the right to housing.
• Nationals 2023 – Resolved: Government employees have a moral obligation to leak classified information to address injustice.
• March/April – Resolved: The justices of the Supreme Court of the United States ought to be term-limited.
• January/February – Resolved: Justice requires open borders for human migration.
• November/December – Resolved: The People’s Republic of China ought to prioritize environmental protection over economic growth.
• September/October – Resolved: The United States ought to implement a single-payer universal healthcare system.
• Nationals 2022 – Resolved: Radicalism is preferable to incrementalism to achieve social justice.
• March/April – Resolved: In a democracy, a free press ought to prioritize objectivity over advocacy.
• January/February – Resolved: The appropriation of outer space by private entities is unjust.
• November/December – Resolved: A just government ought to recognize an unconditional right of workers to strike.
• September/October – Resolved: The member nations of the World Trade Organization ought to reduce intellectual property protections for medicines.
• Nationals – Resolved: A public health emergency justifies limiting civil liberties.
• March/April – Resolved: The United States ought to guarantee universal child care.
• January/February – Resolved: States ought to ban lethal autonomous weapons.
• November/December – Resolved: The United States ought to provide a federal jobs guarantee.
• September/October – Resolved: In a democracy, voting ought to be compulsory.
• Nationals – Resolved: The intergenerational accumulation of wealth is antithetical to democracy.
• March/April – Resolved: Predictive policing is unjust.
• January/February – Resolved: States ought to eliminate their nuclear arsenals.
• November/December – Resolved: The United States ought to eliminate subsidies for fossil fuels.
• September/October – Resolved: In the United States, colleges and universities ought not consider standardized tests in undergraduate admissions decisions.
• Nationals – Resolved: Violent revolution is a just response to political oppression.
• March/April – Resolved: The illegal use of drugs ought to be treated as a matter of public health, not of criminal justice.
• January/February – Resolved: The United States ought not provide military aid to authoritarian regimes.
• November/December – Resolved: In a democracy, the public’s right to know ought to be valued above the right to privacy of candidates for public office.
• September/October – Resolved: In the United States, reporters ought to have the right to protect the identity of confidential sources.
• Nationals – Resolved: The United States’ use of targeted killing in foreign countries is unjust.
• March/April – Resolved: The United States ought to provide a universal basic income.
• January/February- Resolved: Plea bargaining ought to be abolished in the United States criminal justice system.
• November/December – Resolved: Wealthy nations have an obligation to provide development assistance to other nations.
• September/October – Resolved: In the United States, national service ought to be compulsory.
• Nationals – Resolved: A just government ought to prioritize civil liberties over national security.
• March/April – Resolved: The United States ought to guarantee the right to housing.
• January/February – Resolved: Public colleges and universities in the United States ought not restrict any constitutionally protected speech.
• November/December – Resolved: The United States ought to limit qualified immunity for police officers.
• September/October – Resolved: Countries ought to prohibit the production of nuclear power.
• 2016 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Immigration ought to be recognized as a human right.
• March/April – Resolved: The United States ought to promote democracy in the Middle East.
• January/February – Resolved: In the United States, private ownership of handguns ought to be banned.
• November/December – Resolved: In the United States criminal justice system, jury nullification ought to be used in the face of perceived injustice.
• September/October – Resolved: Adolescents ought to have the right to make autonomous medical choices.
• 2015 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: Inaction in the face of injustice makes individuals morally culpable.
• March/April – Resolved: Just governments ought to ensure food security for their citizens.
• January/February – Resolved: Just governments ought to require that employers pay a living wage.
• November/December – Resolved: The “right to be forgotten” from Internet searches ought to be a civil right.
• September/October – Resolved: A just society ought to presume consent for organ procurement from the deceased.
• 2014 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: The United States ought to prioritize the pursuit of national security objectives above the digital privacy of its citizens.
• March/April – Resolved: Placing political conditions on humanitarian aid to foreign countries is unjust.
• January/February – Resolved: Developing countries should prioritize environmental protection over resource extraction when the two are in conflict.
• November/December – Resolved: In the United States criminal justice system, truth-seeking ought to take precedence over attorney-client privilege.
• 2013 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Oppressive government is more desirable than no government.
• March/April – Resolved: The United States is justified in intervening in the internal political processes of other countries to attempt to stop human rights abuses.
• January/February – Resolved: Rehabilitation ought to be valued above retribution in the United States criminal justice system.
• November/December – Resolved: The United States ought to guarantee universal health care for its citizens.
• September/October – Resolved: The United States ought to extend to non-citizens accused of terrorism the same constitutional due process protections it grants to citizens.
• 2012 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: A government has the obligation to lessen the economic gap between its rich and poor citizens.
• March/April – Resolved: Targeted killing is a morally permissible foreign policy tool.
• January/February – Resolved: It is morally permissible for victims to use deadly force as a deliberate response to repeated domestic violence.
• November/December – Resolved: Individuals have a moral obligation to assist people in need.
• September/October – Resolved: Justice requires the recognition of animal rights.
• 2011 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: When forced to choose, a just government ought to prioritize universal human rights over its national interest.
• March/April – Resolved: The United States is justified in using private military firms abroad to pursue its military objectives.
• January/February – Resolved: In the United States, juveniles charged with violent felonies ought to be treated as adults in the criminal justice system.
• November/December Topic – Resolved: The abuse of illegal drugs ought to be treated as a matter of public health, not of criminal justice.
• September/October – Resolved: States ought not possess nuclear weapons.
• 2010 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: Compulsory inclusion of non-felons’ DNA in any government database is unjust.
• 2010 NCFL Nationals° – Resolved: That the United States government has a moral obligation to afford the same constitutional rights to all people on United States soil.
• March/April – Resolved: In the United States, the principle of jury nullification is a just check on government.
• January/February – Resolved: Economic sanctions ought not be used to achieve foreign policy objectives.
• November/December – Resolved: Public health concerns justify compulsory immunization.
• September/October – Resolved: Public High school students in the United States ought not be required to pass standardized exit exams to graduate.
• 2009 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: Military conscription is unjust.
• 2009 NCFL Nationals° – Resolved: When in conflict, the preservation of minority cultural values ought to be valued above the preservation of a unified national culture.
• March/April – Resolved: Vigilantism is justified when the government has failed to enforce the law.
• January/February – Resolved: The United States ought to submit to the jurisdiction of an international court designed to prosecute crimes against humanity.
• November/December – Resolved: In a democratic society, felons ought to retain the right to vote.
• September/October – Resolved: It is morally permissible to kill one innocent person to save the lives of more innocent people.
• 2008 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: Limiting economic inequality ought to be a more important social goal than maximizing economic freedom.
• 2008 NCFL Nationals° – Resolved: That secondary education in America should value the fine arts over athletics.
• March/April – Resolved: Hate crime enhancements are unjust in the United States.
• January/February – Resolved: It is just for the United States to use military force to prevent the acquisition of nuclear weapons by nations that pose a military threat.
• November/December – Resolved: In the United States, plea-bargaining in exchange for testimony is unjust.
• September/October – Resolved: A just society ought not use the death penalty as a form of punishment.
• 2007 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: On balance, violent revolution is a just response to political oppression.
• 2007 NCFL Nationals° – Resolved: That judicial activism is unjust in a democracy.
• March/April – Resolved: The United Nations’ obligation to protect global human rights ought to be valued above its obligation to respect national sovereignty.
• January/February – Resolved: The actions of corporations ought to be held to the same moral standards as the actions of individuals.
• November/December – Resolved: A victim’s deliberate use of deadly force is a just response to repeated domestic violence.
• September/October – Resolved: A just government should provide health care to its citizens.
• 2006 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: In matters of collecting military intelligence, the ends justify the means.
• 2006 NCFL Nationals° – Resolved: When in conflict, an individual’s freedom of speech should be valued above a community’s moral standards.
• March/April – Resolved: Juveniles charged with violent crimes should be tried and punished as adults.
• January/February – Resolved: The use of the state’s power of eminent domain to promote private enterprise is unjust.
• November/December – Resolved: Judicial activism is necessary to protect the rights of American citizens.
• September/October – Resolved: In matters of U.S. immigration policy, restrictions on the rights of non-citizens are consistent with democratic ideals.
• 2005 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: the pursuit of scientific knowledge ought to be constrained by concern for societal good.
• 2005 NCFL Nationals° – Resolved: the primary purpose of formal education ought to be to impart knowledge.
• March/April – Resolved: to better protect civil liberties, community standards ought to take precedence over conflicting national standards.
• January/February – Resolved: democracy is best served by strict separation of church and state.
• November/December – Resolved: the United States has a moral obligation to promote democratic ideals in other nations.
• September/October – Resolved: individual claims of privacy ought to be valued above competing claims of societal welfare.
• 2004 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: civil disobedience in a democracy is morally justified.
• 2004 NCFL Nationals° – Resolved: a nation’s citizens’ rights ought to take precedence over its security.
• March/April – Resolved: as a general principle, individuals have an obligation to value the common good above their own interests.
• January/February – Resolved: a government’s obligation to protect the environment ought to take precedence over its obligation to promote economic development.
• November/December – Resolved: the U.S. has a moral obligation to mitigate international conflicts.
• September/October – Resolved: in the U.S. judicial system, truth seeking ought to take precedence over privileged communication.
• 2003 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: rehabilitation ought to be valued above punishment in the U.S. criminal justice system.
• 2003 NCFL Nationals° – Resolved: capitalism is the most just economic system.
• March/April – Resolved: when in conflict, the letter of the law ought to take priority over the spirit of the law.
• January/February – Resolved: when in conflict, globalization ought to be valued above national sovereignty.
• November/December – Resolved: when in conflict, academic freedom in U.S. high schools ought to be valued above community standards.
• September/October – Resolved: when the United States is engaged in military conflict, the demands of national security ought to supersede conflicting claims of individual rights.
• 2002 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: laws which protect citizens from themselves are justified.
• 2002 NCFL Nationals° – Resolved: the people’s right to know outweighs the government’s need for confidentiality.
• March/April – Resolved: limiting the freedom of expression of adults is justified by society’s interest in protecting children.
• January/February – Resolved: oppressive government is more desirable than no government.
• November/December – Resolved: a lesser developed nation’s right to develop ought to take priority over its obligation to protect the environment.
• September/October – Resolved: decentralized governmental power ought to be a fundamental goal of democratic society.
• 2001 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: on balance, violent revolution is a just response to oppression.
• 2001 NCFL Nationals° – Resolved: providing for basic human needs of citizens in a society ought to be valued above individual property rights.
• March/April – Resolved: the public’s right to know ought to be valued above the right to privacy of candidates for public office.
• January/February – Resolved: the possession of nuclear weapons is immoral.
• November/December – Resolved: establishing a safe educational environment in grades K-12 justifies infringement of students’ civil liberties.
• September/October – Resolved: colleges and universities have a moral obligation to prohibit the public expression of hate speech on their campuses.
• 2000 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: inaction in the face of injustice makes an individual morally culpable.
• 2000 NCFL Nationals° – Resolved: discriminations made by society on the basis of chronological age alone are justified.
• March/April – Resolved: the intervention of one nation in the domestic affairs of another nation is morally justified.
• January/February – Resolved: violent juvenile offenders ought to be treated as adults in the criminal justice system.
• November/December – Resolved: the use of economic sanctions to achieve U.S. foreign policy goals is moral.
• September/October – Resolved: when they conflict, respect for cultural sensitivity ought to be valued above the commercial use of free speech.
• 1999 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: capitalism is superior to socialism as a means of achieving economic justice.
• 1999 NCFL Nationals° – Resolved: the objectives of democracy are best fulfilled through a separation of executive, legislative and judicial powers.
• March/April – Resolved: human genetic engineering is morally justified.
• January/February – Resolved: in the United States, a journalist’s right to shield confidential sources ought to be protected by the First Amendment.
• November/December – Resolved: capital punishment is justified.
• September/October – Resolved: the individual ought to value the sanctity of life above the quality of life.
• 1998 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: in the United States’ justice system, due process ought to be valued above the pursuit of truth when they are in conflict.
• 1998 NCFL Nationals° – Resolved: individuals ought to sacrifice their ideals for the sake of compromise.
• March/April – Resolved: civil disobedience is justified in a democracy.
• January/February – Resolved: a just social order ought to place the principle of equality above that of liberty.
• November/December – Resolved: an adolescent’s right to privacy ought to be valued above a parent’s conflicting right to know.
• September/October – Resolved: global concerns ought to be valued above conflicting national concerns.
• 1997 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: the public’s right to know is of greater value than the individual’s right to privacy.
• March/April – Resolved: on balance, individuals ought to have a greater obligation to themselves than to their community.
• January/February – Resolved: in United States policy, the principle of universal human rights ought to take precedence over conflicting national interest.
• November/December – Resolved: when they are in conflict, a business’ responsibility to itself ought to be valued above its responsibility to society.
• September/October – Resolved: when in conflict, society’s goal of eliminating discrimination ought to transcend an individual’s right to participate in exclusive, voluntary associations.
• 1996 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: That limiting constitutional freedoms is a just response to terrorism in the United States.
• March/April – Resolved: when in conflict, American cultural unity ought to be valued above cultural diversity.
• January/February – Resolved: an oppressive government is more desirable than no government.
• November/December – Resolved: the pursuit of feminist ideals is detrimental to the achievement of gender equality.
• September/October – Resolved: individuals with disabilities ought to be afforded the same athletic competition opportunities as able-bodied athletes.
• 1995 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: when in conflict, the safety of others is of greater value than the right to privacy of those with infectious diseases.
• March/April – Resolved: on balance, institutional censorship of academic material is harmful to the educational development of the students.
• January/February – Resolved: laws which protect citizens from themselves are justified.
• November/December – Resolved: when in conflict, community standards are of greater value than individual liberty.
• September/October – Resolved: an individual’s freedom of expression is of greater value than political correctness.
• 1994 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: when in conflict, protection of the innocent is of greater value than prosecution of the guilty.
• March/April – Resolved: terminally ill patients have the right to die when and how they choose.
• January/February – Resolved: when called upon by one’s government, individuals are morally obligated to risk their lives for their country.
• November/December – Resolved: the public’s right to know is of greater value than the right to privacy of candidates for public office.
• September/October – Resolved: secondary education in the United States ought to be a privilege, not a right.
• 1993 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: the protection of domestic order justifies the curtailment of First Amendment rights.
• March/April – Resolved: the principle of majority rule ought to be valued above the principle of minority rights.
• January/February – Resolved: when in conflict, the spirit of the law ought to take priority over the letter of the law.
• November/December – Resolved: in the criminal justice system, truth seeking ought to take precedence over privileged communication.
• September/October – Resolved: the U.S. military interference in the internal affairs of other countries is justified.
• 1992 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: the United States government ought to provide for the medical care of its citizens.
• March/April – Resolved: the possession of nuclear weapons is immoral.
• January/February – Resolved: a victim’s deliberate use of deadly force is justified as a response to physical abuse.
• November/December – Resolved: human genetic engineering is morally justified.
• September/October – Resolved: a liberal arts curriculum is preferable to an employment-readiness curriculum in U.S. secondary schools.
• 1991 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: members of the United States Congress ought to value the national interest above constituent’s interests when the two are in conflict.
• March/April – Resolved: the pursuit of scientific knowledge ought to be limited by a concern for societal good.
• January/February – Resolved: showing disrespect for the American flag is antithetical to fundamental American values.
• November/December – Resolved: government limits on the individual’s right to bear arms in the United States are justified.
• September/October – Resolved: competition is superior to cooperation as a means of achieving excellence.
• 1990 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: individual obedience to law plays a greater role in maintaining ethical public service than does individual obedience to conscience.
• March/April – Resolved: development of natural resources ought to be valued above protection of the environment.
• January/February – Resolved: communities in the United States ought to have the right to suppress pornography.
• November/December – Resolved: all United States citizens ought to perform a period of national service.
• September/October – Resolved: that the United States ought to value global concerns above its own national concerns.
• 1989 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: the American criminal justice system ought to place a higher priority on retribution than on rehabilitation.
• March/April – Resolved: the public’s right to know ought to be valued above U.S. national security interests.
• January/February – Resolved: limitations upon the content of student publications by secondary school administrators are justified.
• November/December – Resolved: affirmative action programs to remedy the effects of discrimination are justified.
• 1988 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: violent revolution is a just response to oppression.
• March/April/May – Resolved: when they are in conflict, the principle of privileged communication ought to be subordinate to the maintenance of law and order.
• December/January/February – Resolved: the protection of society’s health interest through broad based mandatory testing of AIDS ought to be more important than personal privacy rights.
• September/October/November – Resolved: the protection of public safety justifies random, mandatory drug testing throughout society.
• 1987 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: when they are in conflict, the right to a free press is a higher priority than the right to a fair trial.
• March/April – Resolved: a parliamentary system of government would better fulfill the values underlying the American Constitution.
• January/February – Resolved: That decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court in criminal cases ought to reflect the values of the American people.
• November/December – Resolved: an unjust government is better than no government at all.
• 1986 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: giving sanctuary to illegal refugees in the United States justifiably places moral law above positive law.
• March/April – Resolved: allowing innocent people to be harmed is preferable than giving into terrorists’ demands.
• January/February – Resolved: the restriction of civil liberties in the United States for the sake of combating terrorism is justified.
• November/December – Resolved: the brotherhood of man transcends the sovereignty of nations.
• September/October – Resolved: the use of sanctions to achieve U.S. foreign policy goals ought to be immoral.
• 1985 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: the American media works against the best interest of the American public.
• March/April – Resolved: a just social order ought to place the principle of equality above that of liberty.
• January/February – Resolved: nothing is politically right that is morally wrong.
• Resolved: U.S. immigration policy is inconsistent with American ideals.
• 1984 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: uniformity in education leads to mediocrity.
• January/February – Resolved: even in a democratic society morality can be legislated.
• 1983 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: Liberty is more precious than law.
• March/April – Resolved: protection of the environment should take precedence over the development of natural resources.
• January/February – Resolved: funding for human services programs should take precedence over a balanced budget.
• Resolved: the right to a free press outweighs the right to a fair trial.
• Resolved: the right to die takes precedence over other ethical and moral considerations.
• 1982 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: the economic health of a nation is more important than the social programs for its citizens.
• March/April – Resolved: it is undesirable to expend societal resources on the enforcement of laws against victimless crimes.
• January/February – Resolved: the rights of the victim should take precedence over the rights of the accused in felony cases.
• 1981 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: That the protection of human rights should have a higher priority in shaping America’s foreign policy.
• March/April – Resolved: military conscription is a superior alternative to a voluntary army.
• January/February – Resolved: it is morally unjustifiable to require an individual to join a labor organization as a condition of employment.
• 1980 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: The strength of the present methods of funding the social security system outweighs the weaknesses.

Past Topics - Public Forum Debate

• April – Resolved: The United Nations should abolish permanent membership on its Security Council.
• March – Resolved: In the United States, collegiate student-athletes should be classified as employees of their educational institution.
• February – Resolved: The United States federal government should ban single-use plastics.
• January – Resolved: The United States federal government should repeal Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.
• November/December – Resolved: The United States federal government should forgive all federal student loan debt.
• September/October – Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its military presence in the Arctic.
• Nationals 2023 – Resolved: The United States should adopt ranked-choice voting for its federal elections.
• April – Resolved: The United States Federal Government should ban the collection of personal data through biometric recognition technology.
• March – Resolved: The Republic of India should sign the Artemis Accords.
• February – Resolved: In the United States, right-to-work laws do more harm than good.
• January – Resolved: The United States Federal Government should increase its diplomatic efforts to peacefully resolve internal armed conflicts in West Asia.
• November/December – Resolved: The United States’ strategy of Great Power Competition produces more benefits than harms.
• September/October – Resolved: The United States Federal Government should substantially increase its investment in high-speed rail.
• Nationals 2022 – Resolved: The United States should establish a comprehensive bilateral trade agreement with Taiwan.
• April – Resolved: Japan should revise Article 9 of its Constitution to develop offensive military capabilities.
• March – Resolved: In the United States, the benefits of increasing organic agriculture outweigh the harms.
• February – Resolved: On balance, Turkey’s membership is beneficial to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
• January – Resolved: The United States federal government should legalize all illicit drugs.
• November/December – Resolved: Increased United States federal regulation of cryptocurrency transactions and/or assets will produce more benefits than harms.
• September/October – Resolved: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization should substantially increase its defense commitments to the Baltic states.
• Nationals 2021 – Resolved: In the United States, social media is beneficial for democratic values.
• April – Resolved: The benefits of the International Monetary Fund outweigh the harms.
• March – Resolved: On balance, the benefits of creating the United States Space Force outweigh the harms.
• February – Resolved: On balance, the benefits of urbanization in West Africa outweigh the harms.
• January – Resolved: The National Security Agency should end its surveillance of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents.
• November/December – Resolved: The United States should adopt a declaratory nuclear policy of no first use.
• September/October – Resolved: The United States federal government should enact the Medicare-For-All Act of 2019.
• Nationals 2020 – Resolved: On balance, charter schools are beneficial to the quality of education in the United States.
• April 2020 – Resolved: The United States should remove nearly all of its military presence in the Arab States of the Persian Gulf.
• March 2020 – Resolved: The United States should increase its use of nuclear energy for commercial energy production.
• February 2020 – Resolved: The United States should replace means-tested welfare programs with a universal basic income.
• January 2020 – Resolved: The United States should end its economic sanctions against Venezuela.
• November/December 2019 – Resolved: The benefits of the United States federal government’s use of offensive cyber operations outweigh the harms.
• September/October 2019 – Resolved: The European Union should join the Belt and Road Initiative.
• Nationals 2019 – Resolved: The United States federal government should enforce antitrust regulations on technology giants.
• April 2019 – Resolved: The United Nations should grant India permanent membership on the Security Council.
• March 2019 – Resolved: The United States should promote the development of market rate housing in urban neighborhoods.
• February 2019 – Resolved: The United States should end its arms sales to Saudi Arabia.
• January 2019 – Resolved: The United States federal government should prioritize reducing the federal debt over promoting economic growth.
• November/December 2018 – Resolved: The United States federal government should impose price controls on the pharmaceutical industry.
• September/October 2018 – Resolved: The United States should accede to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea without reservations.
• Nationals 2018 – Resolved: On balance, the benefits of United States participation in the North American Free Trade Agreement outweigh the consequences.
• April 2018 – Resolved: The United States federal government should increase its quota of H-1B visas.
• March 2018 – Resolved: On balance, the current Authorization for Use of Military Force gives too much power to the president.
• February 2018 – Resolved: The United States should abolish the capital gains tax.
• January 2018 – Resolved: Spain should grant Catalonia its independence.
• December 2017 – Resolved: NCAA student athletes ought to be recognized as employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
• November 2017 – Resolved: The United States should require universal background checks for all gun sales and transfers of ownership.
• September/October 2017 – Resolved: Deployment of anti-missile systems is in South Korea’s best interest.
• Nationals 2017 – Resolved: In East Africa, the United States federal government should prioritize its counterterrorism efforts over its humanitarian assistance.
• April 2017 – Resolved: The United States ought to replace the Electoral College with a direct national popular vote.
• March 2017 – Resolved: The United States should no longer pressure Israel to work toward a two-state solution.
• February 2017 – Resolved: The United States should lift its embargo against Cuba.
• January 2017 – Resolved: In order to better respond to international conflicts, the United States should significantly increase its military spending.
• December 2016 – Resolved: The United States should end Plan Colombia.
• November 2016 – Resolved: On balance, the benefits of the Internet of Things outweigh the harms of decreased personal privacy.
• September/October 2016 – Resolved: In United States public K-12 schools, the probable cause standard ought to apply to searches of students.
• 2016 National Speech & Debate Tournament – On balance, a one-day national primary would be more beneficial for the United States than our current presidential primary process.
• April 2016 – Resolved: To alleviate income inequality in the United States, increased spending on public infrastructure should be prioritized over increased spending on means-tested welfare programs.
• March 2016 – Resolved: The United States should withdraw its military presence from Okinawa.
• February 2016 – Resolved: The United States federal government should adopt a carbon tax.
• January 2016 – Resolved: On balance, economic sanctions are reducing the threat Russia poses to Western interests.
• December 2015 – Resolved: On balance, standardized testing is beneficial to K-12 education in the United States.
• November 2015 – Resolved: In response to the current crisis, a government should prioritize the humanitarian needs of refugees over its national interests.
• September/October 2015 – Resolved: The United States Federal Government ought to pay reparations to African Americans.
• 2015 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: The benefits of First Amendment protection of anonymous speech outweigh the harms.
• April 2015 – Resolved: Committing United States ground combat troops to fight ISIL is in the best interest of the United States.
• March 2015 – Resolved: In the United States, students should be guaranteed two years of free tuition to a community or technical college.
• February 2015 – Resolved: On balance, economic globalization benefits worldwide poverty reduction.
• January 2015 – Resolved: United Nations peacekeepers should have the power to engage in offensive operations.
• December 2014 – Resolved: For-profit prisons in the United States should be banned.
• November 2014 – Resolved: On balance, the benefits of genetically modified foods outweigh the harms.
• September/October 2014 – Resolved: On balance, public subsidies for professional athletic organizations in the United States benefit their local communities.
• 2014 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: NATO should strengthen its relationship with Ukraine in order to deter further Russian aggression.
• April 2014 – Resolved: Prioritizing economic development over environmental protection is in the best interest of the people of India.
• March 2014 – Resolved: Single-gender classrooms would improve the quality of education in American public schools.
• February 2014 – Resolved: The Supreme Court rightly decided that Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act violated the Constitution.
• January 2014 – Resolved: Development assistance should be prioritized over military aid in the Sahel region of Africa.
• December 2013 – Resolved: Immigration reform should include a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States.
• November 2013 – Resolved: The benefits of domestic surveillance by the National Security Agency outweigh the harms.
• September/October 2013 – Resolved: Unilateral military force by the United States is justified to prevent nuclear proliferation.
• 2013 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: The benefits of American drone strikes against foreign targets outweigh the harms.
• April 2013 – Resolved: The continuation of current U.S. anti-drug policies in Latin America will do more harm than good.
• March 2013 – Resolved: The U.S. government should not require its citizens to have health insurance.
• February 2013 – Resolved: On balance, the rise of China is beneficial to the interests of the United States.
• January 2013 – Resolved: On balance, the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission harms the election process.
• December 2012 – Resolved: The United States should prioritize tax increases over spending cuts.
• November 2012 – Resolved – Current U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East undermines our national security.
• October 2012 – Resolved: Developed countries have a moral obligation to mitigate the effects of climate change.
• September 2012 – Resolved: Congress should renew the Federal Assault Weapons Ban.
• 2012 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: Stand Your Ground laws are a legitimate expansion of the doctrine of self defense.
• April 2012 – Resolved: State mandated administration of childhood vaccinations is justified.
• March 2012 – Resolved: The United States should suspend all assistance to Pakistan.
• February 2012 – Resolved: Birthright citizenship should be abolished in the United States.
• January 2012 – Resolved: The costs of a college education outweigh the benefits.
• December 2011 – Resolved: In the United States, current income disparities threaten democratic ideals.
• November 2011 – Resolved: Direct popular vote should replace electoral vote in presidential elections.
• October 2011 – Resolved: Private sector investment in human space exploration is preferable to public sector investment.
• September 2011 – Resolved: The benefits of post-9/11 security measures outweigh the harms to personal freedom.
• 2011 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: That the United States should intervene in another nation’s struggle for democracy.
• April 2011 – Resolved: The United States federal government should permit the use of financial incentives to encourage organ donation.
• March 2011 – Resolved: North Korea poses a more serious threat to United States national security than Iran.
• February 2011 – Resolved: Wikileaks is a threat to United States national security.
• January 2011 – Resolved: In the United States, plea bargaining undermines the criminal justice system.
• December 2010 – Resolved: Cyberbullying should be a criminal offense.
• November 2010 – Resolved: High school Public Forum Debate resolutions should not confront sensitive religious issues.
• October 2010 – Resolved: NATO presence improves the lives of Afghan citizens.
• September 2010 – Resolved: Allowing deep water offshore oil drilling is in the best interest of the United States.
• 2010 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: Current trends in American political dialogue compromise meaningful democratic deliberation.
• 2010 NCFL Nationals° – Resolved: That the constitutional right of freedom of religion has wrongly evolved into freedom from religion.
• April 2010 – Resolved: On balance, government employee labor unions have a positive impact on the United States.
• March 2010 – Resolved: Affirmative action to promote equal opportunity in the United States is justified.
• February 2010 – Resolved: In the United States, organized political lobbying does more harm than good.
• January 2010 – Resolved: President Obama’s plan for increasing troops in Afghanistan is in the United States’ best interest.
• December 2009 – Resolved: That merit pay based on student achievement should be a significant component of K-12 teacher compensation in United States public schools.
• November 2009 – Resolved: Failed nations are a greater threat to the United States than stable nations.
• October 2009 – Resolved: When in conflict, the United Nations should prioritize global poverty reduction over environmental protection.
• September 2009 – Resolved: United States policy on illegal immigration should focus on attrition through enforcement rather than amnesty.
• 2009 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: That the United States should normalize relations with Cuba.
• 2009 NCFL Nationals° – Resolved: A society has an obligation to ensure adequate health care for its citizens.
• April 2009 – Resolved: That the Employee Free Choice Act of 2009 serves the best interest of the American people.
• March 2009 – Resolved: That, on balance, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 has improved academic achievement in the United States.
• February 2009 – Resolved: That, on balance, the rise of Brazil, Russia, India, and China (BRIC) has had a positive impact on the United States.
• January 2009 – Resolved: That, by 2040, the federal government should mandate that all new passenger vehicles and light trucks sold in the United States be powered by alternative fuels.
• December 2008 – Resolved: That, on balance, social networking Web sites have a positive impact on the United States.
• November 2008 – Resolved: That the United States government should implement universal health care modeled after the French system.
• October 2008 – Resolved: The United States should significantly increase its use of nuclear energy.
• September 2008 – Resolved: That the United States should implement a military draft.
• 2008 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: US policies established after September 11, 2001 have substantially reduced the risk of terrorist acts against the United States.
• 2008 NCFL° Nationals – Resolved: That the US Government should increase social services for indigenous peoples in America.
• April 2008 – Resolved: That the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 will successfully mitigate economic slowdowns over the next year.
• March 2008 – Resolved: The US system of presidential primaries is contrary to democratic values.
• February 2008 – Resolved: That Russia has become a threat to U.S. interests.
• January 2008 – Resolved: In a democracy, civil disobedience is an appropriate weapon in the fight for justice.
• December 2007 – Resolved:That the United States would be justified in pursuing military options against Iran.
• November 2007 – Resolved: That eliminating United States government budget deficits should be prioritized over increasing domestic spending.
• October 2007 – Resolved: That the United States should encourage the implementation of a soft partition of Iraq.
• September 2007 – Resolved: That the Fairness Doctrine should be reinstated.
• 2007 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: That the private ownership of handguns should be banned in the United States.
• 2007 NCFL Nationals° – Resolved: That the President and Vice-President of the United States should be elected by a direct vote of the American citizens.
• April 2007 – Resolved: United States corporations should honor all prior commitments to employee pensions.
• March 2007 – Resolved: That the quantity of credit available to American consumers should be significantly reduced.
• February 2007 – Resolved: The costs of legalized casino gambling in the United States outweigh the benefits.
• January 2007 – Resolved: That lobbyists negatively influence the legislative process in the United States.
• December 2006 – Resolved: Colleges and Universities in the United States should end their early admission programs.
• November 2006 – Resolved: That participating in multinational diplomatic efforts is beneficial to U. S. interests.
• October 2006 – Resolved: Current immigration laws in the United States should be enforced.
• September 2006 – Resolved: That the benefits of NASA’s space exploration programs justify the costs.
• 2006 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: That the United States government should ratify the Kyoto Protocol.
• April 2006 – Resolved: That the American media work against the best interest of the American public.
• March 2006 – Resolved: That big box retailers benefit the communities in which they are located.
• February 2006 – Resolved: That the policy decisions of the current Israeli government toward the Palestinian state have improved prospects for peace in the Middle East.
• January 2006 – Resolved: In the United States, public high school science curriculum should include the study of the Theory of Intelligent Design.
• December 2005 – Resolved: That the National Basketball Association (NBA) should rescind its dress code.
• November 2005 – Resolved: That the United States federal government should fund Hurricane Katrina relief and rebuilding by ending President Bush’s tax cuts.
• October 2005 – Resolved: That the United Nations should be the primary agent to lead and direct the fight against terrorism around the world.
• September 2005 – Resolved: In the United States, colleges and universities should be permitted to pay stipends to their Division I athletes.
• 2005 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: That, when a choice is required for public high schools in the United States, government funding should prioritize vocational education over college preparatory education.
• April 2005 – Resolved: The United States should issue guest worker visas to illegal aliens.
• March 2005 – Resolved: Student aptitude should be assessed through standardized testing.
• February 2005 – Resolved: In the United States, the current system of federal income taxation should be replaced by a flat rate income tax.
• January 2005 – Resolved: The United States Constitution should be amended to establish a mandatory retirement age for Supreme Court Justices.
• December 2004 – Resolved: Corporate offshoring aids in the economic development of the United States.
• November 2004 – Resolved: The United States government should allow Americans to purchase prescription drugs from other countries.
• October 2004 – Resolved: In the United States, public opinion polls positively affect the election process.
• September 2004 – Resolved: That he United States should establish a cabinet-level position to oversee its entire intelligence community.
• 2004 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: All young adults in every nation should be required to perform at least one full year of national service.
• April 2004 – Resolved: English should be the official national language of the United States.
• March 2004 – Resolved: The United States should provide universal health care insurance to all U.S. citizens.
• February 2004 – Resolved: Americans should be allowed to share copyrighted media over the internet.
• January 2004 – Resolved: The United States is losing the War on Terror.
• December 2003 – Resolved: Congress should repeal the No Child Left Behind Act.
• November 2003 – Resolved: That Federal judges should be elected in their district for a limited term rather than appointed by the President for a life term.
• October 2003 – Resolved: That the United States should comply with United Nations’ decisions concerning international peacekeeping operations.
• September 2003 – Resolved: Use of a cell phone should be prohibited while operating a motor vehicle.
• 2003 National Speech & Debate Tournament – Resolved: That the United States should assume primary responsibility for the rebuilding of Iraq.
• April 2003 – Resolved: Awards for pain and suffering in medical malpractice cases should be limited to $250,000.
• March 2003 – Resolved: Affirmative action should not be practiced in college and university admission.
• February 2003 – Resolved: The death penalty should be abolished in America.
• January 2003 – Resolved: The Federal Government should authorize oil exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve.
• December 2002 – Resolved: The the “Bush” tax cuts should be made permanent.
• October/November 2002 – Resolved: Commercial airline pilots should be armed in the cockpit.

Past Topics - Policy Debate

Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase fiscal redistribution in the United States by adopting a federal jobs guarantee, expanding Social Security, and/or providing a basic income.

Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its security cooperation with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in one or more of the following areas: artificial intelligence, biotechnology, cybersecurity.

Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its protection of water resources in the United States.

Resolved: The United States federal government should enact substantial criminal justice reform in the United States in one or more of the following: forensic science, policing, sentencing.

Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially reduce Direct Commercial Sales and/or Foreign Military Sales of arms from the United States.

Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially reduce its restrictions on legal immigration to the United States.

Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its funding and/or regulation of elementary and/or secondary education in the United States.

Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its economic and/or diplomatic engagement with the People’s Republic of China.

Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially curtail its domestic surveillance.

Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its non-military exploration and/or development of the Earth’s oceans.

Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its economic engagement toward Cuba, Mexico or Venezuela.

Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its transportation infrastructure investment in the United States.

Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its exploration and/or development of space beyond the Earth’s mesosphere.

Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially reduce its military and/or police presence in one or more of the following: South Korea, Japan, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq, Turkey.

Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase social services for persons living in poverty in the United States.

Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase alternative energy incentives in the United States.

Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its public health assistance to Sub-Saharan Africa.

Resolved: The United States federal government should establish a policy substantially increasing the number of persons serving in one or more of the following national service programs: AmeriCorps, Citizen Corps, Senior Corps, Peace Corps, Learn and Serve America, Armed Forces.

Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially decrease its authority either to detain without charge or to search without probable cause.

Resolved: That the United States federal government should establish a foreign policy substantially increasing its support of United Nations peacekeeping operations.

Resolved: That the United States federal government should establish an ocean policy substantially increasing protection of marine natural resources.

Resolved: That the United States federal government should substantially increase public health services for mental health care in the United States.

Resolved: That the United States federal government should establish a foreign policy significantly limiting the use of weapons of mass destruction.

Resolved: That the United States federal government should significantly increase protection of privacy in the United States in one or more of the following areas: employment, medical records, consumer information, search and seizure.

Resolved: That the federal government should establish an education policy to significantly increase academic achievement in secondary schools in the United States.

Resolved: That the United States should substantially change its foreign policy toward Russia.

Resolved: That the federal government should establish a policy to substantially increase renewable energy use in the United States.

Resolved: That the federal government should establish a program to substantially reduce juvenile crime in the United States.

Resolved: That the United States government should substantially change its foreign policy toward the People’s Republic of China.

Resolved: That the United States government should substantially strengthen regulation of immigration to the United States.

Resolved: That the federal government should guarantee comprehensive national health insurance to all United States citizens.

Resolved: That the United States government should reduce worldwide pollution through its trade and/or aid policies.

Resolved: That the federal government should significantly increase social services to homeless individuals in the United States.

Resolved: that the United States Government should significantly increase space exploration beyond Earth’s mesosphere.

Resolved: That the federal government should adopt a nationwide policy to decrease overcrowding in prisons and jails in the United States.

Resolved: That the federal government should implement a comprehensive program to guarantee retirement security for United States citizens over age 65.

Resolved: That the United States government should adopt a policy to increase political stability in Latin America.

Resolved: That the federal government should implement a comprehensive long-term agricultural policy in the United States.

Resolved: That the federal government should establish a comprehensive national policy to protect the quality of water in the United States.

Resolved: That the federal government should provide employment for all employable U.S. Citizens living in poverty.

Resolved: That the United States should establish uniform rules governing the procedure of all criminal courts in the nation.

Resolved: That the United States should significantly curtail its arms sales to other countries.

Resolved: That the federal government should establish minimum educational standards for elementary and secondary schools in the United States.

Resolved: That the federal government should initiate and enforce safety guarantees on consumer goods.

Resolved: That the United States should significantly change its foreign trade policies.

Resolved: That the federal government should establish a comprehensive program to significantly increase the energy independence of the U.S.

Resolved: That the federal government should establish a comprehensive program to regulate the health care in the United States.

Resolved: That a comprehensive program of penal reform should be adopted throughout the United States.

Resolved: That the development and allocation of scarce world resources should be controlled by an international organization.

Resolved: That the United States should significantly change the method of selection of presidential and vice-presidential candidates.

Resolved: That the federal government should guarantee a minimum annual income to each family unit.

Resolved: That governmental financial support for all public and secondary education in the United States be provided exclusively by the federal government.

Resolved: That the jury system in the United States should be significantly changed.

Resolved: That the federal government should establish, finance, and administer programs to control air and/or water pollution in the United States.

Resolved: That Congress should prohibit unilateral United States military intervention in foreign countries.

Resolved: That the United States should establish a system of compulsory service by all citizens.

Resolved: That Congress should establish uniform regulations to control criminal investigation procedures.

Resolved: That the foreign aid program of the United States should be limited to non-military assistance.

Resolved: That the federal government should adopt a program of compulsory arbitration in labor-management disputes in basic industries.

Resolved: That nuclear weapons should be controlled by an international organization.

Resolved: That Social Security benefits should be extended to include complete medical care.

Resolved: That the United States should promote a Common Market for the western hemisphere.

Resolved: That the federal government should equalize educational opportunity by means of grants to the states for public elementary and secondary education.

Resolved: That the United Nations should be significantly strengthened.

Resolved: That the federal government should substantially increase its regulation of labor unions.

Resolved: That the United States should adopt the essential feature of the British system of education.

Resolved: That the United States foreign aid should be substantially increased.

Resolved: That the federal government should sustain the prices of major agricultural products at not less than 90% of parity.

Resolved: That the government subsidies should be granted according to need to high school graduates who qualify for additional training.

Resolved: That the federal government should initiate a policy of free trade among nations friendly to the United States.

Resolved: That the President of the United States should be elected by the direct vote of the people.

Resolved: That the Atlantic pact nations should form a federal union.

Resolved: That all American citizens should be subject to conscription for essential service in time of war.

Resolved: That the American people should reject the Welfare state.

Resolved: That a federal world government should be established.

Resolved: That the federal government should require arbitration of labor disputes in all basic industries.

Resolved: That the federal government should provide a system of complete Medical care available to all citizens at public expense.

Resolved: That ever able-bodied male citizen of the United States should have one year of full time military training before attaining age 24.

Resolved: That the legal voting age should be reduced to eighteen years.

Resolved: That the United States should join in reconstituting the League of Nations.

Resolved: That every able-bodied male citizen in the United States should be required to have one year of full-time military training before attaining the present draft age.

Resolved: That the power of the federal government should be increased.

Resolved: That the federal government should own and operate the railroads.

Resolved: That the United States should establish an alliance with Great Britain.

Resolved: That the several states should adopt a unicameral system of legislation.

Resolved: That all electric utilities should be governmentally owned and operated.

Resolved: That the several states should enact legislation providing for a system of complete medical service available to all citizens at public expense.

Resolved: That the federal government should adopt the policy of equalizing educational opportunity throughout the nation by means of annual grants to the several states for public elementary and secondary education.

Resolved: That the United States should adopt the essential features of the British system of radio control and operation.

Resolved: That at least one half of all state and local revenues should be derived from sources other than tangible property.

Resolved: That the several states should enact legislation providing for compulsory unemployment insurance.

Resolved: That chain stores are detrimental to the best interests of the American public.

Resolved: That installment buying of personal property as now practiced in the United States is both socially and economically desirable.

Resolved: That the English cabinet method of legislation is more efficient than the committee system is in the United States.

Topic Release Schedule

Topic release schedule - lincoln-douglas debate.

If you would like to submit an LD resolution for consideration, please submit by April 1 for the following school year.

In addition, we have established a separate LD resolution for the first two months of the novice season. Coaches are encouraged to check with tournament hosts in their area before exclusively prepping for one topic over another.

Topic Release Schedule - Public Forum Debate

If you would like to submit a PF topic area or resolution for consideration, please submit by April 1 for the following school year.

The first two Public Forum topics are two-month topics in September/October and November/December, and then it reverts to a month-to-month topic. This schedule benefits novices who have more time to learn and improve their skills without switching topics.

Topic Release Schedule - Policy Debate

Topic release schedule - big questions debate, topic release schedule - congressional debate.

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The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20500

Remarks by President   Biden on the   Economy

2:00 P.M. EDT   THE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon.  I want to start by thanking the House committees for working hard this week to advance critical components of the economic plan that I’ve put before the Congress.   I know we still have a long way to go, but I’m confident that Congress will deliver to my desk both the bipartisan physical infrastructure plan and the Build Back Better plan that I have proposed.   And I’ve said many times before: I believe we’re at an inflection point in this country — one of those moments where the decisions we’re about to make can change — literally change the trajectory of our nation for years and possibly decades to come.    Each inflection point in this nation’s history represents a fundamental choice.  I believe that America, at this moment, is facing such a choice.  And the choice is this: Are we going to continue with an economy where the overwhelming share of the benefits go to big corporations and the very wealthy?  Or are we going to take this moment right now to set this country on a new path — one that invests in this nation; creates real, sustained economic growth; and that benefits everyone, including working people and middle-class folks?   That’s something we haven’t realized in this country for decades.   The data — (clears throat) — excuse me.  The data is absolutely clear.  Over the past 40 years, the wealthy have gotten wealthier, and too many corporations have lost their sense of responsibility to their workers, their communities, and the country.   Just look at the facts.  CEOs used to make about 20 times the average worker in the company that they ran.  Today, they make more than 350 times what the average worker in their corporation makes.   Since the pandemic began, billionaires have seen their wealth go up by $1.8 trillion.  That is, everyone who was a billionaire before the pandemic began, the total accumulated wealth beyond the billions they already had has gone up by $1.8 trillion.  Simply not fair.   And it’s — how is it possible that 55 of the largest corporations in this country paid zero dollars in federal income taxes?  They made over $40 billion in the year 2020, and they’ve paid zero.  Think about that.  Zero dollars in federal taxes on $40 billion in profits.   How is it possible that the wealthiest billionaires in the country can entirely escape paying income tax on what they’ve made?   How is it possible for millionaires and billionaires that can pay a lower rate of tax than teachers, firefighters, or law enforcement officers?   Here’s the simple truth.  For a long time, this economy has worked great for those at the very top, while ordinary, hardworking Americans — the people who built this country — have been basically cut out of the deal.   And I’ve said this from the time I announced I was going to run: I believe this is a moment of potentially great change.  This is our moment to deal working people back into the economy.  This is our moment to prove to the American people that their government works for them, not just for the big corporations and those at the very top.   When I was sworn in as President, the nation was struggling to pull out of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.  Job growth was anemic, with just over 60,000 new jobs per month in the three months before I was sworn in.   Then we went to work and passed the American Rescue Plan back in March.  And it worked.  It’s still working.   Over the last three months, we’ve been creating, on average, 750,000 new jobs per month.  Our economy is growing at the fastest rate we’ve seen in nearly 40 years.   Our recovery is unique in the world.  We’re the only developed country in the world whose economy is now bigger than it was before the pandemic.   While this is all good news, I know many Americans are still struggling to make it through each and every day.   For too many, it’s harder and harder to pay the bills — food, gas, rent, healthcare.  I get it.  We still have a long way to go to get the economy where it needs to be.   As I’ve said for a long time: Coming out of this economic crisis as deep as the one we were in was never going to be easy.  But we’re doing it, and we can continue to do it.   COVID, supply chain issues, and bad actors seeking to profit off the pandemic are all contributing to the challenges we’re facing.   That’s why I’ve made getting COVID under control my top priority from my first day as President.  Everything — everything, from our public health to our economy, depends on this.   We made enormous progress against the virus through the summer, and now we’ve put ourselves in a strong position to battle this Delta variant.  That’s why the actions I proposed on vaccines last week are so critical: from requiring federal workers to get vaccinated; requiring healthcare workers to be vaccinated; requiring employers with over 100 employees to institute vaccine and/or test protocols, calling on — for them to be able to know what their employers — their employees are doing before they walk through the door; calling for vaccine or test requirements to enter big venues; and a whole series of steps I proposed to protect our kids in schools.   Wall Street firms have analyzed the impact of these plans, and they’re projecting that these new requirements will help 12 million more Americans get vaccinated, which will help more businesses stay open and more Americans back to work.   The data shows that the overwhelming majority of Americans agree with my proposal.  That’s — there’s no surprise, given that 76 percent of American adults have already gotten at least one shot.   But — but we’re facing a lot of pushback, especially from some of the Republican governors.  The governors of Florida and Texas — they’re doing everything they can to undermine the lifesaving requirements that I’ve proposed.   And some of the same governors attacking me are in states with some the strictest vaccine mandates for children attending school in the entire country.   For example, in Mississippi, children are required to be vaccinated against measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, hepatitis B, polio, tetanus, and more.  These are state requirements.    But in the midst of a pandemic that has already taken over 660,000 lives, I propose a requirement for COVID vaccines, and the governor of that state calls it, quote, a “tyrannical-type move”?  A “tyrannical-type move”?    This is the worst kind of politics because it’s putting the lives of citizens of their states, especially children, at risk.  And I refuse to give in to it.    These policies are what the science tells us we need to do.  They’re going to save lives.  And they’ll protect our economic recovery as well, and allow the economy to continue to grow.   We’re also going after the bad actors and pandemic profiteers in our economy.  There’s a lot of evidence that gas prices should be going down, but they haven’t.  We’ll be taking a close look at that.   Taxpayers in this country also have paid for extraordinary effort to keep our country going over the past year or so.    Unlike the last administration, which resisted oversight and allowed taxpayers to be victimized by fraud, we’re working hard to protect vulnerable Americans from having their identities stolen — as a consequence of their unemployment check stolen as well.   And we’re going offer organized criminal — we’re going to go after organized criminals that defraud America or misuse COVID funds.   Look, we’re also taking a closer look at places in our economy where fewer and fewer corporate giants are controlling more and more of the marketplace in the area that they work.   Just look at agriculture and the food industry.  A very small number of giant corporations now dominate the market, which gives them the ability to drive up prices because they face so little competition.   As we work to build healthier competition in our economy and crack down on bad actors, the American Rescue Plan, which we passed in March, is still working to give hardworking Americans — hardworking people some relief.   One of the best examples of that relief is the expansion of the Child Tax Credit, which, in effect, is essentially a historic tax cut for families with children.   Just yesterday, 39 million working moms and dads got their direct payment.  That money is going to help cover groceries, the mortgage, new pairs of shoes — all the things that kids need.  It’s a tax cut for working families.   So, we’re working to provide as much relief as we can right now to American families.  But here’s the truth: Yes, the pandemic has caused a lot of economic problems in the country, but the fact is our economy faced challenges long before this pandemic struck.  Working people were struggling to make it long before the pandemic arrived.   Big corporations and the very wealthy were doing very well before the pandemic.  That’s why I’ve said — starting back in my campaign for president — that it’s not enough just to build back; we have to build back better than before.  And that’s how it all begins.    Big corporations and the super wealthy have to start paying their fair share of taxes.  It’s long overdue.    I’m not out to punish anyone.  I’m a capitalist.  If you can make a million or a billion dollars, that’s great.  God bless you.  All I’m asking is you pay your fair share.  Pay your fair share just like middle-class folks do.  But that isn’t happening now.   Today, in this country, right now, the top 1 percent, for example, evade an estimated $160 billion in taxes that they owe each year.  Not new taxes, taxes that they owe.    And the way it works is this: If you’re a typical American — like I suspect most of the press people sitting in front of me here — you pay your taxes.  Why?  Because you get a W-2 form.  It comes in the mail every year.   The IRS gets that information as well.  Your taxes get deducted from your paycheck, and you pay what is owed beyond that.  That’s why about 99 percent of working people pay the taxes they owe.   But that’s not how it works for people with tens of millions of dollars.  They play by a different set of rules.  And they’re often not employees themselves, so the IRS can’t see what they make and can’t tell if they’re cheating.   That’s how many of the top 1 percent get away with paying virtually nothing.  It’s estimated by serious economists that that number is about $160 billion collectively owed each year that doesn’t get paid.  It’s not an even playing field.  My plan would help solve that.  For example, it would give the IRS the resources it needs to keep up with the lawyers and accountants in the super — of the super-wealthy.   It would ask just for two pieces of information from the banks of these folks: that amounts — the amounts that come into their bank accounts and what amounts go out of their bank accounts, so that the wealthy can no longer hide what they’re making and they can finally begin to pay their fair share of what they owe.   That isn’t about raising their taxes.  It’s about the super-wealthy finally beginning to pay what they owe — what the existing tax code calls for — just like hardworking Americans do all over this country every Tax Day.   Look — and like I said just a few minutes ago, 55 of the most profitable corporations in America paid zero in federal income taxes on what amounted to $40 billion in profit.  Not a penny.  That’s not right.  And my economic plan will change that.  Not punish anybody, just make them pay their fair share.   But my Republican friends in Congress don’t want to change the law.  So, what are they doing?  They’re attacking me and my plan — which is fine.  But if we’re going to have a debate, let’s have an honest debate.    My Republican friends are attacking my plan, saying it’s “big spending.”  Let me remind you, these are the same folks who just four years ago passed the Trump tax cut totaling almost $2 trillion in tax cuts –- a giant giveaway to the largest corporations and the top 1 percent.  And listen to this: Almost none of that $2 trillion tax cut was paid for.  It just ballooned the federal deficit.   In fact, the unpa- — unpaid bills ranked up — racked up by the last administration are projected to increase the national debt by more than $8 trillion over time.   What I’m proposing is totally different from that approach for three reasons:    First, my plan is paid for.  It’s fiscally responsible, because our investments are paid for that by making sure that corporations and the wealthy Americans pay their fair share.   Second, we’re not going to raise taxes on anyone making under $400,000.  That’s a lot of money.  Some of my liberal friends are saying it should be lower than that.  But only corporations and people making over $400,000 a year are going to pay any additional tax.   And third, not only will no one making under $400,000 see their taxes go up, the middle class are going to going to get some tax cuts — some breaks.   My plan benefits ordinary Americans, not those at the top who don’t need the help.  It’s a historic middle-class tax cut, cutting taxes for over 50 million families.   My Republican friends are making a different choice though.  They’d rather protect the tax breaks of those at the very top than give tax breaks to working families.  It’s that simple.   But let me ask you this: Where is it written that all the tax breaks in the American tax code go to corporations and the very top?  I think it’s enough.  I’m tired of it.   For me, it’s pretty simple: It’s about time working people got the tax breaks in this country.  That’s what my plan does.   But here’s what it also does: By asking big corporations and the very wealthy to pay their fair share, it makes it possible to invest in America, to invest in the American people.   According to leading economists — forecasters like Moody’s and major international financial institutions — my plan will create — make us — create jobs, make us more competitive, and grow our economy and lessen — lessen, not increase — inflationary pressure.   I don’t know if it’s been handed out today, but, by the way, 15 Nobel laureates in economics released a letter yesterday arguing that exame [sic] — that exact same point.   They said, and I quote — and this is from 15 Nobel laureates in economics — quote, “Because this agenda…” — the one I’m talking about, mine — “Because this agenda invests in long-term economic capacity and will enhance the ability of more Americans to participate productively in the economy, it will ease long-term inflationary pressures.”  It will ease it.   Let me highlight just a few provisions of my plan.  I know this is long, and I apologize, but it’s important, I think.    My plan lowers the cost of daycare and childcare and eldercare for families and [has] the added benefit of allowing millions of people, mostly women — who are not able to go back to work because of very young family members or elderly people they’re taking care of — allow them to go back to work.  It’s estimated in the millions that can’t go back.   It lowers healthcare premiums for millions of families.  It lowers prescription drug costs by giving Medicare the power to negotiate lower drug prices.  And it strengthens Medicare by adding dental, vision, and hearing coverage for — if you’re on Medicare.   It also extends the tax cut for families with kids that we passed in the American Rescue Plan in March.   All of this will mean thousands of dollars in savings for the average American family on some of the toughest and most important bills they have to pay every month.   My Republican friends talk a lot about inflation, but if you want to talk about actually lowering the cost of living for people in this country, my plan does just that.   By strengthening the capacity of our economy, it will also reduce inflationary pressures over the long run.   Here’s something else my plan does: It confronts the crisis of extreme weather events that we’re seeing all around us and around the world — but just here in America.  We see it everywhere.  We know it’s real.   In just the past few weeks — and there’s more to come — I’ve seen the destruction of hurricanes in Louisiana, where winds got up to a hundred- — gusts of 179 miles an hour; the deadly toll from flooding in New York, where 20 inches of rain, and New Jersey, more than 11 inches of rain in some areas.   More than 5 million acres of our lands and communities have burned to the ground in wildfires just this year alone.  That’s more than the size of the entire state of New Jersey burned to the ground.  When I was out in California, I flew over some of these areas.    In addition, there’s a severe drought in the West and the Midwest.   There’s a blinking code red out there for the nation.  We can’t wait to act.   Extreme weather, just last year, cost the American public $99 billion in damage — $99 billion in damage last year.  And unfortunately, we’re likely to break that record this year.   And the evidence is overwhelming that every dollar we invest in resilience saves six dollars down the road — when the next fire doesn’t spread as widely or the power station holds up against the storm.    We need to rebuild with resilience — with resilience in mind — so roads are built higher; levees are built more — made more strong — stronger; transmission lines are better protected, and so much more.   You know, I hope we’re past debating climate change in this country.  Now we have to act, and we have to act fast.  And my plan does that.   Let me end with this.  This pandemic has been God-awful for so many reasons: the lost lives — as I said, over 660,000; the jobs, the businesses lost; the lost time in school for our kids.   But it does present us with an opportunity: We can build an economy that gives working people a fair shot this time.  We can restore some sanity and fairness to our tax code.  We can make the investments that we know are long overdue in this nation.   That’s exactly what my bipartisan infrastructure plan does — I should say, our bipartisan infrastructure plan does: investments in roads, bridges, highways; clean water in every home and every school; universal broadband; quality and affordable places for families to live.   And we can invest in our people — giving our families a little help with their toughest expenses, like daycare, childcare, eldercare, prescription drugs, healthcare, preparing our young people to compete against any country in the world with preschool and community college.   We can confront this crisis of extreme weather and climate change, and not only protect our communities but create new opportunities, new industries, and new jobs.   In short, this is an opportunity to be the nation we know we can be — a nation where all of us — all of us, not just those at the top — are getting a share of the benefits of a growing economy in the years ahead.   Let’s not squander this moment trying to preserve an economy that hasn’t worked too well for Americans for a long time.    Let’s not look backward, just trying to rebuild what we had.  Let’s look forward, together, as one America — not to build back, but to build back better.   Thank you all very much.  And God bless you all.  May God protect our troops.  Thank you.   2:22 P.M. EDT

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75 Persuasive Speech Topics and Ideas

October 4, 2018 - Gini Beqiri

To write a captivating and persuasive speech you must first decide on a topic that will engage, inform and also persuade the audience. We have discussed how to choose a topic and we have provided a list of speech ideas covering a wide range of categories.

What is persuasive speech?

The aim of a persuasive speech is to inform, educate and convince or motivate an audience to do something. You are essentially trying to sway the audience to adopt your own viewpoint.

The best persuasive speech topics are thought-provoking, daring and have a clear opinion. You should speak about something you are knowledgeable about and can argue your opinion for, as well as objectively discuss counter-arguments.

How to choose a topic for your speech

It’s not easy picking a topic for your speech as there are many options so consider the following factors when deciding.

Familiarity

Topics that you’re familiar with will make it easier to prepare for the speech.

It’s best if you decide on a topic in which you have a genuine interest in because you’ll be doing lots of research on it and if it’s something you enjoy the process will be significantly easier and more enjoyable. The audience will also see this enthusiasm when you’re presenting which will make the speech more persuasive.

The audience’s interest

The audience must care about the topic. You don’t want to lose their attention so choose something you think they’ll be interested in hearing about.

Consider choosing a topic that allows you to be more descriptive because this allows the audience to visualize which consequently helps persuade them.

Not overdone

When people have heard about a topic repeatedly they’re less likely to listen to you as it doesn’t interest them anymore. Avoid cliché or overdone topics as it’s difficult to maintain your audience’s attention because they feel like they’ve heard it all before.

An exception to this would be if you had new viewpoints or new facts to share. If this is the case then ensure you clarify early in your speech that you have unique views or information on the topic.

Emotional topics

Emotions are motivators so the audience is more likely to be persuaded and act on your requests if you present an emotional topic.

People like hearing about issues that affect them or their community, country etc. They find these topics more relatable which means they find them more interesting. Look at local issues and news to discover these topics.

Desired outcome

What do you want your audience to do as a result of your speech? Use this as a guide to choosing your topic, for example, maybe you want people to recycle more so you present a speech on the effect of microplastics in the ocean.

Persuasive speech topics

Lots of timely persuasive topics can be found using social media, the radio, TV and newspapers. We have compiled a list of 75 persuasive speech topic ideas covering a wide range of categories.

Some of the topics also fall into other categories and we have posed the topics as questions so they can be easily adapted into statements to suit your own viewpoint.

• Should pets be adopted rather than bought from a breeder?
• Should wild animals be tamed?
• Should people be allowed to own exotic animals like monkeys?
• Should all zoos and aquariums be closed?

Arts/Culture

• Should art and music therapy be covered by health insurance?
• Should graffiti be considered art?
• Should all students be required to learn an instrument in school?
• Should automobile drivers be required to take a test every three years?
• Are sports cars dangerous?
• Should bicycles share the roads with cars?
• Should bicycle riders be required by law to always wear helmets?

Business and economy

• Do introverts make great leaders?
• Does owning a business leave you feeling isolated?
• What is to blame for the rise in energy prices?
• Does hiring cheaper foreign employees hurt the economy?
• Should interns be paid for their work?
• Should employees receive bonuses for walking or biking to work?
• Should tipping in restaurants be mandatory?
• Should boys and girls should be taught in separate classrooms?
• Should schools include meditation breaks during the day?
• Should students be allowed to have their mobile phones with them during school?
• Should teachers have to pass a test every decade to renew their certifications?
• Should online teaching be given equal importance as the regular form of teaching?
• Is higher education over-rated?
• What are the best ways to stop bullying?
• Should people with more than one DUI lose their drivers’ licenses?
• Should prostitution be legalised?
• Should guns be illegal in the US?
• Should cannabis be legalised for medical reasons?
• Is equality a myth?
• Does what is “right” and “wrong” change from generation to generation?
• Is there never a good enough reason to declare war?
• Should governments tax sugary drinks and use the revenue for public health?
• Has cosmetic surgery risen to a level that exceeds good sense?
• Is the fast-food industry legally accountable for obesity?
• Should school cafeterias only offer healthy food options?
• Is acupuncture a valid medical technique?
• Should assisted suicide be legal?
• Does consuming meat affect health?
• Is dieting a good way to lose weight?

Law and politics

• Should voting be made compulsory?
• Should the President (or similar position) be allowed to serve more than two terms?
• Would poverty reduce by fixing housing?
• Should drug addicts be sent for treatment in hospitals instead of prisons?
• Would it be fair for the government to detain suspected terrorists without proper trial?
• Is torture acceptable when used for national security?
• Should celebrities who break the law receive stiffer penalties?
• Should the government completely ban all cigarettes and tobacco products
• Is it wrong for the media to promote a certain beauty standard?
• Is the media responsible for the moral degradation of teenagers?
• Should advertising be aimed at children?
• Has freedom of press gone too far?
• Should prayer be allowed in public schools?
• Does religion have a place in government?
• How do cults differ from religion?

Science and the environment

• Should recycling be mandatory?
• Should genetically modified foods be sold in supermarkets?
• Should parents be allowed to choose the sex of their unborn children?
• Should selling plastic bags be completely banned in shops?
• Should smoking in public places be banned?
• Should professional female athletes be paid the same as male athletes in the same sport?
• Should doping be allowed in professional sports?
• Should schools be required to teach all students how to swim?
• How does parental pressure affect young athletes?
• Will technology reduce or increase human employment opportunities?
• What age should children be allowed to have mobile phones?
• Should libraries be replaced with unlimited access to e-books?
• Should we recognize Bitcoin as a legal currency?
• Should bloggers and vloggers be treated as journalists and punished for indiscretions?
• Has technology helped connect people or isolate them?
• Should mobile phone use in public places be regulated?
• Do violent video games make people more violent?

World peace

• What is the safest country in the world?
• Is planetary nuclear disarmament possible?
• Is the idea of peace on earth naive?

These topics are just suggestions so you need to assess whether they would be suitable for your particular audience. You can easily adapt the topics to suit your interests and audience, for example, you could substitute “meat” in the topic “Does consuming meat affect health?” for many possibilities, such as “processed foods”, “mainly vegan food”, “dairy” and so on.

After choosing your topic

After you’ve chosen your topic it’s important to do the following:

• Research thoroughly
• Think about all of the different viewpoints
• Tailor to your audience – discussing your topic with others is a helpful way to gain an understanding of your audience.
• How involved are you with this topic – are you a key character?
• Have you contributed to this area, perhaps through blogs, books, papers and products.
• How qualified are you to speak on this topic?
• Do you have personal experience in it? How many years?
• How long have you been interested in the area?

While it may be difficult to choose from such a variety of persuasive speech topics, think about which of the above you have the most knowledge of and can argue your opinion on.

For advice about how to deliver your persuasive speech, check out our blog  Persuasive Speech Outline and Ideas .

• Choosing Good Topics
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The Question of Policy Speech Topics From Fun to Serious Across Grades

Table of Contents for Question of Policy Speech Topics:

• High School and College Policy Speech Topics
• Middle School Policy Speech Topics
• Elementary School Policy Speech Topics
• Fun Policy Speech Topics for Students
• Humorous Policy Speech Topics
• Absurd and Comical Policy Speech Topics

For High School to College 20 Excellent Policy Speech Topics

Here's a list of twenty of the best policy speech topics that are relevant and thought-provoking for high school or college students. Each topic is framed as a question.

It's easy to frame these topics for debate by writing them as a resolution rather than a question of policy speech topics. For example, the first topic on climate change could be rewritten as

"The [nation or entity] should significantly improve it's response to climate change."

Or, speech writers may reframe the topic to engage with a specific policy response. For further example, rewrite the climate topic as

"The United States federal government should substantially increase its restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions to address climate change."

Question of Policy Speech Topics List for High School and College Students

• Climate Change Policies: How can we improve our response to climate change?
• Education Reform: What changes should be made to the current educational system?
• Internet Privacy: How should personal data be handled online?
• Gun Control Policies: What should be the extent of gun control?
• Health Care Policies: Should universal health care be implemented?
• Immigration Policies: How should immigration be managed?
• Drug Legalization: Should all drugs be legalized or only some?
• Cybersecurity: How can we better protect ourselves from cyber threats?
• Criminal Justice Reform: How should our criminal justice system be improved?
• LGBTQ+ Rights: What policies need to be implemented to ensure equal rights?
• Income Inequality: How should the wage gap be addressed?
• Student Loan Policies: Should student loan debt be canceled?
• Environmental Policies: How can we encourage sustainable practices?
• Animal Rights: Should more stringent animal welfare laws be implemented?
• Foreign Policy: How should the US interact with North Korea, Russia, or China?
• Renewable Energy Policies: How should we transition to renewable energy sources?
• Affirmative Action: Is it still necessary in today's society?
• Vaccination Policies: Should vaccinations be mandatory for everyone?
• Artificial Intelligence Regulation: How should AI and robotics be controlled?
• Housing Policies: How can we address the homelessness crisis?

Remember, good policy speeches present a clear position, consider counterarguments, and provide evidence to support the stance. Always consider your audience's needs, interests, and backgrounds when choosing and preparing your topic.

Middle School and Developing Debaters 20 Question of Policy Speech Topics for Youth

Each of the following is a question of policy speech topics suitable for middle school age students. Teachers may leave the chosen topic as a question or rewrite the topic as a statement for debate. For example, the first topic could be rewritten as 

"School cafeterias should provide healthier meal options to promote better nutrition among students."

Question of Policy Speech Topics List for Middle School Students

• School Lunch Policies: Should we have healthier options in school cafeterias?
• Bullying Policies: How can schools better address and prevent bullying?
• Homework Policies: Is there too much homework in schools?
• Dress Code Policies: Are school uniforms necessary?
• Digital Device Policies: What should the rules for cell phone usage in schools be?
• Recycling Policies: How can schools encourage better recycling and waste management?
• Physical Education Policies: How important is physical education in schools?
• Library Policies: Should schools invest more in libraries and reading materials?
• Field Trip Policies: Should schools organize more educational field trips?
• Extra-curricular Activity Policies: Should participation in extra-curricular activities be mandatory?
• School Start-Time Policies: Should school start later in the day?
• Test Policies: Are standardized tests the best measure a student's abilities?
• Classroom Pet Policies: Should classrooms be allowed to have pets?
• School Safety Policies: How can we ensure safety in schools?
• Vacation Policies: Is the current school calendar and vacation schedule optimal?
• Privacy Policies: What privacy rights should students have at school?
• Art and Music Education Policies: How much should schools invest in art and music education?
• Classroom Size Policies: How does class size impact learning?
• Nut Allergy Policies: How should schools handle food allergies?
• School Transportation Policies: How can schools ensure safe and efficient transportation?

These topics encourage students to think critically about the world around them. Even though middle school students must be older to vote or directly influence policy. Policy debate improves critical thinking skills and prepares young people for college. 

Ko, Tomohiro M., and Briana Mezuk. “Debate participation and academic achievement among high school students in the Houston Independent School District: 2012 - 2015.” ERIC, 17 May 2021, https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1302954.pdf. Accessed 14 May 2023.

Elementary School and Kids 20 Youth Engaging Policy Speech Topics

The below list provides policy-based topics even more accessible to engage elementary school students. As with the above topics, each could be rewritten as a statement for debate. For example:

"Assigning homework over the weekend hinders students' ability to rest and engage in extracurricular activities and should be banned."

Question of Policy Speech Topics List for Elementary School Students

• Should Homework Be Given Over the Weekend?
• Are School Uniforms a Good Idea?
• Should Schools Have Longer Recess Times?
• Do Students Need More Art and Craft Classes?
• Should There Be More Field Trips in a Year?
• Should Schools Allow Pets for Show and Tell?
• Should We Have More Fun Fridays in Schools?
• Is It Better to Have Salad Bars in School Cafeterias?
• Should Students Help in School Clean-up?
• Should Every Student Get a Chance to Be Class Leader?
• Should Schools Start Later in the Morning?
• Do We Need More Sports Activities in School?
• Should There Be More Story Reading Sessions in Class?
• Should Students Help Plan School Events?
• Should We Have Theme Days at School?
• Are Birthday Celebrations in Class a Good Idea?
• Should Each Classroom Have a Mini Library?
• Should Schools Have More Play Equipment?
• Is It Better to Have More Group Projects in Class?
• Should Schools Plant More Trees?

These topics are more straightforward and directly related to the student's daily experiences. However, they can still help young students understand the concept of policy-making and decision-making in a simplified context.

Fun and Relatable Topics for Students 20 More Questions of Policy for Debate

Below are 20 fun and debatable policy speech topics directly relatable to students, which will strike a fun or more relatable chord. However, the policies involved require thought and should still engage students in critical thinking and discourse.

• Should schools replace physical education with a nap period?
• Should homework be replaced with video game assignments?
• Should all schools have a petting zoo on campus?
• Should students be allowed to vote for their teachers?
• Should everyone be required to wear superhero costumes to school once a week?
• Should students be allowed to grade their teachers?
• Should school hours be replaced with 'night school' for those who aren't morning people?
• Should students be allowed to bring their pets to school?
• Should we replace traditional classrooms with outdoor learning?
• Should students design their school uniforms?
• Should there be an official school song that everyone sings each morning?
• Should every student get a month of summer vacation when they want it?
• Should kids vote on what's for lunch in the cafeteria?
• Should there be a class where students watch cartoons?
• Should schools implement a 'no homework on weekends' policy?
• Should students have the option of taking 'life skills" classes, like how to become a YouTube star?
• Should students have the right to declare their desks an independent country?
• Should school buses be replaced with roller coasters?
• Should there be a policy that allows students to skip tests on their birthdays?
• Should every school have a mandatory 'funny hat' day?

These topics inspire creativity and humor in the students' speeches while challenging them to construct persuasive arguments.

Humorous and Somewhat Silly Questions of Policy Speech Topics that will get everyone laughing and thinking

Only some policy speech needs to strike a persuasive tone.

Below are bonus questions of policy speech topics that are fun and debatable to engage youth, teens, and adults.

Suppose you decide to use one of these topics for your policy speech. In that case, you will entertain your audience while still persuading them of the merits of your unusual position on the question.

• Should there be a maximum limit on the number of selfies, one can post in a day
• Should everyone be required to adopt a 'siesta' culture, like in Spain?
• Should pets be allowed in all public places?
• Should everyone be required to wear costumes on Halloween?
• Should there be a law to ban pineapple on pizza?
• Should people be able to marry their favorite fictional character?
• Should there be a 'national no social media day'?
• Should there be a law requiring people to use funny ringtones?
• Should the world switch to a four-day workweek?
• Should all fast food restaurants offer toy surprises for adults?
• Should every city have a mandatory 'comic con' event?
• Should every household be required to have a 'family game night' once a week?
• Should it be mandatory for everyone to learn a musical instrument?
• Should everyone be required to participate in a local sports league?
• Should all adults have a legally mandated bedtime?
• Should we replace cars with hoverboards or flying cars?
• Should every city have a 'zombie preparedness' plan?
• Should there be a law requiring everyone to have a hobby?
• Should there be a limit on the number of streaming services one can subscribe to?
• Should everyone be required to take a 'digital detox' once a year?

These topics are intended to be fun and engaging, stimulating creativity, humor, and critical thinking skills in youth, teens, and adults.

Start with a Laugh! Absurd Policy Questions

The following are more topics like the ones in the last twenty, but intended to be even more comical. Choose one of these topics if you prefer to perform and entertain more than persuade.

• Should everyone be required to adopt a unicorn as their national animal?
• Should we replace all cars with clown cars for a day every year?
• Should people be taxed based on how bad their jokes are?
• Should everyone be required to walk backward for an entire day each year?
• Should there be a national 'speak-like-a-pirate' day every month?
• Should everyone be required to replace their doorbell with a 'laugh track'?
• Should there be a law that everyone must wear mismatched socks on Mondays?
• Should every town be required to have a public pillow fight event annually?
• Should extraterrestrial beings be granted immediate citizenship upon landing on Earth?"
• Should every city replace all statues with inflatable bouncy castle versions?
• Should everyone be required to talk in rhymes one day per year?
• Should cities replace all street signs with riddles?
• Should there be a law to replace all pets' names with famous movie characters?
• Should there be a national 'silly walk' day in homage to Monty Python?
• Should everyone be required to wear superhero capes on Fridays?

These topics should inspire laughter and promote the skills needed for compelling debate and persuasion by getting students of public speaking on their feet, engaging with an audience, and thinking thematically. 

In conclusion , the question of policy speech topics spans a wide range of interests, from serious and pressing societal issues to light-hearted and comical ones. These topics serve as a great tool to encourage critical thinking, enhance public speaking skills, and foster an understanding of civic issues among students of all ages.

Whether we're considering the pressing questions faced by high school and college students or the simpler and more directly relatable topics for younger students, or even the humorous and fun policies to get everyone laughing, the aim remains the same: to engage, educate, and inspire.

Remember, the best policy speech doesn't just present a clear position, but also accounts for counterarguments and is supported by persuasive evidence. So, when it comes to the question of policy speech topics, it's not just about what you say, but how you say it.

Happy speaking!

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Argumentative Speech Topics

Argumentative Speech Topics: Discover the many different ways of using speech in order to persuade an individual or group to feel as you do.

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Argumentative Speech Topics and ideas: A Complete Guide

An argumentative speech is a persuasive speech. Here, speakers try to encourage audiences to alter their views on a controversial issue.

Though they are alike in some manner, persuasive and argumentative speech contains different goals.

A persuasive speech focuses on sharing a perspective and asking the public to think it over. An argumentative speech aims to alter the viewpoint already detained by the audience.

This type of speech is challenging. So, the speaker should pick up the topic that he is confident at and come up with a strong argument.

When you are involved in debates with family or friends, you obviously tend to win or lose. The way you argue shows your capability to compel facts and concepts in support of a topic.

While losing an argument, chances are you only used the standpoint supporting your situation. In a perfect argumentative speech, there should be a strong claim and the points to support it.

For an argumentative speech, find a concrete and controversial argument to use as your foundation. These speeches generally focus on the topics discussed at the moment by society. Most of the topics of argumentative speech are derivative of political discussion.

This is most commonly noticed in the media. The selected topic might be social, religious, ethical, or political by nature. The public must be confident to revise their long-held values. They might ask to change detained convictions relevant to the recent evidence.

In fact, picking up a topic that is debatable is important to develop good speech. The topic should not include something which is already demonstrated or verified.

Instead, it should be logical enough to convince the audience. The speaker should come up with a strong opinion to make his speech realistic to the audience.

To be able to argue in a reasonable and logical way is a fine life skill. It helps to stand up for what you think is correct and let others give attention to your viewpoints.

For instance, if the topic includes “eating egg and milk affects your healthiness”. You evaluate the opponent and create your own topic like “Eating egg and milk does not affect your health”. Yet, you have to give strong points to support your answer.

Table of Contents

Terms to Present Argumentative Speech

Claims of fact, claims of value, claims of policy, 1. pick up debatable topic, 2. take a strong standpoint, 3. give some supportable arguments, 4. refute alternate positions, tips for delivering an argumentative speech:, 1. look for your topic, 2. recognize your standpoint, 3. carry out the research, 4. know who your opposition is, 5. know the facts, 6. choose the topic of your interest, list of argumentative speech topic, argumentative speech topics about economy, argumentative speech topics about science, argumentative speech topics about environment, argumentative speech topics about family, argumentative speech topics about technology, argumentative speech topics about health, argumentative speech topics about history, argumentative speech topics about politics, argumentative speech topics about religion, argumentative speech topics about sports, argumentative speech topics about relationships, argumentative speech topics about law, argumentative speech topics about life, argumentative speech topics about ethics,  conclusion.

These are some terms that help you to present an ideal argumentative speech:

• Claim – This is the main term that you should focus on. Try to give a strong standpoint. Support on the point, position, and the issue you are talking about. Do not forget the main purpose of the speech.
• Grounds – Grounds are the key information or the facts that you use to make your point more powerful and reliable. Make sure that the details you give are an appropriate reason for your claims in the initial place.

Argumentative Speech is based on:

It starts with the reality relevant to the evidence. For an instance, you drink too much alcohol and do not exercise. Then, you will surely put up the weight. If you control your drinks, then you can maintain the weight.

Claims of value include the belief something is correct or incorrect, good or bad. For an instance, punishing children is wrong. It does not improve the habits of your children.

Here you can also state “Punishing children is right”. They will think properly before doing anything wrong

Claims of the policy are taken from the course of action. For an instance, you should be able to vote through a driving license. There is a precise rule for the policy. It is realistic and superior compared to the current system.

Every child should learn different languages in school. It is vital to introduce teachers to the value of beginning foreign language experience.

While initiating the argumentative speech, get ready with strong arguments. You desire to give an influential impact right in front. Also, you might wish to leave a good impression on the audience hearing your speech.

Stay away from personal attacks. If you make the argument too boring, there will be a higher chance of losing your audience.

Besides, argumentative speech needs a powerful viewpoint on the topic that you are delivering. Remember, the goal is not to win your audience but to win the argument. You have to stand on your own point with an appropriate reason.

Essential components of an Argumentative speech:

The main goal of an argumentative essay is to influence others in your opinions. Generally, an argumentative speech addresses an audience with opposite opinions on a specific subject.

Here are four essential elements to focus on when developing an argumentative essay:

While picking up a topic, you should select the topic with more than a single side. For an instance, there is no way to discuss the topic of human smell with the nose. It is familiar fact that has no other strong points to discuss against.

While preparing for an argumentative speech, take a strong standpoint. Try to stick with the stance. This makes your speech powerful. Make sure you do not confuse the audience with any irrelevant points.

A good argument needs to have reasonable and convincing evidence. Better support your statement with information, figures, examples, and some relevant opinions. Also, argumentative speech does not contain unproven opinions. Make sure you research and present the argument that is a relevant argument.

At the end of a strong argumentative speech, you have to refute alternate positions. By dealing with the opponent, make some powerful arguments. Try to work on some common and stronger viewpoints.

• Look for a concrete and controversial argument to use as your base.
• Arrange your points properly. Arranging the points can be helpful while planning your thoughts and presenting them
• Give most of your time for research. Better research on your topics along with the topics which your opposition is likely to pick up.

How to develop an effective Argumentative Speech?

After picking up a fine controversial topic, you should work on some powerful points. Those points must make your speech influential. Start developing an outline that translates into better argumentative speech.

These are some points to consider while working on an argumentative speech:

From absorption to health, you can find many types of topics that you feel comfortable presenting.

At first, think about the topic that you are supporting. Are you supporting abortion or speaking against it? Most of the speaker loves to speak against abortion but should be confident to speak on the topic.

Better verify and try to prove the facts using some examples or supportive words. This makes your speech more powerful and interesting. Consider determining whether you are attempting to take the topic.  

You can definitely find the people who have worked for or else against the topic that you picked up earlier.

For this, you have to carry out the research well. But, this does not mean you have to copy from them. Just take your idea and use them in a better way. This helps to know what step you should take to move forward to make a good flow of the argument.

Each argumentative speech contains both for and against the side. The best probable approach that you can use is to know your opponent. Knowing how your opponent thinks and the points they use makes you easy to perform.

An argumentative speech might be weak if you do not provide any facts. For a good outcome, you need facts supporting your argument on the controversial topic. If you ignore this you might be in a problem while presenting the speech.

Be sure, you know and give the facts, and make your points strong. These facts reduce your risk of looking unprepared and unprofessional.

You cannot give a better outcome without passion. To present superior argumentative speech, you should have an interest in the topic. Better select the topic of your interest. This helps you to work and perform better. If you do not trust yourself and your topic, no one will as well.

Deciding on an arguable topic is essential to developing an effective argumentative speech. Better do not pick up the topic which needs great logic for convincing the audience.

You should have an extreme desire in the topic with a deep opinion on the subject. If he cannot fulfill these criteria, he might not provide influencing arguments.

Find here the List of Argumentative Speech Topics. They are great for developing arguments for debates, persuasive speech, and argumentation.

Argumentative Speech Topics about Education

• Mobile phones should be banned in schools for both students and teachers.
• Exams should be abolished.
• Exam scores do not reflect student performance.
• Mandatory dress code.
• Studying of foreign languages should begin from kindergarten age.
• College students should have freedom to choose their own courses.
• Sex education should be required in all schools.
• Benefits of attending a single-sex school.
• Essays do not demonstrate student’s knowledge on a topic.
• Home education should only be allowed for medical reasons.
• Education should be free to anyone.
• Teachers should have mandatory re-training every 5 years.
• Testing and choice are undermining education.
• Grades are not important.
• Bilingual education.
• CPR and first aid techniques should be a mandatory course.
• State colleges should be free to attend.
• Teachers should wear uniforms or obey a dress code.
• Why educational computer games should be used in school
• Music education should be placed back into schools
• Student Debts
• Do colleges put too much stock in standardized test scores?
• Price of Education and textbooks
• Popular literature is not as valuable as classical literature.
• Smoking and drinking on campus
• Workers should get four weeks paid vacation each year.
• The illegal immigrant workforce is good for the economy.
• Christmas is just a way for businesses to increase sales.
• Rich people should have tax breaks.
• Decreasing wealth tax is good for the economy.
• Salaries of actors, professional athletes and CEOs should be regulated and capped.
• Government aid for students should be based purely on academic performance.
• Taxes should be imposed on unhealthy foods to combat obesity.
• Paying the waiter hourly rate below minimum wage is unfair.
• Mortgage Crisis
• Consumer Debt
• Outsourcing jobs to foreign countries
• Equal pay for equal work
• Fuel Prices
• How nuclear power shaped the 21st century in electrical generation.
• Space exploration is a waste of money.
• Genetic Research is destroying humanity.
• NASA space landing on the moon was a hoax.
• Media’s effect on teen suicide.
• Stem cell research and the guidelines that control it.
• Hunting is good for the environment.
• Food shortage / world hunger.
• Crimes against the environment should be tougher.
• Vegetarianism is an ecologically thoughtful lifestyle.
• Destruction of the world’s forest is justified by a human need for land and food.
• Racing industry should be forced to use environmentally-friendly fuel.
• Working from home is good for the environment.
• Genetically modified food should be the answer to the world’s hunger problem.
• The government should support and subsidize alternative energy sources.
• Alternative Energy and Hybrid Vehicles can help save our planet.
• Nuclear power is better than solar power.
• Future of recycling.
• Advantages of recycling water.
• Alternative Fuels.
• Every family with children filing for divorce must go through a mandatory ‘cooling off’ period.
• Couples should be banned from adopting overseas.
• Future parents should take parenting classes and pass tests before having a child.
• Physical punishment is good practice for raising children.
• Do curfews keep teens out of trouble?
• Does access to condoms prevent teen pregnancy?
• Violent video games and toys should not be allowed.
• Technology is making people less creative.
• Human beings are becoming slaves of modern technology.
• Does technology limit creativity?
• Technology makes us lose most of our traditions and culture.
• New technologies create new problems.
• Positive effects of technology on society.
• Modern technology has increased material wealth but not happiness.
• Social Networking Sites had an impact on changing us for the worse.
• Internet censorship is unnecessary.
• Whether the internet has made research easier and more convenient.
•  Life was better when technology was less and more simple.
• Online friends are more effective than real friends.
• Internet Privacy.
• Torrents and internet pirating.
• Social networks are killing sincere relationships.
• Organ donation should be mandatory.
• Health risks of smoking are exaggerated.
• Vaccinations should be compulsory.
• Veganism is an unhealthy way to raise kids.
• Breast-feeding is one of the most important things a mother can give to a child.
• Terminally ill patients should be allowed to use heroin.
• Knowing your ancestry is important for health.
• All farmers should go organic.
• Lapses in food safety as a result of a complex interplay of factors.
• Music Therapy.
• The need of teen depression prevention.
• Drug addiction is a sickness.
• Running is unhealthy.
• Fast food, soda, chips and other unhealthy food should be heavily taxed.
• Bread is bad for your health.
• Child obesity.
• Any products that are believed to cause cancer should have a  warning label.
• The only difference between normal and organic food is the cost.
• Dangers of herbal remedies.
• Smoking a pipe is more harmful than smoking cigarettes.
• Denying health insurance on a basis of a pre-existing condition is against human rights.
• Athletes who are caught using steroids should be banned from the professional sport for life.
• Stretching before and after exercise is overrated.
• A vegetarian diet is as healthy as a diet containing meat.
• Eating meat and dairy is bad for your body.
• GMOs are bad for health and should be avoided at any cost.
• Why slavery was good for society back in the 1800s.
• Adolf Hitler was a great leader.
• Slavery and its effects on global economic developments.
• Why Reagan’s “War on Drugs” had negative effects.
• Many Caribbean people do not understand their heritage and history.
• Famous people (actors, athletes) should not be allowed to become politicians.
• The War in Iraq was justified.
• Invading other countries, as long as for good cause, is justified.
• Illegal immigrants should get an asylum.
• Democracy is the best form of government.
• Why should we trust Official Statistics?
• War as an instrument of foreign policy.
• Voting should be compulsory for all citizens.
• Compulsory military service is good for society and the country.
• Voting age should be lowered.
• Terrorism is a major issue in the world because innocent people are affected.
• The assassination can never be justified.
• Why electronic voting is not effective.
• Downsides of multiculturalism
• Can racial profiling be useful?
• Churches should be required to pay taxes.
• Racialist blames are often used as a great excuse to shut down dialogue.
• The world would be a more peaceful place without religions.
• Life after death.
• Evolution vs. Creationism.
• There should be no religion in schools.
• Islamic Fundamentalism.
• Religion is a force for evil.
• Students should learn about world religions in public schools.
• Jehovah witnesses.
• Why hockey should allow fights.
• Not all great sportsmen can be good coaches. 
• For athletes: Discipline is more important than talent.
• Female athletes train better with female coaches.
• Chess is not a sport.
• Should players’ jerseys display ads?
• Should there be a set age range for basketball players?
• Can gambling be legalized as a professional sport?
• Spousal Abuse.
• Polygamy creates healthy relationships.
• Gender equality is a myth.
• Having sex with a prostitute is not cheating.
• Does age matter in relationships? What age is appropriate for dating?
• Men should be forced to take paternity leave from work.
• Gender does not affect learning.
• Guns should be made illegal.
• Minors should be tried for murder at any age.
• Social Security and Medical Reform are non-negotiable ways out of the debt crisis.
• Gay couples should have the same rights as heterosexual couples.
• Plastic surgery should be illegal for anyone under 18.
• Identity Theft.
• Ban on smoking in public places is undemocratic.
• Euthanasia should be legalized.
• Prostitution should be legalized.
• The taboo on recreational drugs is unjustified.
•  Driving speed limits should be lifted in areas with low accident risk.
• DUI offenders should give up their driver license for a year.
• Laws to protect the victims of domestic abuse should be enforced.
• Making drugs illegal creates an environment for crime and violence.
• Fast Food advertisements and promotions should be banned.
• Retirement should be made compulsory at the age of 60.
• Cell phones and driving.
• Billboards should not be allowed on interstate highways.
• Acceptance of all types of people.
• Today’s world is a dangerous place to live in.
• People don’t enjoy what they have. They constantly seek for more.
• Benefits of having friends.
• Modern offices should have facilities for an afternoon nap.
• Would you rather be lucky, rich, or intelligent?
• Reality television makes people stupid and should be regulated.
• Has television become out-dated?
• Watching television makes people smarter.
• Banning some books and movies can help society.
• Assisted Suicide.
• Genetic Research.
• Is human cloning ethical?
• The Ethics of Capital Punishment.
• Euthanasia is not morally acceptable.
• Abortion is inhumane and murder.
• Abortions should be legal in cases of rape and incest.
• DNA experiments on human embryos are unethical and should not be allowed.
• Torture is an acceptable measure to prevent terrorism.
• Wearing fur is unethical.
• Cultural treasures should be returned to their countries of origin.
• Do animals have rights? Using animals for scientific research is inhumane.
• Spaying and neutering pets should be mandatory.
• Zoos, aquariums, and circus violate animal rights and should be shut down.
• Should scientists bring back extinct species through cloning?
• Hunting is unethical and should not be allowed.
• Doctors are better than Lawyers Are beauty pageants exploitative?
• Feminism is bad for society.
• The Miss America pageant is sexist.

The above-mentioned topics and tips for argumentative speech should help you prepare and deliver an argumentative speech. If you have any suggestions or feedback, please let me know in the comment below.

The Admissions Strategist

191 best persuasive speech topics: give an amazing speech.

Does the thought of public speaking make you cringe?

While almost everyone experiences some stage fright speaking in front of an audience, there are ways to tame this debilitating fear.

Half the battle of giving a speech is selecting a topic that engages your audience.

For any speech, whether informative or persuasive, your speech idea should meet these criteria:

• Well-researched with solid examples and evidence
• Broad enough to be universal, narrow enough to be original
• Meaningful and customized to your audience

Additionally, you should possess a measure of expertise on your topic.

Understanding the nuances of what you are speaking about is a sure way to ease those jitters. This is how you come up with the best speech idea.

When choosing a persuasive speech topic, all of the above criteria apply, along with a few additional requirements.

Click above to watch a video on Speech Topics.

What Makes a Good Persuasive Speech Topic?

While an informative speech merely presents factual information, a good informative speech topic goes a step further.

• The goal of a persuasive speech is to convince the audience that your perspective is valid.

This does not mean that the audience will agree with every opinion you present, but a good persuasive speech makes the audience think* .

A great persuasive speech makes an audience act.

As transcendentalist writer Ralph Waldo Emerson said: “Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel.”

Therefore, a strong persuasive speaker will:

• Present a clear and sincere perspective. The audience should not be questioning your stance on an issue.
• Exhibit passion that inspires others to think or act.
• Be confident in both your perspective and topic.

Not all persuasive speeches need to be deeply controversial, but there should be some gray area in your chosen topic.

Political , social and ethical issues make compelling persuasive speech topics for this reason.

The persuasive speech should address a burning question that incites intellectual debate:

• Should strict gun control laws be implemented?
• Is it possible to be an animal lover and a carnivore?
• Is the government at fault for the increasing homeless population?

Such questions may seem divisive, but, in a civilized society, they are essential to ask.

Posing such questions directly to your audience during your speech engages a group in the Socratic Method of critical thinking.

Furthermore, if a topic isn’t inherently controversial, then it might not make the most powerful speech.

Your job as a persuasive speaker is to argue your point, which is not necessary to do on topics that most people agree on.

In that vein, here are a handful of topics that would not make for good persuasive speeches.

• Learning a foreign language is important.
• Fighting in overseas wars can be dangerous.
• Social Security income is not sufficient for many retired Americans.
• Technical skills are crucial in the 21st-century job market.
• Cardiovascular fitness improves longevity.

…And you get the picture. So, what does make a good persuasive speech topic? Well, there are at least 191 answers to that question.

Get personalized advice!

191 best persuasive speech topics.

Before we reveal the 191 best persuasive speech topics, let’s preview each of the categories:

• Politics and law : This topic revolves around pressing issues including voting, Supreme Court decisions, political leadership, and criminal justice.
• Environmental activism : Climate change, offshore oil drilling, and green technology are just a few of the hot-button issues you’ll discover in this category.
• Social justice : Covering all issues of equality, social justice topics invite debate – and demand solid supporting facts or powerhouse emotional appeals .
• Ethics : Comprising our basic morals and values that drive our behaviors, the ethics category examines how to deal with issues like animal abuse, abortion, and stem cell research.
• Health : Regarding important issues like our food supply, how should we best protect and promote human health in the 21 st century?
• Potpourri : And now we come to the miscellaneous category of “everything else.” You’ll find engaging or even entertaining ideas related to music, movies, curriculum, and more.

Take a deep breath and read on!

Politics and Law

• Alternative political parties (i.e., Green Party, Libertarian Party, etc.)
• Declaring “Independent” or “No Party Affiliation” on voter registration.
• Should voters with no party affiliation be allowed to vote in primary elections?
• Are newly proposed voter registration laws discriminatory?
• How many terms should politicians be allowed to serve?
• Popular vote vs. Electoral College
• Are women underrepresented in Congress?
• Swing states (i.e., Florida and Ohio)
• Do current proposed abortion laws violate Roe v. Wade?
• Political correctness versus freedom of speech
• Terrorist watch lists – safety precaution or blatant prejudice?
• Corporate lobbyists and campaign contributions
• Are laws too lenient on violent criminals?
• Tax responsibility: income tax, property tax, sales tax.
• Should the voting age be increased or decreased?
• Capital punishment: right or wrong?
• DNA evidence in criminal cases: is it enough?
• Should criminal minors be prosecuted and sentenced as adults?
• How to deal with the issue of illegal immigration
• Should cigarettes be taken off the market and made illegal?
• Legalization of Marijuana
• Should health insurance be mandatory by law?
• Is the death penalty obsolete?
• Private vs. Public Prisons
• Should politicians be allowed to use private donations to campaign?
• Is it right for the government to fund partisan organizations?
• Appointment of Supreme Court Justice
• How can the mass shooting crisis be solved?
• Minimum wage: should it exist or be forgotten?
• Should citizens be required to serve in the military for a period of time?
• Gun rights on school campuses: is it safe?
• Military members and income tax

Environmental Activism

• Hybrid and electric cars on the road
• Oil spills and world wildlife
• Saving rainforests and their indigenous species
• Palm oil: should it be outlawed?
• Make all bills and business correspondence paperless.
• Dangers of drilling for oil
• Replacing plastic with glass and cardboard
• Trophy hunting: should the penalties be harsher?
• Banning disposable diapers in favor of cloth diapers
• Benefits of public transportation, biking, walking, or carpooling
• Conserving water in our everyday lives
• Wildfires on the rise in California
• Greenhouse gas emissions in Asia
• Global climate change and increased severity of storms
• Growing food as a homesteader
• Impact of big box stores on the environment
• Impact of online retailers’ packaging and shipping on the environment
• Turning the practice of recycling into a law punishable by hefty fines
• Overfishing and dwindling populations of marine wildlife
• Factory farms and greenhouse gas emissions
• Controlling E. Coli and other food borne illnesses
• Are is worth it to ban plastic straws?
• Drones and the environment
• Should hunting be outlawed in national parks to protect its wildlife?
• Hair care and air quality
• Better education for at home waste management
• Should it be illegal to flush certain things into the sewage system?
• Is it right to cut down a tree for the holidays?
• How do marijuana farms affect the surrounding area’s environment?
• Water contamination: What preventative measures can be taken?
• How to reduce your carbon footprint
• Should new homes support solar energy only?
• Organic farming practices

Social Justice

• Do you agree with the research on equal pay between men and women?
• Should government employees go without pay during a shutdown?
• Police brutality and shootings (in general or a specific case in the news such as Philando Castile in Minnesota)
• Should all policemen wear body cameras?
• Is racial discrimination on the rise? Why or why not?
• Scholarship opportunities for minority students
• The benefits (or challenges) of a multicultural society
• Should bullies be expelled from school?
• What can be done about anonymous online bullying?
• Unrealistic beauty/body standards and self-image
• How to create a strong community
• Welfare, SNAP, and other social assistance programs
• The 40-hour work week is too long.
• Comparing the work week in Europe to the work week in the United States
• Caring for an aging population: are Social Security and Medicare enough?
• Civil lawsuits should not receive so much attention in the media.
• Racial and ethnic profiling (including FBI criminal profiling)
• Being a foster or adoptive parent
• Buying local builds up the community.
• Refusing to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance
• Battling stereotypes and making them obsolete
• Mandatory community service for all U.S. citizens
• Is common law marriage outdated?
• Should companies be allowed to deny service to anyone?
• Changing gender on a driver’s license
• Affirmative Action today
• DACA DREAMers Movement
• Legalization of gay marriage
• Should individuals be allowed to adopt?
• Re-sentencing for crimes involving marijuana in states where it is now legal
• Unlimited Paid Time Off vs Accrued time off
• License revoking for older drivers: is it against their rights?
• Wearing fur or using fur for any profit
• Mistreatment of farm animals: what is the solution?
• How do we address the increasing problem of homelessness?
• Tithing – how much should each person give?
• Euthanasia for terminally ill individuals
• Was it right for Dr. Kevorkian (assisted suicide physician) to be imprisoned?
• Pet shops and breeders versus shelters
• Returning or rehoming pets: is it right?
• Preselecting the gender and other aspects of an unborn baby
• Abortion: pro-choice or pro-life?
• Product testing on animals in labs
• Stem cell research
• Protecting children from inappropriate websites
• When should a child be allowed to have a smartphone?
• Should children be allowed into an R-rated movie even with a guardian?
• Should violent movies and video games be banned?
• Do zoos and circuses abuse animals?
• Arranged marriage: a cultural tradition or outdated practice?
• Raising children without being married
• How to impart ethical behavior to the next generation
• Ethics as a mandatory high school class
• Do parents deceive children by telling tales of Santa Claus?
• Should pharmaceutical patents be removed so affordable generics can be made?
• 13 Reasons Why: Did it glorify suicide?
• Wrongful termination case study
• Is the borrowing limit for student loans too high?
• Pay for play in college athletics
• Performance enhancing steroids in competitive sports
• Is it right to own a gun for personal protection?
• Mandated reporting (Mandated reporters are individuals who are required to report any information they receive about abuse, suicidal ideation, etc.)
• Can an influencer be held responsible if they promote a harmful product unknowingly?
• Conventional versus organic produce
• Food additives, preservatives, and cancer rates
• Meat consumption and its effects on life expectancy
• Dangers of sitting at a desk all day
• Fast food industry and obesity rates
• Medical marijuana to treat chronic conditions
• GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) in foods: to label or not to label?
• Mandatory CPR and First Aid training for new parents
• School cafeteria food and children’s health
• Alternative uses of oral contraceptives
• Restaurant responsibility with peanut, gluten, and other allergies
• Everyday products that could be dangerous: deodorant, toothpaste, etc.
• Teaching yoga and meditation in public schools
• Moving from the “medical model” to holistic health
• Massages as necessities rather than luxuries
• Which vitamin supplements are worthless and should go off the market?
• The mind-body connection and its influence on health
• Social media and mental health
• The cumulative effects of poor sleep (and how electronics impact our sleep)
• IVF (Invitro fertilization): Should becoming a parent be covered?
• Should there be more physical education in schools?
• Is diabetes reversible?
• Doctors and insurance: should they accept all insurance?
• Do detox diets really work?
• Is binge-watching Netflix bad for our health?
• Keto vs Paleo vs Vegan: which is better?
• Should a patient be allowed to deny medical care?
• Pre-existing conditions and insurance rates
• Employers should offer mental health days without question
• Alternative sex education (not abstinence-only and inclusive of LGBT lifestyle)
• Mind-body fitness versus traditional Western sports
• Best genre and time period of music
• Healthiest world cuisine
• Uneven distribution of wealth: the top 1% versus everyone else
• Cost of living versus average salaries
• What to do about cults, gangs, and similar groups
• How to get accepted into an Ivy League school
• Religion versus spiritualism
• Survival skills should be taught in school.
• Benefits of forest schools for children
• The best U.S. President in history
• The most influential leader or figure in history
• Most effective ways to manage stress
• Obscure movies that people should watch
• Multitasking: fact or fiction?
• Buying a house versus renting an apartment
• Most exciting travel destination
• How to ace any test
• Overcoming social anxiety
• How our phones are hurting our eyes
• Are multi-level marketing companies really pyramid schemes?
• Protests: are they effective?
• Is a wedding reception worth the price tag?
• Should catfishing be a criminal offense?
• Mandatory study abroad semester in college
• Student loan borrowing: should it ever be forgiven?
• Responsible credit card strategies
• Living with parents to save money
• Can someone find true love on The Bachelor?
• Telemarketers and Harassment
• Marvel vs DC

And there you have it – 100+ unique topics to stoke your imagination and help you identify your passion.

Feel free to go beyond these springboard ideas or customize them to your perspective.

Advice from Persuasive Speech Experts

To help you out even more, we asked the experts on the best tips for giving a persuasive speech.

From Melora Kordos, visiting assistant professor of theatre arts at Sweet Briar College:

When selecting a persuasive speech topic, a student should first look to her own interests and passions. If she chooses something that she cares deeply about or has great interest in, then she will be able to more easily identify the best three points that support her argument and focus on those in her speech. If she is not already engaged in the topic, it will be much harder to persuade others to agree with her point of view. She should use both logical and emotional appeals throughout her speech, giving her a better chance of resonating with a larger percentage of her audience.

From Dr. Allison Beltramini, associate professor of communications at Waubonsee Community College:

When doing a persuasive  speech , it’s helpful to choose a topic that you personally believe in or support. It’s much easier to speak on something that you have a connection to. The next tip is to do your homework. This includes exploring the opposite side of the issue. Your audience needs to know that you are well-versed in the topic. Incorporate this research to support the claims you are making. Curate your sources carefully. Know who/what organizations are behind the sources you are using. And please, verbally cite your sources. Using research without the verbal citations in your  speech  is plagiarism. Persuasion is incremental. You can’t just tell someone something and expect they will believe you. You have to set up the issue, show how the problem effect people, talk about what will help or fix the problem and show why the solutions will work. All of these steps are vital. Finally – practice is essential. Your  speech  should be prepared but conversational. Reading to an audience word for word is not a good idea.

From Nate Masterson, HR manager of Maple Holistics :

The key to giving a persuasive  speech  is to engage your audience, and there are several ways to do this. Firstly, make eye contact with different people in the audience, but make sure to scan the whole room and not just focus on one area. Also, research the group of people you will be addressing so that you better know their priorities, cultural norms, inside jokes, etc. To make sure that your speech is sufficiently compelling, stick to just a few main talking points or objectives. This will ensure that your speech stays focused and that you can spend adequate time and energy backing up these main points without boring your audience.

From Jeffrey Davis, executive speech coach at Speak Clear Communications :

First, the best speakers build their argument emotionally as well as logically. Every point has a complelling story attached to it. Second, they make arguments that are novel and innovative. The “how” of the argument is as important as the “why.” Lastly, great speakers do not hold back on hand gestures!  Gesturing is scientifically proven to enhance a speaker’s impression with the audience.

From Bridgett McGowen, CEO of BMcTALKS :

While it’s important your audience has a memorable experience during your presentation and that it learns something new or gains a new perspective on something it already knew, it is equally important to move the audience to actually do something with what you shared … something that will inspire or change their lives, professions, or communities … because you are there to persuade! Remember any time you present, consistently think to yourself “In what difference-making endeavor do I want my audience to join?” or “Now that everyone has heard this, now what?” Give them the answers to those questions to further your persuasive message.

From Martha Krejci, business coaching leader :

Don’t write everything out! The last thing you want to do is look like you’re reading a speech verbatim. You want to illuminate your authority in the field you are speaking about. Reading does not do that….at all. So, here’s what I do. I think about the end goal of what I’m trying to communicate. Then, reverse engineer the points that take us there. Write the points out on a notecard if you need it, or if you’re lucky enough to have a teleprompter, use that. And finally, above all…tell stories! Don’t just have a bunch of dry information that anyone with a wifi signal could google. Tell stories that bring your audience into your problem, but also your solution you propose. If you can master storytelling, you may just be surprised by how good you can get at public speaking.

From Neil Thompson, founder of Teach the Geek :

Telling an easy-to-follow story is crucial in being persuasive. If people have to think too hard to understand what you’re talking about, they’re less likely to listen. If they don’t listen, you won’t have a chance to persuade them. If there are studies, surveys, or other types of data that can vouch for what you’re saying, that’ll also go a long way to persuading others. Lastly, you have to believe what you’re talking about. If you truly believe your message, it’ll shine through and people will be inclined to believe you, too.

From Adam Cole, expert writer and author:

Number one is the invitation to listen. It ensures that the listener has a context in which to understand what you are presenting so that everyone is on the same page when the important information comes. The invitation may contain relevant humorous anecdotes to break the tension and present the speaker as appealing, and it must be accessible enough that the listener will at least know what the topic is and why they should care. Number two is the topic. Depending on the complexity of the topic, it should be structured for maximum clarity. While humor and anecdotes can be used to illustrate the point, they should not distract from it or become the focus (unless the task is to highlight the speaker, rather than the topic, which is ok). Number three is the follow-through. If the listener has learned something, a good summation will help them retain the most important points from the learning so that they can remember it and follow up with more learning (perhaps from the speaker’s books, videos, or other appearances!) Taking the topic and framing it in terms of an action step for the audience may be a powerful way for them to keep the presentation (and the speaker) in their heads.

Conclusion: Best Persuasive Speech Topics

Remember, your passion and expertise on the topic will translate to audience engagement – and hopefully a good grade!

• Delivering a persuasive speech doesn’t have to be a nerve-wracking experience if you’re prepared and passionate.

In the words of Cicero: “A good orator is pointed and impassioned.”

To follow the advice of the great Roman orator, find your passion and then express it through your persuasive speech.

The skills you develop now in this area will benefit you throughout your professional and personal life.

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Top 30 Informative Speech Topics on Government and Politics

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Informative Speech Topics on Government and Politics

There are many key concepts of politics and government that present the thoughts for the discussion and analysis of politics and government. These factors are common in almost every country in the world. Here we have listed some topics related to politics and government that might be superb for informative speeches and debates in the current scenario.

2. Nationalism vs. Globalism           Debating the Direction of Modern Politics

4. Lobbying           The Power and Influence of Lobbying in Government Decision-Making

6. Foreign Policy and Diplomacy         Balancing National Interests and Global Responsibilities

7. Federalism           The Challenges and Benefits of Federalism in Diverse Societies

8. The Role of Women in Politics         Breaking Barriers and Shaping Policies

9. Civic Education           Its Importance in Creating Informed and Engaged Citizens

10. Global Politics           How it is different from Geopolitics?

11. Human Rights and International Law            Struggles and Achievements

12.  United Nations           The Function and Significance in Today's World

13. Political Corruption            Causes, Effects, and Strategies for Prevention

14. Political Ideologies         Its  Influence on Policy Formulation and Implementation

15. Populism           The Implications of Populism in Contemporary Politics           The Rise of Populist Movements and their Effects on Democracy

17.  Intelligence Agencies           The Role in National Security and Decision-Making

18. Crisis Management and Leadership           Analyzing Responses to Natural Disasters and Pandemics

19. The Dynamics of Coalition Governments           Successes and Challenges

20. Economic Policies           Their Impact on Governance and Society

21. The Role of the Supreme Court           Balancing Judicial Activism and Restraint

22. Electoral College           Rationale, Criticisms, and Potential Reforms

23. The Influence of Money in Politics           Campaign Financing and its Effects

24. The Pros and Cons of Direct Democracy           Referendums and Citizen Initiatives

25. Protests and Social Movements           Catalysts for Change or Disruption?

26. Government Surveillance            Balancing National Security and Privacy Rights

27. Electoral Reforms           Exploring Ranked-Choice Voting and its Implications

28. Youth Participation in Politics           Fostering Civic Engagement among the Next Generation

29. The Power of Executive Orders           Climate Change Policies

30. The Ethics of Political Campaign Advertising           Truth, Manipulation, and Accountability

31. Government Responses to Public Health Crises           Lessons from COVID-19 and Beyond

Interesting Informative Speech Topics on Government and Politics

Globalization's Impact on National Sovereignty and Governance

The Role of Media in Holding Governments Accountable

Media Bias and its Impact on Public Perception of Political Issues

The Role of Political Cartoons in Satire and Political Critique

Economic Inequality and its Influence on Political Landscapes

The Pros and Cons of Term Limits for Elected Officials

Post-Truth Politics: Navigating the Era of Misinformation and Disinformation

The Implications of Artificial Intelligence on Governance and Decision-Making

The Role of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Shaping Policy

The Role of Social Media in Shaping Political Discourse

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 105 interesting persuasive speech topics for any project.

General Education

Are you struggling to find good persuasive speech topics? It can be hard to find a topic that interests both you and your audience, but in this guide we've done the hard work and created a list of 105 great persuasive speech ideas. They're organized into ten categories and cover a variety of topics, so you're sure to find one that interests you.

In addition to our list, we also go over which factors make good persuasive speech topics and three tips you should follow when researching and writing your persuasive speech.

What Makes a Good Persuasive Speech Topic?

What makes certain persuasive speech topics better than others? There are numerous reasons, but in this section we discuss three of the most important factors of great topics for a persuasive speech.

It's Something You Know About or Are Interested in Learning About

The most important factor in choosing and creating a great persuasive speech is picking a topic you care about and are interested in. You'll need to do a lot of research on this topic, and if it's something you like learning about, that'll make the process much easier and more enjoyable. It'll also help you sound passionate and informed when you talk, both important factors in giving an excellent persuasive speech.

It's a Topic People Care About

In fourth grade, after being told I could give a persuasive speech on any topic I wanted to , I chose to discuss why the Saguaro cactus should be the United State's national plant. Even though I gave an impassioned talk and drew a life-size Saguaro cactus on butcher paper to hang behind me, I doubt anyone enjoyed the speech much.

I'd recently returned from a family vacation to Arizona where I'd seen Saguaro cacti for the first time and decided they were the coolest thing ever. However, most people don't care that much about Saguaro cacti, and most people don't care what our national plant is or if we even have one (for the record, the US has a national flower, and it's the rose).

Spare yourself the smattering of bored applause my nine-old self got at the end of my speech and choose something you think people will be interested in hearing about. This also ties into knowing your audience, which we discuss more in the final section.

It Isn't Overdone

When I was in high school, nearly every persuasive speech my classmates and I were assigned was the exact same topic: should the drinking age be lowered to 18? I got this prompt in English class, on standardized tests, in speech and debate class, etc. I've written and presented about it so often I could probably still rattle off all the main points of my old speeches word-for-word.

You can imagine that everyone's eyes glazed over whenever classmates gave their speeches on this topic. We'd heard about it so many times that, even if it was a topic we cared about, speeches on it just didn't interest us anymore.

The are many potential topics for a persuasive speech. Be wary of choosing one that's cliche or overdone. Even if you give a great speech, it'll be harder to keep your audience interested if they feel like they already know what you're going to say.

An exception to this rule is that if you feel you have a new viewpoint or facts about the topic that currently aren't common knowledge. Including them can make an overdone topic interesting. If you do this, be sure to make it clear early on in your speech that you have unique info or opinions on the topic so your audience knows to expect something new.

105 Topics for a Persuasive Speech

Here's our list of 105 great persuasive speech ideas. We made sure to choose topics that aren't overdone, yet that many people will have an interest in, and we also made a point of choosing topics with multiple viewpoints rather than simplistic topics that have a more obvious right answer (i.e. Is bullying bad?). The topics are organized into ten categories.

Arts/Culture

• Should art and music therapy be covered by health insurance?
• Should all students be required to learn an instrument in school?
• Should all national museums be free to citizens?
• Should graffiti be considered art?
• Should offensive language be removed from works of classic literature?
• Are paper books better than e-books?
• Should all interns be paid for their work?
• Should employees receive bonuses for walking or biking to work?
• Will Brexit hurt or help the UK's economy?
• Should all people over the age of 65 be able to ride the bus for free?
• Should the federal minimum wage be increased?
• Should tipping in restaurants be mandatory?
• Should Black Friday sales be allowed to start on Thanksgiving?
• Should students who bully others be expelled?
• Should all schools require students wear uniforms?
• Should boys and girls be taught in separate classrooms?
• Should students be allowed to listen to music during study hall?
• Should all elementary schools be required to teach a foreign language?
• Should schools include meditation or relaxation breaks during the day?
• Should grades in gym class affect students' GPAs?
• Should teachers get a bonus when their students score well on standardized tests?
• Should children of undocumented immigrants be allowed to attend public schools?
• Should students get paid for getting a certain GPA?
• Should students be allowed to have their cell phones with them during school?
• Should high school students be allowed to leave school during lunch breaks?
• Should Greek life at colleges be abolished?
• Should high school students be required to volunteer a certain number of hours before they can graduate?
• Should schools still teach cursive handwriting?
• What are the best ways for schools to stop bullying?
• Should prostitution be legalized?
• Should people with more than one DUI lose their driver's license?
• Should people be required to shovel snow from the sidewalks in front of their house?
• Should minors be able to drink alcohol in their home if they have their parent's consent?
• Should guns be allowed on college campuses?
• Should flag burning as a form of protest be illegal?
• Should welfare recipients be required to pass a drug test?
• Should white supremacist groups be allowed to hold rallies in public places?
• Should assault weapons be illegal?
• Should the death penalty be abolished?
• Should beauty pageants for children be banned?
• Is it OK to refuse to serve same-sex couples based on religious beliefs?
• Should transgender people be allowed to serve in the military?
• Is it better to live together before marriage or to wait?
• Should affirmative action be allowed?
• Should prisoners be allowed to vote?
• Should Columbus Day be replaced with Indigenous Peoples' Day?

Government/Politics

• Should the government spend more money on developing high-speed rail lines and less on building new roads?
• Should the government be allowed to censor internet content deemed inappropriate?
• Should Puerto Rico become the 51st state?
• Should Scotland declare independence from the United Kingdom?
• Whose face should be on the next new currency printed by the US?
• Should people convicted of drug possession be sent to recovery programs instead of jail?
• Should voting be made compulsory?
• Who was the best American president?
• Should the military budget be reduced?
• Should the President be allowed to serve more than two terms?
• Should a border fence be built between the United States and Mexico?
• Should countries pay ransom to terrorist groups in order to free hostages?
• Should minors be able to purchase birth control without their parent's consent?
• Should hiding or lying about your HIV status with someone you're sleeping with be illegal?
• Should governments tax soda and other sugary drinks and use the revenue for public health?
• Should high schools provide free condoms to students?
• Should the US switch to single-payer health care?
• Should healthy people be required to regularly donate blood?
• Should assisted suicide be legal?
• Should religious organizations be required to pay taxes?
• Should priests be allowed to get married?
• Should the religious slaughter of animals be banned?
• Should the Church of Scientology be exempt from paying taxes?
• Should women be allowed to be priests?
• Should countries be allowed to only accept refugees with certain religious beliefs?
• Should public prayer be allowed in schools?

Science/Environment

• Should human cloning be allowed?
• Should people be allowed to own exotic animals like tigers and monkeys?
• Should "animal selfies" in tourist locations with well-known animal species (like koalas and tigers) be allowed?
• Should genetically modified foods be sold in grocery stores?
• Should people be allowed to own pit bulls?
• Should parents be allowed to choose the sex of their unborn children?
• Should vaccinations be required for students to attend public school?
• What is the best type of renewable energy?
• Should plastic bags be banned in grocery stores?
• Should the United States rejoin the Paris Agreement?
• Should puppy mills be banned?
• Should fracking be legal?
• Should animal testing be illegal?
• Should offshore drilling be allowed in protected marine areas?
• Should the US government increase NASA's budget?
• Should Pluto still be considered a planet?
• Should college athletes be paid for being on a sports team?
• Should all athletes be required to pass regular drug tests?
• Should professional female athletes be paid the same as male athletes in the same sport?
• Are there any cases when athletes should be allowed to use steroids?
• Should college sports teams receive less funding?
• Should boxing be illegal?
• Should schools be required to teach all students how to swim?
• Should cheerleading be considered a sport?
• Should parents let their children play tackle football?
• Will robots reduce or increase human employment opportunities?
• What age should children be allowed to have a cell phone?
• Should libraries be replaced with unlimited access to e-books?
• Overall, has technology helped connect people or isolate them?
• Should self-driving cars be legal?
• Should all new buildings be energy efficient?
• Is Net Neutrality a good thing or a bad thing?
• Do violent video games encourage players to become violent in real life?

3 Bonus Tips for Crafting Your Persuasive Speech

Of course, giving a great persuasive speech requires more than just choosing a good topic. Follow the three tips below to create an outstanding speech that'll interest and impress your audience.

Do Your Research

For a persuasive speech, there's nothing worse than getting an audience question that shows you misunderstood the issue or left an important piece out. It makes your entire speech look weak and unconvincing.

Before you start writing a single word of your speech, be sure to do lots of research on all sides of the topic. Look at different sources and points of view to be sure you're getting the full picture, and if you know any experts on the topic, be sure to ask their opinion too.

Consider All the Angles

Persuasive speech topics are rarely black and white, which means there will be multiple sides and viewpoints on the topic. For example, for the topic "Should people be allowed to own pit bulls?" there are two obvious viewpoints: everyone should be allowed to own a pit bull if they want to, and no one should be allowed to own a pit bull. But there are other options you should also consider: people should only own a pit bull if they pass a dog training class, people should be able to own pit bulls, but only if it's the only dog they own, people should be able to own pi tbulls but only if they live a certain distance from schools, people should be able to own pit bulls only if the dog passes an obedience class, etc.

Thinking about all these angles and including them in your speech will make you seem well-informed on the topic, and it'll increase the quality of your speech by looking at difference nuances of the issue.

Know Your Audience

Whenever you give a speech, it's important to consider your audience, and this is especially true for persuasive speeches when you're trying to convince people to believe a certain viewpoint. When writing your speech, think about what your audience likely already knows about the topic, what they probably need explained, and what aspects of the topic they care about most. Also consider what the audience will be most concerned about for a certain topic, and be sure to address those concerns.

For example, if you're giving a speech to a Catholic organization on why you think priests should be allowed to marry, you don't need to go over the history of Catholicism or its core beliefs (which they probably already know), but you should mention any research or prominent opinions that support your view (which they likely don't know about). They may be concerned that priests who marry won't be as committed to God or their congregations, so be sure to address those concerns and why they shouldn't worry about them as much as they may think. Discussing your topic with people (ideally those with viewpoints similar to those of your future audience) before you give your speech is a good way to get a better understanding of how your audience thinks.

More Resources for Writing Persuasive Speeches

If you need more guidance or just want to check out some examples of great persuasive writing, consider checking out the following books:

• Lend Me Your Ears: Great Speeches in History by William Safire—This collection of great speeches throughout history will help you decide how to style your own argument.
• The Essentials of Persuasive Public Speaking by Sims Wyeth—For quick direct tips on public speaking, try this all-purpose guide.
• Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World's Top Minds by Carmine Gallo—This popular book breaks down what makes TED talks work and how you can employ those skills in your own presentations.
• We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Make Good Art by Neil Gaiman—These two recent speeches by contemporary writers offer stellar examples of how to craft a compelling (and engaging) argument.

Conclusion: Persuasive Speech Ideas

Good persuasive speech topics can be difficult to think of, but in this guide we've compiled a list of 105 interesting persuasive speech topics for you to look through.

The best persuasive speech ideas will be on a topic you're interested in, aren't overdone, and will be about something your audience cares about.

After you've chosen your topic, keep these three tips in mind when writing your persuasive speech:

• Do your research
• Consider all the angles
• Know your audience

What's Next?

Now that you have persuasive speech topics, it's time to hone your persuasive speech techniques. Find out what ethos, pathos, logos, and kairos are and how to use them here .

Looking to take your persuasive technique from speech to sheets (of paper)? Get our three key tips on how to write an argumentative essay , or learn by reading through our thorough breakdown of how to build an essay, step by step .

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These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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Persuasive Speech

Persuasive Speech Topics

Good Persuasive Speech Topics & Ideas for Debaters

18 min read

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3 Basic Types of Persuasive Speeches

Are you stuck searching for persuasive speech ideas that will truly grab your audience's attention? You're not alone.

Picture this: You're tasked with delivering a speech, and you're worried about making it memorable. The problem? Finding the right topic.

Fear not! We've gathered a number of persuasive speech topics, neatly categorized for your convenience. Whether it's for a competition or a project, we've got the right topics for you.

So let’s dive into the topics!

• 1. What is a Persuasive Speech?
• 2. Persuasive Speech Topics for Students
• 3. Science and Technology Persuasive Speech Topics
• 4. Environment Persuasive Speech Topics
• 5. Health and Medicine Persuasive Speech Topics
• 6. Mental Health Persuasive Speech Topics
• 7. Bioethics Persuasive Speech Topics
• 8. Economy and Work Persuasive Speech Topics
• 9. Persuasive Speech Topics About Media
• 10. Persuasive Speech Topics About Government and International Relations
• 11. Policy Speech Topics for Students
• 12. Law and Politics Persuasive Speech Topics
• 13. Persuasive Speech Topics on Business
• 14. Public Speaking Persuasive Speech Topics
• 15. Arts and Culture Persuasive Speech Topics
• 16. Religion Persuasive Speech Topics
• 17. Sports Persuasive Speech Topics
• 18. Persuasive Speech Topics About Automotive
• 19. Persuasive Speech Topics About Travel 
• 20. Persuasive Speech Topics About Music & Fashion
• 21. Easy Persuasive Speech Topics About Education
• 22. Persuasive Speech Topics About Workplace
• 23. Interesting Persuasive Speech Topics
• 24. Funny Persuasive Speech Topics
• 25. Persuasive Speech Topics About Animals
• 26. Controversial Persuasive Speech Topics
• 27. What Makes A Good Persuasive Speech Topic?
• 28. How To Create And Deliver A Compelling Persuasive Speech

What is a Persuasive Speech?

A persuasive speech aims to influence or convince an audience to adopt a specific viewpoint or take a particular course of action. It's all about using words to sway opinions, inspire change, and ignite a spark of conviction in the minds of listeners.

Components of a Great Persuasive Speech Topic

When crafting a persuasive speech, it's crucial to consider the three fundamental elements that make a topic truly compelling that are;   ethos pathos, and logos :

• Ethos: Establish your credibility and trustworthiness as a speaker. Your audience needs to believe that you are knowledgeable, sincere, and reliable in your stance.
• Pathos: Appeal to the emotions and empathy of your listeners. A persuasive topic should evoke feelings and resonate with the audience on a personal level.
• Logos: Build a logical and rational argument. Provide sound reasoning, evidence, and facts to support your position, ensuring that your audience can follow your line of thought.

Incorporating these elements into your speech topic will help you connect with your audience and effectively convey your message with conviction and impact.

Watch this video to learn how to organize a persuasive speech!

Persuasive Speech Topics for Students

Wondering what some good topics for a persuasive speech are? 

It can be hard to choose a perfect topic for your speech. But don’t worry, we have done the hard work for you. Just keep reading this blog, and you will get to know what are the good topics for persuasive speech.

Unique Persuasive Speech Topics for University Students

• Graffiti is the art of the future.
• A helmet is necessary for bike riders.
• People should not use their phones while driving.
• Easy steps for staying happy and healthy.
• Money can’t buy happiness.
• Wild animals should be tamed.
• Why we should have a balanced diet.
• Benefits of exercise. 
• Why should Black Friday sales start on Thanksgiving?
• We should learn from the wisdom of our elders.

Interesting Persuasive Speech Topics for College Students

• College education should be free for students belonging to low-income families.
• Psychological issues can never justify mass shootings.
• Following one’s comfort level is more important than the following fashion.
• Bragging about expensive possessions depicts immorality.
• The tax rate should be double for rich people.
• College students should be regularly provided with mental health counseling.
• Classrooms should have background music to help the students focus on learning in a better manner.
• Should athletes be paid less? 
• Cell phones should not be allowed in classrooms.
• People should not be allowed to change their names after high school.

Best Persuasive Speech Topics for High School Students

• Exchange programs make the students more appreciative of the world and different communities.
• Working part-time on weekends should be compulsory for teenagers.
• Introverts are the best motivational speakers.
• Modern youth have developed addictive personalities.
• Religious discussions should not be allowed in schools.
• Students should learn at least three foreign languages.
• Writing research papers is a better way of learning than tests.
• Money cannot ensure happiness.
• Positive thinking makes life easier and happier.
• Violent video games should be banned in the United States.

Science and Technology Persuasive Speech Topics

• The ethics of artificial intelligence.
• The impact of 5G technology.
• Space exploration and its value.
• Climate change mitigation technologies.
• Privacy in the digital age.
• The future of renewable energy.
• Genetic engineering and ethical dilemmas.
• Cybersecurity in the modern world.
• The impact of social media on society.
• The role of technology in education.

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That's our Job!

Environment Persuasive Speech Topics

• The importance of recycling.
• Protecting endangered species.
• Reducing plastic waste.
• The impact of deforestation.
• Promoting sustainable agriculture.
• The need for clean energy.
• Combating air pollution.
• Conserving water resources.
• The urgency of addressing climate change.
• Preserving natural habitats.

Health and Medicine Persuasive Speech Topics

• The importance of vaccination.
• Mental health awareness.
• The benefits of organic food.
• Healthcare for all.
• The opioid crisis.
• The impact of fast food on health.
• The need for more organ donors.
• Alternative medicine options.
• Obesity and its effects.
• Access to affordable healthcare.

Mental Health Persuasive Speech Topics

• Organic foods are good for health.
• Junk food should be avoided to protect ourselves.
• A morning walk is essential for good health.
• A healthy diet has some great effects on the mind’s health.
• College cafes should offer only healthy foods.
• Alcohol and tobacco products have bad effects on health.
• People who smoke cigarettes are more likely to die early.
• Animal testing in medical research should be legalized.
• The amazing effects of eating a sufficient amount of vegetables and fruits regularly.
• Why is dieting not a good option to lose weight?

Bioethics Persuasive Speech Topics

• Bioethics in medical research: Standardized testing of ethical standards.
• Cloning and ethical concerns: Different points of view.
• Organ transplantation ethics: Examining various perspectives.
• End-of-life decisions and ethical dilemmas.
• Genetic testing dilemmas.
• Animal testing and ethics.
• Reproductive technologies: Ethical considerations.
• Privacy in healthcare and ethical principles.
• Human enhancement ethics.
• Ethical standards in environmental issues.

Economy and Work Persuasive Speech Topics

• Universal basic income for economic stability.
• The impact of automation on jobs.
• Raising the minimum wage.
• The gig economy and worker rights.
• Reducing income inequality.
• The future of remote work.
• The benefits of financial literacy education.
• Global outsourcing and job loss.
• The importance of supporting small businesses.

Persuasive Speech Topics About Media

• Advertisements should not be aimed at children.
• How the media is encouraging cyberbullying.
• The media is responsible for the moral degradation of teenagers.
• Certain TV shows should have an age restriction.
• How the media is helping to prevent corruption.
• Media could become an educational resource.
• The media is to be blamed for eating disorders.
• The media should not promote certain beauty standards.
• How advertising helps in promoting the product.
• Freedom of the press has gone too far.

Persuasive Speech Topics About Government and International Relations

• The impact of social media on modern diplomacy
• Should countries abandon national borders and embrace global citizenship?
• The role of international organizations in promoting world peace
• Government surveillance vs. personal privacy: finding the balance
• The pros and cons of foreign aid: are we really helping?
• Challenges of cybersecurity in an interconnected world
• The power of economic sanctions in international diplomacy
• Climate change: a global responsibility for every nation
• The role of the United Nations in resolving global conflicts
• Is globalization benefiting or harming developing nations?

Searching for farewell speech writing tips? Visit the link!

Policy Speech Topics for Students

• Ban car racing in mass pollution areas.
• Domestic Violence Drug Policy.
• Equal Employment Opportunities.
• Sexist images of women should be banned.
• Smokers should be treated like drug addicts.
• What should be the minimum age for the voter?
• Why should meals in school be free?
• Why invading North Korea is a no-go plan.
• Stop clothing and textile sweatshops.
• Punish severely pupils taking drugs.

Law and Politics Persuasive Speech Topics

• Charity is used as the source of converting black money into white money.
• Detaining people on the suspicion of terrorism is justified.
• Military service should not be compulsory.
• Physician-assisted suicide should be a punishable crime.
• Violent crime offenders should be sentenced to death.
• Illegal immigrants should be instantly deported.
• Foreigners should not be allowed to buy the property.
• Surveillance should not compromise the privacy of the citizens.
• Rapists and pedophiles should be hanged to death immediately.
• Burning sketches and flags during protests should be punished.

Persuasive Speech Topics on Business

• Why should businesses analyze their target groups?
• How do social media advertising techniques work?
• How to start a business with a little investment?
• Why should you not do business with a family member?
• Why do introverts make good leaders?
• Why does the HR department need to be polite and understanding?
• Why do sales and customer service departments need to be paid more?
• What does it take to be a successful businessman?
• What are small businesses successful and profitable?
• How to do business analysis before starting a business?

Public Speaking Persuasive Speech Topics

• Should schools still teach cursive handwriting?
• Should prisoners be allowed to vote?
• What is the best type of renewable energy?
• The danger of texting and driving.
• Why should you buy a Japanese car?
• Why should alcohol be illegal?
• More recycling should be encouraged.
• The trade deficit with China is dangerous.
• Should only native plants be grown in gardens?

Arts and Culture Persuasive Speech Topics

• Modern art lacks authenticity.
• Can action movies cause stress?
• Importance of art and culture
• The effectiveness of art and music therapy
• Should graffiti be considered art?
• Should art and music therapy be required for students?
• Should all students be required to learn an instrument in school?
• Is music therapy effective?
• Should art be necessary for students?
• Importance of performing arts 

Religion Persuasive Speech Topics

• The role of religion in modern society.
• Religious freedom and its limits.
• The impact of religion on mental health.
• The relationship between science and religion.
• Religious tolerance and coexistence.
• The influence of religion on politics.
• The rise of non-religious beliefs.
• Religious rituals and their significance.
• The effects of organized religion on individuals.
• Exploring the concept of the afterlife.

Sports Persuasive Speech Topics

• College players should be treated as professional players.
• Professional sports should be financed privately.
• Drug tests should be compulsory in all professional sports.
• The support crew should be considered sportspeople.
• Media and society are less interested in women's sports.
• Cheerleaders cannot compare with professional players.
• Safety precautions for athletes should be upgraded.
• Team names should not reflect ethnic and cultural affiliations.
• Sports means depicting your limit and not winning or defeating.
• Professional female players should get more opportunities for financial support than male players.

Persuasive Speech Topics About Automotive

• The minimum driving age should be 18.
• Everyone should take driving courses.
• What are the best car seats for pets?
• Drivers should avoid the usage of cell phones while driving.
• You should drive in your lane.
• Watch out for animals on the road while driving.
• How to travel with your pet?
• Are sports cars really dangerous?
• Bike and bicycle riders should wear helmets.
• Why are Japanese cars in trend nowadays?

Persuasive Speech Topics About Travel 

• The perks of being an air hostess.
• Tourism is ruining historical places.
• Traveling should be cheaper.
• Pets should be allowed to travel with their owner.
• You should visit a new place every six months.
• Switzerland is the most beautiful place on the face of this earth.
• Why you should not visit the Bermuda Triangle.
• Tourism plays an important role in presenting a better image of a country.
• How to travel to Mars?
• Airline tickets should be cheaper.

Ready to enhance your speech writing skills ? Visit the link to get started!

Persuasive Speech Topics About Music & Fashion

• Should white people listen to rap?
• Jazz is an extinct music genre.
• Good song lyrics can inspire people.
• How do fashion trends differ in society?
• Jewelry defines your worth
• Marketing high fashion.
• Men shouldn’t wear pink
• Music has its own language
• Fashion and music are different from each other
• Fashion and music of 1987

Easy Persuasive Speech Topics About Education

• School or college bullies should be rusticated immediately.
• Coeducation makes students more competitive.
• Homosexuals should have separate educational institutes.
• Online teaching is not as constructive as regular teaching.
• Kids should be taught ethics and moral values in school.
• Schoolkids should be taught about the prevention of rape.
• Sex education must be compulsory in high school.
• How can we make social media more educational?
• Teachers should take a basic skill test every year to renew their certifications.
• Poor students should get a free college education.

Are you ready to take your public speaking abilities up a notch? If so, click the link and unlock amazing public speaking tips that will help you improve!

Persuasive Speech Topics About Workplace

• Interns should always be paid for their work.
• Part-time workers should have the legal right to claim annual paid leave.
• How to deal with bullying in the workplace?
• A friendly environment is important for the growth of a company.
• Everyone should do a retail job once in their life.
• Hardworking employees should be rewarded with performance awards.
• All employees should get basic first aid training.
• Everyone should learn basic survival skills.
• The theory has no importance if it can’t be implemented.
• Personal hygiene is essential for good health.

Interesting Persuasive Speech Topics

• Energy drinks are far away from providing energy.
• Watching television is more beneficial than reading books.
• Health benefits and transport facilities should be free for senior citizens.
• Confidence is the key to success.
• Urban life is more tiring and energy-consuming than rural life.
• Neutral behavior is the best coping mechanism.
• The first impression is never the last impression.
• Little conflicts strengthen and make relationships healthier.
• Credit cards should not be issued to people under 30.
• All US citizens should do community service.

Great Persuasive Speech Topics for Teens

• Nuclear disarmament is necessary to restore world peace.
• The salaries of single parents should be higher than for other employees.
• Cyberbullying is the major cause of suicide among youngsters.
• Stalkers and paparazzi should be sentenced to life in prison.
• Genetically modified food products are less nutritious than natural products.
• Why can’t we quit fossil fuels?
• Birth control pills worsen the health of women.
• Everyone should donate blood at least once a year.
• The media should not promote beauty standards.
• Foster parents’ homes should be regularly inspected.

Persuasive Speech Topics for Kids

• The zoo or aquarium should not be closed on public holidays.
• Uniforms should not be mandatory for public schools.
• Schools should have a free period for video games.
• My pet is very obedient.
• Why shouldn't kids play R-rated games?
• Why can't kids be Santa?
• Why do I love my dad more than I love my mom?
• Where babies come from.
• The worst fruit on the earth.
• How do rainbows work?

Persuasive Speech Topics Related to Food and Beverages

• Kids should not eat fast food.
• People are required to learn cooking skills.
• There should be a period for cooking in school and college.
• Benefits of growing our own vegetables.
• Benefits of eating fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Why we need to stay away from processed foods.
• Frozen foods are not good for health.
• Energy drinks do not provide any energy.
• Artificial sugary drinks should be replaced with fruit juices.
• An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Funny Persuasive Speech Topics

• Funny pick-up lines help in the development of a serious relationship.
• Endless memes can be made on my mother.
• Life is troublesome due to your horoscope.
• Girls are more interested in diamonds than makeup.
• Guys are more interested in sports than their girlfriends.
• You are not enjoying student life if you do not procrastinate.
• It is your major duty to annoy your parents.
• Life is useless without indulging in troubles without your friends.
• Guys are more interested in gossip than girls.
• Never add your parents on Facebook.

Want to leave your audience entertained? Click the link and enjoy a list of entertaining speech topics !

Persuasive Speech Topics About Animals

• Taming wild and exotic animals is unethical.
• Emotional support animals provide several health benefits.
• Animals should have protection laws.
• Why do bunnies make the perfect pet even for a small apartment?
• Why do animals make the best companions?
• The benefits of pets.
• Why should emotionally disabled people have emotional support animals?
• How do service animals differ from emotional support animals?
• Why are dogs more loyal than humans?
• How do birds and fishes provide support to emotionally disturbed people?

Controversial Persuasive Speech Topics

• Animal testing of drugs is necessary for ensuring the safety of humanity.
• Cosmetic surgery, being an unhealthy obsession, should be banned.
• Human behavior is the product of society and not of nature.
• The death penalty is the only solution for controlling the crime rate in society.
• The legal age for drinking, driving, and voting should be set at eighteen years.
• Corruption and bribery run in today’s economy.
• Do you think immigration laws need to be revised?
• Job Discrimination based on Hair Color/Style.
• Our constitution should protect hate speech.
• Regulations on applying safety devices.

Family Persuasive Speech Topics

• Family traditions are important.
• We are over-scheduling our kids
• How to run a family business?
• What is the most beneficial parenting style, and why?
• Why do I love my family?
• Should schools do more to teach family values?
• Families should start every morning with yoga.
• Laws for child abuse
• Parents should teach their children to stay polite
• It’s okay to say no to children.

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What Makes A Good Persuasive Speech Topic?

To craft an effective persuasive speech, consider the following key factors:

• Relevance: Choose a topic that is current and matters to your audience. It should be relatable to their lives and interests.
• Controversy: Controversial subjects often make for compelling speeches. They engage the audience and spark discussions.
• Credible Sources: Ensure that you have access to reliable information and sources to support your arguments.
• Audience Understanding: Consider the beliefs and values of your audience. Tailor your topic to resonate with them.
• Clarity of Position: Your stance should be clear and concise. Ambiguity can weaken your persuasive impact.

How To Create And Deliver A Compelling Persuasive Speech

The following principles will help you choose persuasive topics effectively and deliver speeches that leave a lasting impact on your audience.

• Research Thoroughly: Gather robust evidence and data to support your claims. The more you know, the more convincing you'll be.
• Structure Your Speech: Organize your speech with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. This structure helps your audience follow your arguments.
• Craft Engaging Openings: Begin with a captivating hook, a story, or a startling fact to grab your audience's attention.
• Use Persuasive Techniques: Employ ethos, pathos, and logos to appeal to reason, emotions, and credibility.
• Address Counterarguments: Acknowledge opposing views and refute them logically.
• Practice and Feedback: Rehearse your speech multiple times and seek feedback to improve your delivery.
• Confidence: Believe in your message, and your audience will be more likely to as well.
• Engage the Audience: Encourage participation, ask questions, and use rhetorical devices to keep your audience involved.
• End with a Call to Action: Conclude with a clear call to action, telling your audience what you want them to do or believe.

Let’s sum it up!

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Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Delivers Opening Statement Before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies

Washington , DC United States

Remarks as Delivered

Thank you, Chairman Rogers, Ranking Member Cartwright, and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee for the opportunity to discuss the Justice Department’s funding request for Fiscal Year 2025.

Since I last appeared before you, the more than 115,000 public servants who make up the Justice Department have continued to work tirelessly to fulfill our mission: to keep our country safe, to protect civil rights, and to uphold the rule of law.

Over the past year, our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, law enforcement agents, and grantmaking experts have worked together with police and community partners across the country to help drive down violent crime.

We have zeroed in on the individuals and gangs responsible for the greatest violence; made critical investments in police departments to hire more officers; and dedicated resources to initiatives aimed at preventing and disrupting violence before it occurs.

We have gone after the cartels responsible for trafficking deadly fentanyl into our communities and brought their leaders to justice here in the United States.

We have prosecuted fraud, recovered funds stolen from American taxpayers, and challenged illegal monopolies that hurt consumers and workers.

We have worked to defend the reproductive freedoms that are protected by federal law, and to monitor laws and actions that infringe on those protections.

We have worked to combat a disturbing spike in threats of violence against those who serve the public — against judges, police officers, members of Congress, and even our own employees.

We have worked to aggressively investigate, prosecute, and disrupt the hate crimes that not only harm individuals, but strike fear across entire communities.

And in everything we do, we have worked to ensure the equal protection of law that is foundational to our democracy.

I am proud of the work we have done. And I am deeply proud of the way the Department’s public servants — from our agents to our attorneys to our administrative staff — have gone about their work. They have conducted themselves in a way that would make the American people proud.

But we recognize that we have so much more to do.

Our Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Request reflects the difficult budget environment we are in, and the extremely difficult choices we have had to make because of it.

It also reflects the resources that we need, now more than ever, to continue our work.

When I became Attorney General three years ago, I knew that grappling with the violent crime that surged during the pandemic would be one of the greatest challenges we would face at the Justice Department.

I am glad to be able to report that last year, we saw a significant decrease in overall violent crime across the country compared to the previous year — including an over 13% decline in homicides. That is the largest one-year decline in homicides in [50] years.

And data indicates this decline is continuing — as the Wall Street Journal recently reported just this week, in the first three months this year, homicides dropped 20% across 133 cities compared to the same time period last year.

But, I want to be very clear: there is no acceptable level of violent crime. Too many communities are still struggling, and too many people are still scared. The hard-fought progress we saw last year can easily slip away. So, we must remain focused and vigilant.

To continue our efforts to drive down violent crime, and to help keep our country safe from a range of threats, we are seeking a total of $21 billion to support the efforts of the FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, as well as the Criminal Division and the National Security Division.

We will use these resources to continue our fight against gun violence, to prosecute illegal gun traffickers and straw purchasers, and to invest in advanced technological tools like ballistics analysis, firearms tracing, gun intelligence centers, and local fusion cells.

We will also use these resources to strengthen our work to counter both foreign and domestic terrorism. As the FBI Director has testified, we are facing an increasing threat of foreign terrorism since October 7.

We will also use these resources to continue to counter the threats that the governments of Iran, Russia, China, and North Korea pose to our national security and our economic stability.

And we will use these resources to continue our efforts to dismantle the global fentanyl supply chain and to break apart the cartels responsible for flooding poison into our communities.

As we deploy our own prosecutorial and investigative resources, we also recognize that the Department’s partnerships have been and will continue to be some of the most powerful tools we have to battle violent crime.

That is why we are seeking investments in the Department’s three grantmaking components: the Office of Justice Programs, the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), and the Office on Violence Against Women. They provide direct support to community and law enforcement partners through more than 200 grant programs.

Our budget requests more than $4.3 billion to support the public safety efforts of our state, local, Tribal, and territorial law enforcement and community partners. Of that amount, we are requesting $2.5 billion for our COPS Hiring Program to support law enforcement agencies across the country in their efforts to hire full-time law enforcement professionals. And we are requesting $120.5 million as part of our new Violent Crime Reduction and Prevention Fund to fund 940 detectives at the state and local level.

As I have noted before, when the Justice Department was founded in 1870, one of its principal purposes was to protect civil rights. Today, protecting both the safety and the civil rights of everyone in this country remains our urgent obligation.

Our budget seeks $201.3 million for the Civil Rights Division to continue its essential work — including its efforts to deter and prosecute hate crimes; to ensure constitutional policing; to enforce federal laws prohibiting discrimination in all its forms; and to protect the right of all eligible citizens to vote and to have that vote counted.

The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy. Protecting that right also requires us to protect the citizens who we rely on to fairly administer voting.

Our democracy cannot function if the officials, workers, and volunteers who administer our elections have to fear for their lives just for doing their jobs. The Justice Department is aggressively investigating and prosecuting those who threaten election workers with violence. And we will continue to do so.

As I said, I am extremely proud of the work the Department’s employees are doing to advance the Department’s mission.

Every day, their work brings them face-to-face with some of our country’s greatest challenges.

Every day, many of them risk their lives to protect the public. I am grateful to them.

I respectfully ask for your support for the President’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Request so that we can continue our work on behalf of the American people.

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Speech by Prime Minister Rutte at presentation International Four Freedoms Award

Speech | 11-04-2024

Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands held this speech in Middelburg at the presentation of the International Four Freedoms Award to Save Ukraine.

Ladies and gentlemen,

One of the best-known people in Dutch history is Anne Frank. Just an ordinary Jewish girl. No doubt you’re familiar with her.

Or rather: you’re familiar with her diary, in which she described her life in hiding with her family during the Second World War. Many millions of copies have been sold worldwide. And the reason is that Anne’s story is not simply about the horrors of war. Above all, it’s a story of hope. It’s about seeing light in the darkness. Or, as Anne herself put it: “Look at how a single candle can both defy and define the darkness.”

Those words have lost none of their wisdom in the years since they were written. Because today, in our time, there is still darkness in many places around the world. The reason I’m here today, is to shine a light on 1 of the places it is needed most: Ukraine.

Since Russia’s brutal invasion, over 2 years ago now, thousands of Ukrainian children have been abducted and taken to Russia, or to areas occupied by Russia. Thousands of children, ripped away not only from their parents, but from everything that made them who they are. Their language. Their country. Their identity.

With their abduction, their identities have been erased. Or made invisible. After all, the victims are still alive. Physically, at least.

It’s 1 of the worst war crimes we can imagine. Targeting the most vulnerable people: children and their parents. And in this dark reality, Save Ukraine is a candle defying the darkness.

In 2014, when Russia began its aggression against Ukraine, Mykola Kuleba decided that he would not stand idly by. He would not just wait and see what happened. He would do all he could, to fight back. He would give everything he had. With anyone who would join him.

And as so often happens with people who stand up to evil, he was soon joined by others willing to help. To bring kidnapped children back home. To evacuate vulnerable people from the most dangerous areas.

And so, that one flickering candle grew into what it is now: A blazing beacon of hope for Ukrainian parents. A rescuer of vulnerable people on the frontlines of the war.

Already, over 100,000 vulnerable people have been evacuated from combat zones. Thanks to Save Ukraine, 282 children have been safely returned to their homeland. And together with their parents, they can find respite in 1 of the organisation’s 7 Hope and Healing Centers. There, they can heal from their psychological wounds. Or at least, they can start to heal.

But we can all draw hope from these acts of resistance, big and small

Of course, more needs to be done. Unfortunately, the end of this terrible war is not yet in sight. But we can all draw hope from these acts of resistance, big and small. Every child saved, is living proof of Putin’s war crimes. And he knows that.

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Where do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home.” Save Ukraine demonstrates the truth of those words. By taking a stand when human rights are violated. By turning despair into hope. But above all, by showing in practice that everyone can be human rights defenders. Everyone. Even when peace and justice seem a long way away. Especially then.

Mykola and James: the importance of defending human rights is a strong thread running through your lives and your families. So let me now ask you both to come to the stage, so that James can present Mykola with the International Four Freedoms Award for Save Ukraine.

government speech

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The government speech doctrine is a principle of constitutional law which says that, although the  First Amendment ’s Free Speech Clause limits government regulation of private speech, it does not restrict the government when the government speaks for itself. In other words, the government is not required to act neutral when expressing its own opinion.  

It is not always clear when the government is speaking for itself instead of unconstitutionally restricting others’ speech. For example, in Rust v. Sullivan the Supreme Court determined that when the government funds family-planning programs, it may forbid healthcare providers in the program from answering pregnant women’s questions about abortion . In Legal Services Corp. v. Velazquez , however, the Court determined that, when the government funds a program supporting legal representation for indigent parties, it may not forbid lawyers in the program from helping those parties challenge or amend welfare laws. The Supreme Court has not yet provided a clear standard for this type of case.

This doctrine does not allow the government to ignore other parts of the Constitution. For example, even though government speech is not regulated by the Free Speech Clause, it is still subject to the  Establishment Clause .

[Last updated in January of 2023 by the Wex Definitions Team ]

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My Speech Class

Public Speaking Tips & Speech Topics

243 Easy and Simple Speech Topics

Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

If you have interest and knowledge in a specific subject, it makes for an easy speech topic. If a subject is not complex, it makes for an easy subject. If you have interest and knowledge on a simple non-complex topic, that makes for a really easy speech topic.

If time doesn’t allow for much preparation or research, what’s best is to stick with something you know. This will cut down significantly on your workload because you already know most of what there is to know.

In this article:

Family, Friends, Relationships

Government and the law, miscellaneous, easy and simple speech topics on popular subjects.

• Teachers should be required to take basic skills tests every few years to keep their certification
• Less professional advertisements in schools
• Why single-sex public schools are better than co-ed
• SAT scores for college applicants
• Student cyber bullies should be expelled from school
• Hazing on college campuses is a problem
• Higher education is a basic need for succeeding in life today.
• Schools should not serve french fries and soda
• Students that study online cheat more.
• Classic literature should only be for college students.
• Every student in every school should wear a uniform
• Students should be placed in trade schools after getting a basic education
• Exam scores have little indication on a student’s abilities
• History textbooks don’t tell the whole truth
• Learning about all world religions in schools is important
• Homeschooling is better than traditional education
• Phones are distracting students from learning
• Going to college has little bearing on a successful future
• Students should learn and be fluent in a second language
• Mandatory community service for students to graduate high school
• Should tablets and other technology replace books?
• Schools should educate on proper nutrition from start to finish
• Regulating the music at school dances to eliminate cursing
• The impact of gym class on students

• Dual parent households benefit children more.
• Couples are wrong to stay together for the kids.
• Family must always come first.
• Parents need to stop forcing their own dreams on their children.
• Live together before getting married.
• Married couples must have date nights.
• Breastfeeding is better than formula feeding
• Discipline should be based on rewards, not punishment
• Divorce doesn’t damage children.
• Lower cost childcare or childcare provided at every workplace
• Make help more readily available to single pregnant mothers
• Never borrow money from friends.
• Pros and cons of abstinence
• Imposing a curfew on kids 17 and under
• Parents should be accountable for not providing a healthy diet to their children
• Kids having jam-packed schedules isn’t good for them
• Long distance relationships don’t work.
• It’s not good to be an only child.
• Families eating together is important
• Kids today are being made to be selfish, disrespectful, and entitled
• Teenagers should contribute to household expenses
• The need for parental consent to give teen girls birth control
• Restrictions on how many children one family can have
• Free counseling to at-risk youth
• Parents right to give consent for their child to drink at home under supervision
• Should parents respect kids privacy at all times?
• How it takes a village to raise a child
• Parent’s responsibility to discuss sex education
• Video game violence causing violent kids
• Imposing better and more affordable options for the aging community

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• Dogs are better pets than cats.
• Exotic animals are not pets.
• Neutering pets is a must.
• Humans have turned pit bulls into monsters.
• Zoos do not give animals enough space.
• Adopt don’t shop is key to getting a pet.
• Birds are not meant to live in cages.
• Dolphins are intelligent creatures.
• Zoos cause more harm than good
• Euthanize dogs that have bitten more than once
• Ban slaughter houses for horses
• Why dogs are man’s best friend
• Not allowing people to keep exotic animals as pets
• Pit bulls aren’t the problem , it’s their owners

• Two child max rule should apply worldwide.
• Smoking in all public places should be illegal worldwide.
• Legalize abortion for rape and incest cases.
• Buyers should be punished even harsher than poachers.
• Cosmetic surgery should be regulated.
• Equal punishment and less protection for celebrities who break the law
• Impose bi-annual drivers tests for people over 60
• People on welfare should be drug tested to receive welfare, and at random to keep it
• Moral and legal stance on capital punishment
• Immigrants should be required to speak the primary language of the country they wish to immigrate to
• Red light cameras at every traffic light
• Everyone having access to affordable or even free universal health care
• The government is no longer “by the people and for the people”
• Impose stricter federal restrictions on internet content
• Making self-defense courses available to the public
• Regulate automobile emissions
• All weapons must be registered with the police
• The government shouldn’t censor information given online
• Stricter punishments for driving drunk
• No death penalty for juveniles
• Higher standards held for the President
• Weeding out the dirty politicians
• Protecting the quality of drinking water in America
• Criminals should pay restitution to their victims rather than to society
• Eliminate cursing on day-time television
• Restrictions on garbage output to reduce pollution and carbon footprint
• Legal issues are the best sources to find suggestions for persuasive speech topics.
• There is a need for more prisons.
• Human rights must be respected.

• People need to visit dentists more often.
• Fast foods must be more expensive than healthier foods.
• Music has healing power.
• Fast food restaurants are not responsible for obesity.
• Eating fruit is healthier than drinking fruit juice.
• Medical marijuana isn’t a cure.
• Vegan diets are too extreme.
• Benefits of drinking 2L of water per day is a myth.
• Calcium doesn’t make teeth stronger.
• Losing weight is easy, keeping it off is not.
• Aging cannot be reversed.
• Fat isn’t bad for you.
• Electronic cigarettes are harmful.
• Diet pills do not work.
• Balanced sugar-free nutrition is an effective treatment for ADHD.
• Hospitals should allow owners of pets to have their pets brought in
• Buying local goods is better for the economy and for our health
• The impact of consuming all organic foods on our bodies
• The benefits of alternative medicine vs. Western medicine
•  HIV and AIDS testing done annually for Health Care Professional 
• Fast food and the war on obesity
• Morbidly obese people should have to pay more for public transportation
• Healthcare should include a gym membership and nutrition counseling
• The negative implications of Facebook
• Television programs must be censored before broadcasting.
• Talking during movies at the theater is rude behavior.
• How the paparazzi hinders free press
• The good and bad when it comes to Google
• The paparazzi are the real stalkers.
• Celebrities get away with everything.
• Video games are not evil.
• Downloading copyrighted MP3s is piracy.
• Sex and violence on television is harmful to children.
• Ad spots in news programs should be banned.
• News media should give equal attention to all politicians.
• There is nothing real about reality TV.
• Social media should be blocked at work places.
• Fake news writers should be punished.
• Word of mouth will always be the best form of advertising.
• TV’s will soon be a thing of the past.
• Romantic movies set unrealistic standards.
• Ads aimed at children should be strictly regulated.
• Television has become the number two news source after the internet and tv will be further downsized.
• Beer advertisements promote irresponsible drinking and ought to be banned from the communal street views.
• Harry Potter books are popular even among adults.
• News reporters earn money because of people who make a mess of their lives.
• No news is good news!
• Books should never be burned in public.
• Advantages of having a three-day weekend instead of a two-day weekend
• Why everyone should visit Disney World
• Allow married women to enter Miss World and Miss Universe pageants.
• There couldn’t be enough beauty contests for children!
• Beauty contests degrade women.
• Some market toys provoke and promote violent behavior.
• Mac is better than PC
• Santiago de Chile tourists must be made aware of pickpocketers. (or another city)
• Love is far more powerful than hate
• Make free public wi-fi available
• Bike-sharing programs
• Stealing from the rich to give to the poor is not nobel.
• The morals behind lying
• Silly games like Candy Crush are making people less intelligent
• Using hands-free devices while driving
• Using lie detector tests for employment purposes
• What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger
• Money can’t buy happiness
• Is Batman a real superhero?
• Why there aren’t more female construction workers
• Lie detector tests are inaccurate.
• Organic food tastes better.
• Alternative power is the answer to our energy crisis.
• It’s immoral to genetically design babies.
• Every property needs to have at least one tree.
• Nursery rhymes need to be looked at better.
• Hostels are not a place for children.
• Plant fruit trees on sidewalks.
• Religion and science can go hand in hand.
• Everyone should know how to swim.
• Not wearing a seat belt a personal choice.
• Opposites will always attract.
• Climate change is always changing.
• Not enough is done to end world hunger.
• Battery farming is unethical.
• People shouldn’t be paying for drivers licenses.
• Smokers make the most acquaintances.
• First impressions are always right.
• Cash should be abandoned completely.
• Allow mind reading during poker.
• Minimum wage is too low.
• Security cameras are an invasion of privacy.
• Clients don’t want birthday messages from businesses.
• Allow casual dress clothes in the workplace.
• Make public transport free.
• The welfare system doesn’t work.
• Organ donors should be paid.
• All kids on a winning team should get a trophy.
• Illegal immigrants don’t harm the economy.
• Humans are vegetarian by nature.
• Self-driving cars will cause fewer accidents.
• It is time to include internet slang to dictionaries.
• Teens are unfairly stereotyped.
• Group homes are better than foster care.
• Guns don’t kill people.
• Fracking is dangerous.
• Money isn’t the root of all evil.
• Being homeless is a choice.
• The school curriculum is too overloaded.
• Graffiti is art.
• Priests shouldn’t be giving marriage counseling.
• Everyone must be taught to do CPR.
• Juvenile crime is dealt with incorrectly.
• Older generations were crueler.
• Royal families are not needed in this day and age.
• Fame will always be bad for children.
• Prisoners must not be allowed tovote.
• Yearly HIV tests for all health professionals.
• Being skinny is no longer cool.
• Lego’s are not gender bias.
• The drought in Cape Town will happen in other parts of the world too.
• Employees know more than employers.
• Adoption records should be opened.
• Affirmative action is false competition in the workspace.
• Aids tests should be required in federal prisons – for all inmates and the prison guards too.
• The millimeter wave scanner at airports security zones strikes out all privacy that we fought for.
• Water management in our home really does matter.
• Why you should only buy fair trade.
• Hundred percent airline safety is an utopia.
• Helping runaways is a crime.
• Help addicted popstars immediately and save them.
• Hands free cell phone use in cars must be promoted better.
• Drivers quickly forget their drivers education.
• The driving age for teens should be raised to 18.
• The 1st Amendment is not a shield for hate groups.
• Reducing crime is a utopia.
• Impose trade and social sanctions on countries that do not prohibit child labor.
• More cold cases will be solved if investigators make use of DNA available.
• Ban the sale of guns at shops and stores.
• Saying what you want must not include hate speech.
• Immigrants must learn the language of the country they move to.
• Refund or rebate extra taxes collected plus interest on it to those who paid.
• Help the homeless down the streets and persuade them to look for work.
• Cell phone use is dangerous while driving.
• How Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas.
• History of our National Anthem and rituals.
• Paying off mortgage debt early is a good investment.
• Global awareness makes us responsible citizens of the world.

Nothing really stand out? No problem. Start by writing a list of things that interest you. Keep going until you find something you know a good deal about and that you could talk about forever. Choose something that will get your blood boiling, that you feel strongly about, even if others don’t. You’ll likely convert some people to your way of thinking just by the way you speak about your chosen topic.

No matter what topic you choose, always be credible and purpose-driven. Giving false facts is a big “no-no” and so is being wishy-washy with you speech. Give it meaning, give it purpose.

Just remember, what may be  easy speech topics to one person, isn’t always easily understood by someone else. So keep that in mind when persuading your audience.

613 Original Argumentative Speech Topics Ideas

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8 thoughts on “243 Easy and Simple Speech Topics”

which topic is best topic in the world?

Thanks a lot It helped me in debate competition

Oof! that was quite a lot of reading, but it helped me greatly! I’m in a speech contest (middle grade, I’m in Canada).

Nice Idea to Easy and Simple Speech for Student Great Work well done

Thanks a lot it’s helpful

Last year I was super motivated to do a speech, and I came first in my school, with the topic of beach and ocean pollution. But know i’m not even motivated at all. Any suggestions of what I should do?

when your watching a movie with your parents and it gets to a sex scene and you tryna act cool: yes, the floor is very nice

My school has the best topics from this website UWU

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Speech Topic Generator for Persuasive & Informative Speeches

Type the keywords to generate a list of topics.

Time to unleash your creativity!

If you need a free and effective speech topic generator, search no further! The tool we offer will provide you with a list of ideas for your persuasive or informative speech in no time.

👍 4 Advantages of this Topic Generator for Speech

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💬 What Is Informative Speech?

📢 what is persuasive speech.

• ✅ Top-3 Speeches in American History

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Here are the key benefits of this random speech topic generator for students.

✍️ Random Speech Topic Generator: How to Use It?

College is the best place to train your public speaking skills. And while you will be given the topic for most written essays, you’ll have to select speech topics independently. We believe that the freedom of choice is good for you, as it is always easier to speak in the framework of your interests. Still, developing an impromptu speech topic for students may be challenging when there are many variants.

Try this speech topic generator to broaden your choice and draw inspiration from interesting, funny, or scientific prompts. Here’s how it works:

• Enter the keyword.
• Try various variants for the best result.
• Get dozens of random or subject-related topics for free.

Informative speech teaches or informs the audience about a particular subject . It is done in the most engaging and comprehensive way to help the listeners remember as much information as possible. An informative speaker can take the facts and considerations for their speech from personal experience or research. However, this genre should not contain any subjective opinion.

Informative Speech Types

Informative speech topics.

• Dinosaurs: The unexplored realm.
• What are some real-life examples of voting rigging?
• Electoral college: origins, purpose, and structure .
• An overview of factors causing immigration in the US.
• The influence of communication technologies in world politics.
• Voting: benefits, prejudice, and biases .
• The importance of cultural diversity among political leaders.
• Jim Crow laws and racial segregation.
• Voter turnout in city and county elections .
• The transformation of the Republican Party throughout its history.
• Does political correctness have anything to do with politics?
• How laws are made in my country.
• Theory of political and government communication .
• The benefits of the American electoral system .
• Different democracy models and their drawbacks.
• The differences between a totalitarian and authoritarian regime.
• Reconciliation, its components and challenges .
• The Silk Road: A gate to modern trade markets.
• How the Internet has influenced our political system.
• The effect of the current environmental policy on the environment.
• Classical realist and neo-realist theories in politics .
• How do people become presidents?
• The difference between political and non-political terrorism.
• How international companies do business under different legal systems.
• Describe the impact of feminism on the government in two different countries.
• The European Union and its history.

A persuasive speech convinces the audience of the speaker’s opinion . For this purpose, speakers provide arguments, facts, and examples confirming their considerations. The best result of the speech is a change in the listeners’ minds that will affect their future actions and decisions.

Persuasive Speech Types

Persuasive speech topics.

• Democracy is not for everyone.
• The US people need more parties.
• Death penalty: the reasons for abolishment .
• Religious institutions are critical for social stability.
• Equal rights for everyone: An unattainable dream.
• People of today are more socially responsible than ever before.
• Only two parties can exist in the US.
• Capital punishment in the United States .
• Which spheres of culture require the most significant investments?
• Socialism is a backward-looking regime.
• Globalization: No more such thing as domestic policy.
• Reasons why democracy is the best form of the political system .
• Everyone should have voting rights, but not everyone’s vote should have equal weight.
• Abortion regulations: Men cannot decide what women should do.
• Why should we not support illegal immigrants?
• Psychotherapy should be a must for political leaders.
• Females should not be drafted into the armed services .
• Corporations are overtaking political power.
• Why does capitalism lack morality?
• Which US president of the past could be the best country leader of today?
• Why international conflict management does not work.
• Democracy is growing outdated. What next?
• The EU should expand to exist.
• Why conservative traditions are good for the government.

✅ Bonus: Top-3 Speeches in American Political History

On September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked four American airplanes . They crashed them into the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Nearly 3,000 people were killed when the Twin Towers collapsed, and five floors of the Pentagon were ruined. On the same evening, President George W. Bush made a powerful speech . He encouraged the Americans to focus on their strength in unity.

At the end of WWII , Western countries and the USSR agreed to create governmental systems in the regions they occupied. West Germany became a democratic parliamentary country, while East Germany became a socialist state with all the drawbacks of communism. People fled from poverty and repression to West Germany. Then, the Soviet Union decided to restrict emigration by building a wall. Attempted emigrants faced the threat of execution. In 1987, President Ronald Reagan urged Mikhail Gorbachev to destroy the wall . The speech symbolizes moving forward from the horrors of war.

By 1941, WWII had already been raging, but the US had been neutral. Roosevelt decided to change that. He made a speech to highlight the four freedoms that all humans deserve. This speech was the basis for America’s intervention in the war and impacted American life and politics.

Thank you for reading this article! You are welcome to check other writing tools prepared by Politzilla team:

• Paragraph Rewriter;
• Word Summary Generator;
• Page Summarizer.

❓ Speech Topic Generator FAQ

❓ what is the difference between an informative speech and a persuasive speech.

An informative speech presents the material so as to teach the audience and make them more knowledgeable about the given field. A persuasive speech intends to change the listeners’ opinion (and, by doing so, to change their further actions or lifestyle).

❓ What Is a Good Topic for an Informative Speech?

• The development of democracy throughout human history.
• How does the government reflect the life of its people?
• The constitutional rights of all Americans.
• The subtle difference between socialism and communism.
• The nuances of the American electoral system.

❓ What Is a Good Topic for a Persuasive Speech?

• Humanity cannot exist without local governments.
• Globalization will never become global.
• Who was the best President for the American people?
• We don’t elect Presidents. They elect us.
• Public speaking is the most critical skill for a politician.

❓ Which Purpose Might a Political Persuasive Speech Serve?

A political persuasive speech aims to convince the voters to elect the right candidate or vote for such or another variant at a referendum. It brings up the arguments that present the person or solution in the best light. It also uses emotionally intense language to approach the voters’ minds and hearts.

Updated: Apr 9th, 2024

• Preparing Speeches - University of Hawaii System
• What are the ways to write a good academic speech? - Quora
• How to Prepare a Speech When You Have Anxiety
• Purposes of Informative Speaking - The WAC Clearinghouse
• How to Write a Persuasive Speech: 13 Steps (with Pictures)

I would like to thank the Peterson Institute, and its President, Adam Posen, for giving me the opportunity today to share some thoughts about a topic of vital importance to U.S. financial stability – the orderly resolution of Global Systemically Important Banks – or GSIBs as they are called.

Prior to the Global Financial Crisis of 2008, it was generally assumed in the United States and in other major jurisdictions of the world that GSIBs were unlikely to fail.  The diversified business models of these firms combined with their diversified geographical operations supported the perception that there was little need to devote regulatory attention or resources to their potential failure.

The massive public support provided to these institutions in the United States and elsewhere to prevent their failure during the 2008 crisis shattered that perception. They could indeed fail. As a result, in the United States, Title II of the Dodd-Frank Act, enacted in 2010, provided the FDIC with dramatically expanded authorities to manage the orderly failure of a U.S. GSIB, or for that matter any financial company whose failure was deemed to pose a risk to U.S. financial stability.  Similar authorities were provided to financial regulators in other major jurisdictions of the world.

Since that time, the FDIC has been working diligently to develop the capability to use the expanded authorities provided for GSIB resolution under the Dodd-Frank Act.  Today the FDIC is releasing a paper – Overview of Resolution Under Title II of the Dodd-Frank Act – which describes the progress we have made and provides the most comprehensive explanation to date of how the FDIC expects to utilize those authorities. 

I would like to use the opportunity of this speech to explain at a high level the contents of the paper.  We believe it is of critical importance to the success of our efforts that the financial markets, policymakers, and the public have the clearest explanation possible of how the FDIC expects to manage the orderly resolution of a GSIB.  That is the goal of the paper and my comments today.

As I indicated, the ability of the FDIC and other U.S. regulatory authorities to manage the orderly resolution of large complex financial institutions remains foundational to U.S. financial stability.  While recognizing the progress that has been made toward enabling such a resolution, we also recognize that the resolution of a GSIB has not yet been undertaken.  When it becomes necessary to do so, carrying out such a resolution will come with a unique set of challenges and risks.  However, an orderly resolution is far more preferable to the alternatives, particularly the alternative of resorting to taxpayer support to prop-up a failed institution or to bail-out investors and creditors. 

With this paper the FDIC is reaffirming that, should the need arise, we are prepared to apply the resolution framework that the FDIC and other regulatory authorities in the U.S. and globally have worked so hard to develop. 

In that regard, we believe this paper is particularly timely in light of the decision by Swiss authorities last year not to place Credit Suisse into a resolution process, which the Swiss had developed consistent with the international standard adopted by the Financial Stability Board (FSB) after the 2008 crisis – The Key Attributes for Effective Resolution Regimes for Financial Institutions.  Instead the Swiss chose to facilitate an open institution acquisition of Credit Suisse with public support.  This was done despite the view, as detailed in an FSB report released last year, that the cross-border resolution framework was sound and that a resolution was ready to be implemented by the Swiss authorities. 1

In my remarks today, I will provide an overview of the resolution planning and policy developments supporting an orderly resolution of a GSIB under Title II, including the utilization of the Title I resolution plans or living wills, the development of the single-point-of entry strategy, rulemakings that have been implemented, and progress on international cooperation.

Of particular note, I will discuss in greater detail than has been provided previously the key operational steps for a U.S. GSIB Title II resolution – launching the resolution, stabilizing the operations of the failed firm, and exiting from resolution.

This discussion can get a bit technical, so please bear with me because it is important.

Resolution Planning and Policy Developments Supporting Title II

Let me begin by reviewing resolution planning and policy developments supporting a Title II GSIB resolution.

First, as required by the Dodd-Frank Act, multiple cycles of Title I resolution plans, often called living wills, have been and continue to be a very valuable part of our preparations for resolution.  These plans require the largest U.S. bank holding companies to demonstrate how they could be resolved under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code without severe adverse effects on U.S. financial stability and without taxpayer support. As part of the Title I process, the U.S. GSIBs have enhanced their resolvability in various ways including by: 

• identifying  options for shrinking and divesting their businesses in resolution to reduce their systemic footprint;
• streamlining their organizational and funding structures; 
• developing capabilities to estimate material subsidiaries’ liquidity and capital needs in resolution;
• building governance frameworks with specific triggers to promote timely action when a firm begins to encounter stress; 
• planning for operational continuity in resolution; and 
• improving transparency to markets and investors with public versions of their resolution plans and securities markets disclosures. 

While the strength of these plans and capabilities varies across firms, Title I provides a valuable process for ongoing supervisory review and improvements.  Each iteration of these plans helps to strengthen the resolvability of these large, complex banking organizations and to keep our planning up to date with the firms’ current business model and market developments. In short, the work that firms put into these plans is vital to making an orderly resolution more feasible.

Turning to Title II resolution, the FDIC’s development of the Single Point of Entry (SPOE) resolution strategy, which we announced in 2013, was a critical step forward in the FDIC’s thinking about how to address the challenges of resolving large, complex financial institutions, and remains foundational to our planning. 2  In an SPOE resolution, only one legal entity, the parent holding company is placed into resolution. 

The ownership interests in the underlying subsidiaries are transferred from the failed parent company to a new Bridge Financial Company under the control of the FDIC.  Under the SPOE strategy, material subsidiaries remain open and operating while we proceed through an orderly resolution.  This protects depositors, preserves value, and promotes financial stability.  In an SPOE resolution, the failed holding company’s shareholders and unsecured creditors are not transferred to the Bridge Financial Company, become claimants against the receivership, and will ultimately absorb the losses of the firm.  There would be no taxpayer support, and the board and senior executives of the failed firm would be removed.

To help operationalize an SPOE resolution, in 2017 the Federal Reserve and other authorities finalized a number of rules that help make SPOE work.          

• The Federal Reserve’s rule on minimum Total Loss Absorbing Capacity (TLAC) and long term debt (LTD) ensures sufficient private sector capacity is available to absorb the losses and recapitalize the institution in resolution;
• The “clean holding company rule” limits the liabilities of GSIB holding companies that are not long term debt, which helps reduce complications and competing claims of the holding company creditors in resolution; and
• Requirements for GSIBs to provide for stays on counterparty actions for Qualified Financial Contracts (QFCs), such as derivatives and repos, mean that QFCs can be easily transferred to a Bridge Financial Company or other new owner and not disrupt core financial markets.

Finally, because operations of GSIBs are global, the FDIC has invested enormous effort to promote international cooperation with our key counterpart jurisdictions. Our work together has resulted in robust mechanisms to:

• pre-position resources to support the recapitalization of subsidiaries in an SPOE resolution;
• meet regularly with home and host authorities to discuss firm-specific resolution plans in Crisis Management Groups; and 
• continue to engage with cross-border counterparts at all levels to test our operational preparedness. These engagements include biennial principal-level resolution planning exercises with our UK and European Banking Union counterparts.

Together, these planning and policy developments support the FDIC’s preparedness to undertake a Title II resolution.

Operational Steps for a U.S. GSIB Title II resolution 

A Title II GSIB resolution will be a challenging process under any circumstance, with a number of steps that need to be taken quickly and in close coordination with a range of stakeholders.  Generally, we plan for three stages of resolution: launching the resolution, stabilizing the failed firm's operations, and exiting the resolution.    Let me provide some more detail on our preparations and expectations for each of these stages. 

Launching the resolution

When a GSIB approaches failure, the FDIC and other authorities would take up that specific case to decide, under those circumstances, whether, when, and how the Title II framework would be used.  The multi-agency process and statutory factors guiding this decision are clearly laid out in Title II of the Dodd-Frank Act. This process is often referred to as the “three keys process,” because it requires recommendations from two federal agencies – the Federal Reserve and the FDIC in the case of most GSIBs – followed by a determination by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the President, to commence a Title II receivership. 3

Part of the decision making is a determination that using Title II would mitigate the adverse effects of the firm’s failure and resolution in bankruptcy.  Unlike a resolution under the Bankruptcy Code, a Title II resolution is managed by the FDIC as receiver.  It provides for the Orderly Liquidation Fund (OLF ) at the U.S. Treasury as a line of credit to the FDIC to serve as a temporary backstop source of liquidity. Any utilization of the OLF will be repaid with the assets of the failed firm with no taxpayer exposure. 

Access to the OLF requires an Orderly Liquidation Plan agreed upon with the Secretary of the Treasury that lays out the expected resolution strategy.  As described above, the FDIC expects that the Orderly Liquidation Plan would be based on an SPOE strategy , which the FDIC considers the most suitable resolution strategy in a range of potential scenarios involving resolution of a U.S. GSIB.  The SPOE strategy would mitigate financial stability risk, keep key subsidiaries open and operating, and continue critical operations. 

Launching the actual entry into resolution involves a number of steps that happen concurrently.  For a GSIB resolution using an SPOE strategy, the parent holding company of the failed GSIB is placed into receivership.  The FDIC, as receiver, would establish a Bridge Financial Company under its control, and determine the leadership and governance; transfer the operating subsidiaries to the Bridge Financial Company; and commence the claims process.

Importantly, at the point of entry, the board of directors of the failed GSIB and senior executives who were responsible for the failure would not be retained by the Bridge Financial Company.  The Dodd-Frank Act also provides authority for compensation clawbacks for senior executives who are considered to be substantially responsible for the company’s failure.  As mentioned previously, the failed firm’s shareholders and creditors will ultimately absorb the losses of the firm, with no taxpayer exposure.

The FDIC has prepared for these steps in advance.  We have drafted legal documents to establish the bridge company and its governance structure, built a program that maintains a roster of qualified and vetted executives to run the Bridge Financial Company, and retained contractors to scale up work on communications, employee retention, and claims administration.  Throughout this process, the FDIC aims for a balanced approach to bridge governance and oversight, with the FDIC retaining control over key strategic decisions and ensuring compliance with the Orderly Liquidation Plan and repayment of the OLF while the new Bridge Financial Company’s leadership manages the day-to-day operations. 

Stabilizing the operations of the firm

The second stage of resolution – stabilization of the operations – begins as soon as the firm enters resolution.  A key advantage of the SPOE resolution strategy is that by keeping material subsidiaries open and operating , it enables the firm’s material operations to continue.  The newly formed Bridge Financial Company would be backed by OLF liquidity or guarantees to the extent needed, and have a strong balance sheet with ample capital because the failed firm’s liabilities were left behind in the receivership to absorb losses, while the assets were transferred to the Bridge Financial Company. 

This puts the Bridge Financial Company in a strong position to use its internal resources to take any actions that may be needed immediately upon entry into resolution to recapitalize material domestic and foreign subsidiaries, provide liquidity support, and maintain continuity of operations. 

These actions will be supported by a comprehensive communications effort coordinated among the FDIC, other U.S. and international authorities, and the Bridge Financial Company.  This effort will be designed to provide clarity and understanding of the resolution to a range of critical stakeholders —including staff of the Bridge Financial Company and its subsidiaries, customers, counterparties, various public authorities, and the wider public. 

Let me be clear: While SPOE means the original holding company would fail, with the consequences of failure, the new Bridge Financial Company and its material subsidiaries will be open and operating. Market participants should be confident that these subsidiaries will continue providing critical services and functions to the market and fulfill contractual obligations to employees, counterparties, and customers. 

Exiting from resolution

Once the operating subsidiaries are stabilized, the FDIC and Bridge Financial Company management expect to focus on developing and implementing the restructuring and wind down plan .  Leveraging the GSIB’s Title I plan, the FDIC will have analyzed prior to the failure possible restructuring, divestiture, and wind-down actions to occur in resolution and incorporated its own expectations into the resolution strategy for the firm.  The type and extent of restructuring will depend on the nature of its business, the causes of failure, and the economic and market conditions at the time.  For example, an appropriate restructuring plan could include selling subsidiaries or specific business lines; winding down or liquidating specific portfolios, business lines, or subsidiaries in an orderly manner; or breaking up certain operating subsidiaries for sale or spin-off.

Any restructuring will aim to maintain value, continue or transition critical operations, address the causes of failure, and ensure that the entity or entities emerging from the Bridge Financial Company can be effectively resolved under the Bankruptcy Code (or other ordinarily applicable regime) in an orderly fashion.  Ongoing restructuring and divestiture requirements could also continue after exit from resolution by virtue of conditions placed on acquirers or mandated by other supervisory or regulatory requirements.

The FDIC expects to exit resolution in a timely fashion, with the failed GSIB’s shareholders and creditors, rather than the taxpayers, absorbing the losses of the failed firm.  The FDIC expects that the most likely mechanism for exiting resolution will be a securities-for-claims exchange . In this approach, new debt and equity securities in the successor company (or companies) are distributed to former creditors to satisfy the claims against the receivership.  Once the securities are distributed, the Bridge Financial Company is terminated and the successor company or companies will be owned by the former claimants. 

While the timeline may vary depending on the scenario, completion of all the steps needed for the securities-for-claims exchange—making claims determinations, estimating valuation of any successor company (or companies), and issuing and distributing new securities to claimants —will be arranged during the bridge period, which is likely to take at least nine months. 

This will allow sufficient time for the FDIC and the Bridge Financial Company to issue the audited financial statements, prospectuses, and necessary disclosures in order for the successor company (or companies) to comply with the requirements of federal securities laws. 

Again, our goal is that when a GSIB exits resolution, it no longer presents a systemic threat to the U.S. financial system and can be resolved under the ordinarily applicable resolution regime.  

Let me conclude by acknowledging that a U.S. GSIB failure will be extraordinarily challenging under any circumstances. Needless to say, we have yet to execute an orderly resolution of a U.S. GSIB. Until we do so successfully, there will be questions as to whether it can be done.

The purpose in issuing the paper today is to explain as clearly and in as much detail as possible how the FDIC expects to carry out that critical resolution responsibility.  We believe we have the authorities, resources, and capabilities to do the job if it becomes necessary.  We hope the paper generates interest in this issue.  We stand ready to engage with all interested parties to address questions and build further understanding of the FDIC’s plans and preparedness for executing our Title II Dodd-Frank Act resolution responsibilities for GSIBs.

See Financial Stability Board “ 2023 Bank Failures: Preliminary lessons learnt for resolution ” October 2023. 

FDIC’s 2013 SPOE Request for Comment – Resolution of Systemically Important Financial Institutions: The Single Point of Entry Strategy, 78 FR 76614,  http: govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2013-12-18/pdf/2013-30057.pdf    

The three keys process in DFA is similar to the voting process for approving the systemic risk exception in the FDIA which the agencies have invoked on a rapid timeframe including in the first quarter of 2023.

Fed's Powell: Elevated inflation will likely delay rate cuts this year

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell cautioned that persistently elevated inflation will likely delay any Fed interest rate cuts until later this year, opening the door to a period of higher-for-longer rates

WASHINGTON -- Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell cautioned Tuesday that persistently elevated inflation will likely delay any Fed interest rate cuts until later this year, opening the door to a period of higher-for-longer rates.

“Recent data have clearly not given us greater confidence" that inflation is coming fully under control and "instead indicate that it’s likely to take longer than expected to achieve that confidence,” Powell said during a panel discussion at the Wilson Center.

“If higher inflation does persist," he said, “we can maintain the current level of (interest rates) for as long as needed.”

The Fed chair's comments suggested that without further evidence that inflation is falling, the central bank may carry out fewer than the three quarter-point reductions its officials had forecast during their most recent meeting in March.

His remarks Tuesday represented a shift for Powell, who on March 7 had told a Senate committee that the Fed was “not far” from gaining the confidence it needed to cut rates. At a news conference on March 20, Powell appeared to downplay that assertion. But his comments Tuesday went further in dimming the likelihood of any rate cuts in the coming months.

“Powell’s comments make it clear the Fed is now looking past June,” when many economists had previously expected rate cuts to begin, Krishna Guha, an analyst at EvercoreISI, said in a research note.

In the past several weeks, government data has shown that inflation remains stubbornly above the Fed's 2% target and that the economy is still growing robustly. Year-over-year inflation rose to 3.5% in March, from 3.2% in February. And a closely watched gauge of “core” prices, which exclude volatile food and energy, rose sharply for a third straight month.

As recently as December, Wall Street traders had priced in as many as six quarter-point rate cuts this year. Now they foresee only two rate cuts, with the first coming in September.

Powell's comments followed a speech earlier Tuesday by Fed Vice Chair Philip Jefferson, who also appeared to raise the prospect that the Fed would not carry out three cuts this year in its benchmark rate. The Fed's rate stands at a 23-year high of 5.3% after 11 rate hikes beginning two years ago.

Jefferson said he expected inflation to continue to slow this year with the Fed’s key rate “held steady at its current level.” But he omitted a reference to the likelihood of future rate cuts that he had included in a speech in February.

Last month, Jefferson had said that should inflation keep slowing, “it will likely be appropriate” for the Fed to cut rates “at some point this year” — language that Powell has also used. Yet neither Powell or Jefferson made any similar reference Tuesday.

Instead, Powell said only that the Fed could reduce rates “should the labor market unexpectedly weaken.”

Fed officials have responded to recent reports that the economy remains strong and inflation is undesirably high by underscoring that they see little urgency to reduce their benchmark rate anytime soon.

On Monday, the government reported that retail sales jumped last month, the latest sign that robust job growth and higher stock prices and home values are fueling solid household spending. Vigorous consumer spending can keep inflation elevated because it can lead some businesses to charge more, knowing that many people are able to pay higher prices.

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How One Family Lost $900,000 in a Timeshare Scam

A mexican drug cartel is targeting seniors and their timeshares..

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email [email protected] with any questions.

Hello, James.

Hey. How’s it going?

Yeah. I’m not having much luck. So the problem is funding. And all of my money is in Mexico, all of it.

From “The New York Times,” I’m Katrin Bennhold. This is “The Daily.” A massive scam targeting elderly Americans who own timeshare properties has resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars sent to Mexico.

Once you move forward and make your payment, if anything were to happen, he will directly pay you the full amount of what you’re entitled to, including the gains. He will pay you the full amount.

You’ve got all my money. It’s been sent. I sold a freaking house.

Listen to this. I sold a house that I grew up in so that I could come up with funds to send to Mexico.

I don’t even have anything from the sale, nothing.

My colleague Maria Abi-Habib on one victim who lost everything and the people on the other side of the phone.

That’s it. That’s it. There’s nothing —

You know what? That’s what has been said every freaking time. Every time, just pay this. That releases the funds.

But that’s why we won’t allow it to happen again. This is the last time, James.

It’s Friday, April 12.

Maria, you’ve been looking into this scam that’s targeting Americans. Where did your investigation start?

So several weeks ago, I received a phone call from a lawyer based in St. Petersburg, Florida, who had been contacted by a family who was very concerned that the father, this man named James, was in the middle of being scammed. He’d sent hundreds of thousands dollars to Mexico. And he was considering sending another $157,000 when his daughter decided to call up this law firm and try to get her father to stop, stop sending money to Mexico.

So I called him a few weeks ago as I was trying to understand what was going on.

Hi, James. How are you?

Good. Thank you.

He’s asked that his last name be withheld for privacy concerns because he’s quite embarrassed about the story that I’m about to tell you.

You’re retired now, but what were you doing for work? And if your wife was working, what was her job?

I was with the Highway Patrol.

James is a retired state trooper from California. And his wife Nikki is a former school nurse.

She was born in ‘51. So 71-ish.

Two. She’s just reminded me, 72.

And they’re both in their early 70s. And they own this timeshare that is in Lake Tahoe, California. And they bought it in the 1990s for about $8,000.

And for someone who did not grow up vacationing in a timeshare, remind me how exactly timeshares work.

Timeshares are essentially vacation properties. And they tend to be beach resorts. And multiple people can buy into this property. The ownership is a shared ownership. And this gives you the right to use the timeshare for one to two weeks out of every year.

And so James and Nikki used their timeshare every other year with their daughters. But as they hit retirement age and their daughters are growing up and starting their own families, they’re just not really using it that much anymore. And timeshares require the owners to pay off yearly maintenance fees. And so they’re starting to think about maybe letting go of their timeshare and selling it.

Then one day, in late 2022, James gets a phone call from a company that is purporting to be based out of Atlanta, Georgia called Worry Free Vacations.

Worry Free Vacations?

That sounds enticing.

Yeah. And they start off with a simple question, which is, do you want to buy a timeshare? And James says, I already have a timeshare. And then they say, great. Well, what about selling the timeshare? Do you want to sell? There’s this Mexican businessman, and he’s interested in your timeshare. And he’s willing to buy it for about $20,000.

So we figured, well, what the heck? If we can make a few bucks on it, we’ll go for it.

And James jumps at the opportunity.

And did he do anything to try and verify that this was real?

Yeah. So remember, James is former law enforcement. And he feels very confident in his abilities to sniff out untrustworthy people. So he goes online, and he googles this Mexican businessman and sees that, yeah, he is a real person.

He’s a very well-respected individual in Mexico, very well off. And —

And this makes James feel at ease, that he’s selling to a legitimate person, that Worry Free Vacations are who they claim to be and that he’s going to double his money overnight, essentially.

And what happens next?

Well, a couple of weeks after he makes the agreement with the buyer, he’s told that he needs to send a couple thousand dollars to facilitate the purchase.

What does that mean, facilitate?

[MUSIC PLAYING]

I can’t remember specifically whether it was supposed to be cross-border registration —

So he’s being told that there are these fees that are paid directly to the Mexican government.

Or SPID or some other fee that was Mexican government required or not.

A lot of these fees are the same types of fees that you would pay in the United States for a real estate transaction. So he begins wiring money to an account in Mexico.

After that —

— a few days later, we get a notification. Well, everything went well, except that we have to pay an additional fee.

Every time that he sends one fee, he’s being told that he’s got to send another fee right afterwards.

Does he get suspicious at any point?

His wife is suspicious. After the first couple of payments, she starts saying, this does not feel right.

But James is the former law enforcement officer, right? And he’s the one that basically handles the family finances. And he’s confident that all of this is going to work out because he’s being told that the buyer of the timeshare will reimburse James for all of these fees once the sale goes through.

Michael from the Worry Free Vacations was constantly reassuring me the money’s in that account. Check with the commercial escrow account. It’s there. It’s just these fees have to be paid, and you’re being reimbursed for all of this.

They’re sending James documents that show all of the reimbursements that he’s owed and how much money he’s going to get. And this just makes him feel like all of this is kosher.

We have this commercial escrow company that was involved out of New York. So there was an air of legitimacy that I was comfortable with.

Maybe OK, these guys just need one more fee and everything is going to finally be cleared.

But about a year in, James starts to get suspicious. He begins asking questions because he wants his money.

And every time I asked, hey, is there a way I can get a partial release of these funds, there was always no, these funds have to be paid from your account before they’re released.

But Worry Free Vacations, they pivot. And they tell him that, listen, there are all these complications. It’s going to be really hard to get your money out from this transaction.

I could pay about $30,000 and change to reinvest the $313,000 into an environmentally-conscious development in Loreto, Mexico.

Instead, we’ve got this other investment opportunity in Mexico.

And I’m sure you know where that is, over on the East Coast of Baja.

And that is going to make you a huge return, even more money than you had thought that you were going to make, much more than the $20,000.

I’m supposed to have 54 million pesos in a Mexican bank account.

So this is now no longer just about his timeshare. They are now partners in a real estate investment.

Right. And there’s this whole new round of fees and fines associated with that.

So how many payments would you say?

Quite a few. Couple dozen at least, maybe more.

When was your last payment?

It would have been 17 January.

Uh-huh. And what was that for?

Good question.

And all along, he believed it was necessary to pay these costs just to get the money that he’s owed.

The amount of money that I’ve sent to Mexico is just freaking exorbitant. And I mean, it is approaching $900,000 or more.

And at this point, he’s sent about $900,000 to Mexico over about a year and a half.

Nearly $1 million.

That was almost all the money that he and his wife had saved for their retirement.

It also included money from the sale of James’s childhood home and money that he had borrowed from his daughter and son-in-law, about $150,000 from them.

It’s awful. So they were completely cleaned out by these guys.

Yeah. And this is when his daughter asks a law firm to look into this, which is the point in the story when I meet James. And when we start talking, it was clear to me that he just did not know what to think, even after losing this much money.

So this started in 2022. When did it end?

We’re still in it.

And he’s still talking to the scammers.

And as a matter of fact, presently, there was a request for $157,000 and change to clear up this whole thing. It would clear the entire issue out. Now —

And James is even considering putting a second mortgage on his house to send that money that he’d been promised would finally clear all this up — one final payment of $157,000.

It really sounds like he’s still wanted to believe that this was somehow legit.

Yeah. It was pretty clear to me that he was being scammed. But I didn’t definitively know what was going on, so I asked him if he could start recording his phone calls with the scammers.

Would you be so kind as to do me a favor?

Would you be willing to give them a call and record them?

[LAUGHS]: I’ll let you in on a little secret. I’ve been recording them.

And it turns out he already had been.

Worry Free Vacations.

So he shared the recordings of these calls that he’d had with these scammers over the last year or so. And it was just remarkable. It gave me huge insight into how the scam worked and the way that it sounded over the phone.

Is this is Michael in? I think he’s trying to call me. I couldn’t get through pick up.

Yes, I believe he did try to call you, sir. Give me a second. I think he’s only going to be in for a couple of minutes. One second.

There are two main takeaways for me listening to these calls.

Good afternoon. Michael McCarthy.

Michael, I missed your call. I was trying to pick up.

Yeah, don’t worry. Yeah, I figured something was wrong with your phone. Everything OK?

The first is that these scammers had really gotten to know James so well, and they really made James believe that Worry Free was a company that was working for him.

That’s why we need to hurry up and get this money over to you. Because hey, I’m losing my mind too. I’m not even here to convince you, James. I’m not — I’m your broker, and —

One of the things they continuously say is, trust me.

Look, I’m doing everything I can in my power and will on my end. So James, just look — like I told you from the get-go, I’m going to resolve this. And we are doing it. I just need you to focus on the goal.

They would refocus the conversation on what James needed to do to get his money back.

Look, if you make your payment as a security deposit, right away they will release the funds to you. With these —

And the other thing —

I’ve been having so much trouble trying to reach you, and I have not been successful.

— is that the scammers had created this elaborate cast of characters.

Why don’t you answer my calls?

And some of them were really aggressive. James shared a recording of this one man who claimed to be an agent for the Mexican government. And he basically started yelling at James.

I don’t care if your wife is at the hospital. To be honest with you, I don’t give a damn! But you know where I do give a damn? It’s your money, and my name is written all over it! Do you understand?

And he even threatened James. If James didn’t pay off these fines, then he would lose all the money that he’d sent to Mexico already.

You could get the best lawyer you want. You could get whoever you want. And this is not a threat. This is facts. But anyways, who am I to convince you, right?

Well, thank you for the information. And — are you still there? Hello?

Wow. So these scammers were basically doing a good cop, bad cop routine to stop James from walking away and to squeeze every last penny out of him.

If you provide me your email, contact information, I will certainly be happy to forward all of the wire transfer information from my bank account to you so that you can see where those funds went.

Yeah, that would be great. I have your email.

James asks me, a reporter who’s based in Mexico, who speaks the language, if I could help him figure out where his money had gone to.

Thank you very much. I really appreciate your assistance.

I’m just doing my job. Thanks again, and we’ll talk soon.

And the only way that I could figure that out was to understand who was on the other side of the phone.

We’ll be right back.

So Maria, who was on the other side of that phone line?

So by the time that I’d met James, I’d already gotten a tip from US law enforcement agencies that they were seeing a new trend. Mexican drug cartels were getting involved in the timeshare scam industry.

Drug cartels?

Yeah. And not just any drug cartel. This is one of the most notorious, violent, bloody drug cartels that exists in Mexico and Latin America, the Jalisco New Generation cartel. And when I looked at James’s bank records, guess what? All the money that he was sending was going to various bank accounts that were all located in Jalisco state in Mexico.

Wow. So why would the drug cartels get into the timeshare scamming business?

It is a huge business. The FBI told me that it’s about $300 million in profits over the last five years.

But the thing is is that the potential for it to actually be multitudes more is huge. Because the FBI estimates that most of the scams are actually not even reported. In fact, only about 20 percent are. So that means the total timeshare scam business could actually be much larger than the $300 million that they have knowledge of over the last five years.

But wait. I thought the drug business was a pretty lucrative business in itself. So why get into the scamming of elderly people for their properties in Lake Tahoe?

Well, you have to remember that these drug cartels, they’re not just doing one thing. They’re doing multiple things. They’re essentially conglomerates. Because it’s really expensive to run a cartel. You need to pay off officials, both Mexican and American. You need to maintain basically an army in order to secure your routes up to the United States, ports of entry into Mexico from Colombia. And any big business, you need to diversify your income to make sure that you keep the money flowing. Because you never know when one business is going to be shut down by authorities or taken over by your rivals.

We’ve reported that they’re now in the avocado business and the construction business. And timeshare fraud is basically no different than any of those. So we’re seeing that the cartels have their fingers in many pies, the legitimate and the illegitimate economy here in Mexico.

It’s kind of fascinating to think of these drug cartels as like sprawling diversified business empires. But when did the cartels first get into the scamming business?

So Jalisco New Generation started about 15 years ago.

And when they started to consolidate their empire in Jalisco state, they found that there were all these scam timeshare call centers all over the state that were being run by various players, and that this was a huge, huge moneymaker. Because essentially, all you have to do is call up retired senior citizens in the US and Canada. It doesn’t take that much money to run that kind of a scheme. There’s no product you’re making.

So essentially, they conducted a hostile takeover of these call centers. They went in. They kicked down doors and dragged out the people who were managing these call centers by their hair and threatened to kill them unless they gave up the call centers or started handing over a cut of what they made. And slowly, slowly Jalisco New Generation cartel took over the entire timeshare fraud industry.

Interesting. Were you able to find any of these call centers?

So these call centers are pretty hard to find. They look like any other storefront. But I was able to visit two that were located in an upscale neighborhood in Guadalajara, which is the capital of Jalisco state. And it was just really perturbing because it was just so normal. Two villas about a mile away from each other outside. Outside of one villa, parents were walking by, holding their children’s hands as they did drop off at school.

It was right next to a park where people taking their morning exercise or their dogs for a walk. There was no real sign that the cartel was doing business there. But a few months before, Mexican law enforcement had found the bodies of eight young people who had used to work at one of these call centers and said that the Jalisco cartel had killed them.

Wow. What happened?

So I wasn’t able to talk directly to any of the victims’ families. They’re just too scared. But in general, this is usually how it starts.

The cartel seeks out English speakers to work for their call centers. Sometimes they don’t even tell them what exactly they are doing. They would tell the recruits that the job was adjacent to the hotel industry.

You have to remember, Jalisco is a huge, huge tourism magnet for Americans and Canadians and others. And the cartel would get their call lists from bribing hotel employees to give them the names of people who stayed at these hotels and also at the timeshare resorts. And the people who would work at the call centers are provided the names and a manual of what you need to do when you call, like a loose script of how to try to suck as much money as you can out of these people up North in Canada and the States.

So we don’t know for sure what exactly happened with the eight young Mexicans who were killed last year. But through an intermediary, one sibling told us that when their family member knew what their job actually was, they became extremely uncomfortable and tried to leave the call center and find another job maybe.

But the Jalisco New Generation cartel is known for being extremely brutal. They chop off heads, and they’ll put them on the gates of a playground, for instance. So that everybody in the neighborhood knows what went down. And in this case, it’s possible that they wanted to send a warning that there’s no defection from their timeshare call centers.

So basically making a very scary example of these guys, in case anyone else is thinking about quitting one of the call centers.

Exactly. And one man, who runs an organization who advocates for missing people and actually organizes search parties to comb the forests of Jalisco state looking for the missing, says that he knows of about 30 people who have disappeared from the call centers in Jalisco state since 2017. So while Americans and Canadians might be losing much of their life savings, in Mexico, this is actually deadly.

Are the authorities doing anything about this?

Not really, other than the fact that these two call centers were shut down. The authorities haven’t arrested others. They’re not putting pressure on Mexican banks, for instance, to look into these payments coming from senior citizens in the US or Canada. And you have to remember that people are really afraid. But you also have to remember that in Mexico things are not that clear. There is a lot of corruption and government collusion with organized crime and cartels.

And the tourism industry, it is huge in Mexico and particularly in Jalisco state. This is a multi-billion dollar industry. They don’t want Americans or Canadians or Europeans who are coming to Jalisco for its beautiful beaches and its mountains to hear about these stories regarding the cartels being involved in the tourism industry and think, I’m not going to send my family there for that beach vacation. It’s just simply too dangerous.

So everybody has an incentive to have the scam continue, whether because they’re too afraid and don’t want to speak out or because they’re in on it.

So in a way, local authorities have an interest in sweeping it under the carpet in order to just maintain this idea of a tourist destination.

Exactly. I mean, the spokeswoman for the prosecutor’s office was very responsive to me until I told her what I wanted to ask her questions about. And then she just simply never answered any of my texts or phone calls.

So Maria, based on everything you know, all the information you have, would you say that you’re confident that the cartels were the ones who scammed James?

Yes, 100 percent. Everything I’ve seen points in that direction.

What did James say when you told him this?

So it took him quite a while to really allow himself to believe it. On the advice of his lawyers, he stopped picking up the phone calls. And about a week ago, they stopped after the scammers kept trying to call him.

But you said he was in it for over a year. Why do you think it took him so long?

Can you tell me, after all of that had been presented to you, why do you think you weren’t willing to be entirely convinced?

Well, I actually asked him that question.

That’s a very good question. Why wasn’t I able to pick up on that right away? And I think in the back of my mind, I’m finding out that I’m a little more stubborn than I thought I was.

And for him, it was pretty complicated.

And I think that I didn’t want to believe that I had fallen for this. I didn’t feel I was that foolish and stupid when it came to this. You know? I guess I didn’t want to believe that I could be fooled.

To come to terms with the fact that he had lost so much money was to come to terms with the fact that he wasn’t the person that he thought that he was, that he wasn’t this kind of clever former law enforcement officer who was used to fighting the bad guys and winning.

I’m disappointed in myself. There’s a huge level of anger towards the perpetrators. And all of those things wrapped into one. And part of that, I think, contributes to not wanting to actually believe that I was wrong.

Hmm. Yeah, I hear you. I’m sorry. I can hear the pain in your voice.

[LAUGHS]: Yeah.

Some of it’s based on shame, right? That he lost all this money, everything that he’s worked for, and the fact that this was all supposed to be money that his children and his grandchildren were going to inherit. And now it’s gone.

And have you told your daughter that you think you’ve come to terms with the fact that this might have been a scam?

Oh, she’s been involved. Yeah. They know.

My daughter does.

I’m sorry. This is a tough time.

So I’ve got to make some sort of arrangement to compensate them for this on top of our regular debt. So yeah. It’s been a swell experience, all of it brought on by my — evidently, my stubbornness to believe that I couldn’t possibly be a victim.

How’s your wife doing throughout this whole process, with this new knowledge?

She’s not real happy, obviously, at all. I hear a lot of “I told you so.” And at this point, I’ve got no defense. She’s absolutely right. There’s no question about it.

Do you worry this is going to affect your marriage?

Yes, there has been an effect.

And do you think that at this point there’s any way for James and his family to get some kind of justice or at least find some kind of closure?

Ay. Justice? Unlikely.

At this point, I’m not necessarily expecting much in the way of restitution.

And as for closure, it’s a little bit too soon to tell. In a way, James has gone through several stages of acceptance for what happened. There’s fear. There’s shame. There’s resignation. And now he’s talking to me partly because he feels like it’s a public service, that he needs to be vocal so that other people don’t go through what he’s gone through and fall for the scam. And I think it also helps him feel a little bit empowered in a situation for over the last year and a half he was at the mercy of these people who were calling him multiple times a week.

I want to try to get as much information to as many of these official organizations as possible. I have a streak of anger through me now that I’ve developed to the point where I’m not going to let this go.

Well, Maria, thank you.

Thank you for having me.

Here’s what else you need to know today. OJ Simpson, the football star who was accused and later acquitted of murdering his former wife and her friend, died of cancer at his home in Las Vegas, his family said Thursday. He was 76.

Today’s episode was produced by Astha Chaturvedi and Will Reid, with help from Clare Toeniskoetter and Lindsay Garrison. It was edited by Brendan Klinkenberg and Michael Benoist, contains original music by Marion Lozano, Rowan Niemisto, Dan Powell, Pat McCusker, and Will Reid, and was engineered by Chris Wood. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly.

[THEME MUSIC]

That’s it for “The Daily.” I’m Katrin Bennhold. See you on Monday.

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Hosted by Katrin Bennhold

Produced by Asthaa Chaturvedi and Will Reid

With Clare Toeniskoetter and Lynsea Garrison

Edited by Brendan Klinkenberg and Michael Benoist

Original music by Marion Lozano ,  Rowan Niemisto ,  Dan Powell ,  Pat McCusker and Will Reid

Engineered by Chris Wood

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

Warning: this episode contains descriptions of violence.

A massive scam targeting older Americans who own timeshare properties has resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars sent to Mexico.

Maria Abi-Habib, an investigative correspondent for The Times, tells the story of a victim who lost everything, and of the criminal group making the scam calls — Jalisco New Generation, one of Mexico’s most violent cartels.

On today’s episode

Maria Abi-Habib , an investigative correspondent for The New York Times based in Mexico City.

Background reading

How a brutal Mexican drug cartel came to target seniors and their timeshares .

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The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Dan Farrell, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

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Katrin Bennhold is the Berlin bureau chief. A former Nieman fellow at Harvard University, she previously reported from London and Paris, covering a range of topics from the rise of populism to gender. More about Katrin Bennhold

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Is YouTube India's next battleground for free speech?

Many journalists and commentators in India post content on YouTube in order to avoid pressure from the government. But officials are already tweaking laws to expand their influence to include the platform.

YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, a 29-year-old from India living in Europe, has recently set Indian social media humming with a video criticizing the direction his country was moving in under Prime Minister Narendra Modi .

Rathee's video "Is India becoming a DICTATORSHIP?" (sic) has amassed over 24 million views since it was uploaded in late February. In it, the creator cites instances of media control and claims state agencies are being used against opposition leaders, eventually alleging that these efforts are part of a broader trend to silence Modi's rivals .

Why India's protesting farmers refuse to back down

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Rathee has some 17.6 million subscribers on his main  YouTube  channel. And the platform is booming in India — it currently has over 460 million users in the world's most populous country.

By 2029, it is expected to have over 859 million Indian users, according to estimates by Statista, an online platform specializing in data gathering and visualization.

As more and more people turn to YouTube to get news, more journalists are also migrating to the platform to cover Indian news and politics, hoping to find a way out of India's more traditional and polarized media landscape .

Newsrooms 'diminished'

The space for independent reporters in India's newsrooms has been shrinking for a while.

Independent journalist Ravish Kumar, one of the country's best-known media personalities, says many journalists have been ideologically transformed and are increasingly influenced by the state.

"Even if there is a political change, it will not change the situation in the media. The way the newsroom has been diminished, there has been a cascading effect in local newsrooms across states in India as well," Kumar, who used to work for the mainstream NDTV media channel, told DW.

He is now a one-man media company and now boasts 8 million subscribers on YouTube where he launched his channel in October 2022.

"Mainstream media does a banal analysis of data and there is very little factual analysis of the prime minister's speeches. There is only a reproduction of biases, which has been done in the last few elections," Kumar said.

Tweaking laws to control messaging

Recently, however, the government has been pushing amendments to existing media laws .

The laws include the Telecommunications Bill of 2023, the draft Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill of 2023, and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act of 2023. Critics say that officials want to have more control over what can be posted on the internet.

Last week, YouTube removed the channel of digital Hindi news outlet "Bolta Hindustan," which had close to 300,000 subscribers. YouTube refused to give any reasons for the suspension, but some reports indicate it was done on instructions from the Indian government.

The move also comes just months after the "Bolta Hindustan" handle was suspended on Instagram.

"The government has a way of getting to you," political satirist Akash Banerjee told DW. "You cannot fully be yourself. Of course, there is self-censorship here, too. One must be controlled, as I know the knock on my door can happen, too," added the host of the political satire channel The DeshBhakt (The Patriot) on YouTube.

BJP boasts its own influencers

Indian authorities blocked 104 YouTube channels and 45 videos from the beginning of 2021 to October 2022, under the provisions of the Information Technology (IT) Act , which can be invoked to restrict access to content in the interest of the sovereignty and integrity of the country. The government has also repeatedly clashed with X, formerly Twitter .

Last year, social media platforms were directed to block a BBC documentary that  implicated Modi in the 2002 Gujarat riots .

Sharing links and clips from the documentary was banned, and the government deployed police to stop students from screening the film .

India's political parties bet on influencers to swing votes

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also tried to rope in YouTube and Instagram influencers  and gain their help to promote its campaigns and shape voters' opinions ahead of the general election set to start this month .

'The crackdown has been way too transparent'

Digital players have been "doing more public interest journalism, news, and commentary than legacy media over the past several years," said Abhinandan Sekhri, co-founder and CEO of the Indian media watchdog "Newslaundry."

"The government sees this and has since amended and introduced several rules and to have more control and tighter regulation of the digital space," he told DW.

"The blocking of YouTube channels and social media accounts is only the next step in this ongoing trend. The crackdown has been way too transparent and unselfconscious for any self-respecting democracy," he added.

Crackdown in India on anti-Modi news website sparks protests

'fake news' watchdog put on hold.

And yet, there are some positive signals for those who warn that the government is trying to tighten its grip on the media.

In March, India's Supreme Court put on hold an official initiative to identify fake news related to the government.

The official Fact Check Unit (FCU) had been formed to respond to any posts that it deemed fake or containing misleading facts about the business of the government. Part of the response would be to flag those posts to social media intermediaries.

The initiative was challenged in court by the stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra, who argued that the FCU would coerce social media companies to implement censorship of online content pertaining to the government.

"The establishment of the FCU would muzzle speech against the government. The new IT rules will have a chilling effect on free speech. Elections are coming, the public must have all information about the government, not information filtered out as 'fake' by the government," Kamra told DW.

Edited by: Darko Janjevic

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