Debate · Topics
Debates with Both Sides
44 resolutions for practice rounds and club meetings. Each page gives neutral background, then the strongest arguments for and against, each with the best answer from the other side, plus weak arguments to avoid, cross-examination questions and reading on both sides.
School and everyday
School UniformsResolved: Public schools should require students to wear uniforms.
HomeworkResolved: Elementary schools should eliminate graded homework.
Year-Round SchoolResolved: Public schools in the United States should adopt a year-round calendar.
Phones in SchoolResolved: Schools should ban student cell phones for the entire school day.
The Four-Day School WeekResolved: Public school districts should adopt a four-day school week.
Standardized Tests in College AdmissionsResolved: Selective colleges should require applicants to submit SAT or ACT scores.
Letter Grades vs Standards-Based GradingResolved: Schools should replace traditional letter grades with standards-based grading.
Taking Away RecessResolved: Elementary schools should not take away recess as a punishment.
Later School Start TimesResolved: Middle and high schools should start no earlier than 8:30 a.m.
Teaching CursiveResolved: Elementary schools should be required to teach cursive handwriting.
Required Personal Finance ClassResolved: High schools should require a semester-long personal finance course for graduation.
Science and technology
Nuclear PowerResolved: The United States should substantially expand its use of nuclear power.
Funding Space ExplorationResolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase funding for space exploration.
Social Media Age LimitsResolved: The United States should prohibit social media accounts for people under 16.
AI in ClassroomsResolved: High schools should allow students to use generative artificial intelligence tools for schoolwork.
Genetically Modified CropsResolved: The benefits of genetically modified crops outweigh their harms.
Self-Driving CarsResolved: The federal government should allow fully driverless vehicles on public roads nationwide.
Permanent Daylight Saving TimeResolved: The United States should adopt permanent daylight saving time.
Plastic Bag BansResolved: States should ban single-use plastic shopping bags.
Economics and policy
Raising the Minimum WageResolved: The United States federal government should raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.
Universal Basic IncomeResolved: The United States federal government should provide a universal basic income.
Tariffs to Protect ManufacturingResolved: The United States should use broad tariffs to protect domestic manufacturing.
A Carbon TaxResolved: The United States federal government should enact a carbon tax with the revenue returned to citizens.
Rent ControlResolved: Cities should adopt rent control to address high housing costs.
Tuition-Free Community CollegeResolved: States should make community college tuition-free.
Public Money for StadiumsResolved: Cities should not use public funds to build professional sports stadiums.
The Penny and RoundingResolved: The United States should require cash purchases to be rounded to the nearest five cents.
Civics
Lowering the Voting Age to 16Resolved: The voting age in the United States should be lowered to 16.
The Electoral CollegeResolved: The United States should elect its president by national popular vote.
Compulsory VotingResolved: In a democracy, voting ought to be compulsory.
Term Limits for CongressResolved: The United States should adopt term limits for members of Congress.
Mandatory National ServiceResolved: The United States should require one year of national service for young adults.
Ranked-Choice VotingResolved: States should adopt ranked-choice voting for statewide elections.
Election Day as a National HolidayResolved: The United States should make Election Day a federal holiday.
Ethics
ZoosResolved: Zoos do more good than harm.
Animals in Medical ResearchResolved: The use of animals in medical research is morally justified.
College Athletes as EmployeesResolved: College athletes should be classified as employees of their universities.
Fast FashionResolved: The harms of fast fashion outweigh its benefits.
Police Use of Facial RecognitionResolved: Police in the United States should be prohibited from using facial recognition technology.
Civil DisobedienceResolved: In a democracy, civil disobedience is a morally justified response to injustice.
Classic historical debates
Lincoln and Douglas, 1858Historical question (1858): Should the federal government keep slavery out of the western territories, or should the people of each territory decide?
Hamilton vs Jefferson on a National Bank, 1791Historical question (1791): Does the Constitution give Congress the power to charter a national bank?
Federalists vs Anti-Federalists, 1787–88Historical question (1787–88): Should the states ratify the proposed Constitution?
Joining the League of Nations, 1919Historical question (1919): Should the United States Senate ratify the Treaty of Versailles and join the League of Nations?
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How these pages are written
- Evenhanded. Both sides get the same number of arguments, each in its strongest form, and each followed by the best answer from the other side. Teddy Rook Book doesn’t pick a winner.
- Sourced. Background facts link to their sources. Where the facts themselves are disputed, the page says so and gives the main positions.
- Levels. Beginner: familiar topics with few technical terms, good for a first round or a middle school club. Intermediate: some research needed and a few terms to learn. Advanced: technical, economic or historical topics that reward deep reading.
- Kinds. A policy resolution asks whether to do something; a value resolution asks whether something is good, right or more important; a fact resolution asks whether something is true. See Reading a Resolution.
Want one at random? The resolution picker in the drills draws from this list.