100+ Debate Topics & How to Win Any Debate
/Choose from over 100 interesting debate topics and learn strategies to win any debate
Learn the strategies and techniques you need to win any debate with 100+ debate topics
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Introduction
Debate is an extracurricular activity that you’ve probably heard of from your or your child’s high school roster of clubs or teams. But debate is far more than that. It’s also an intellectually demanding form of learning and a structured way of making decisions. Tracing back to the legendary public speakers and rhetoricians of ancient Greece, debate helps its participants to compare and contrast opposing viewpoints.
In school, the word ‘debate’ often takes on several meanings. Debate (usually with a capital D, and often described in a specific style or format, like Worlds Schools, Lincoln Douglas, Public Forum, or Policy) is a widely popular competitive activity, not only partaken in by students across the United States, but also on a global scale.
Then there is debate (with a lowercase d), a common educational activity, especially in social studies classes. Even more informally, there is the debate we engage in all the time with friends, family, and even strangers, which is often synonymous with arguments or disagreements.
If you’re reading this post, you might be interested in learning about how to debate in general, or researching whether or not joining a Debate team is right for you or your child. You might be a student on a hunt for good debate topics to discuss in a classroom or a parent hunting for ideas to bat around at the kitchen table with a gifted student.
Whatever your reason for investigating further into debate (and Debate), you can find both a broad and philosophical introduction to debate here along with guidance into topics and discussions of Debate as an extracurricular activity. We’ll cover debate tips and debate strategies. Consider this guide a comprehensive blueprint for learning how to debate, and how to win a debate. We’ll also get into topics—what makes a good debate topic, examples of controversial debate topics, and provide suggestions for debate topics for high school students and debate topics for college students.
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How to Debate
Since debate can only happen when people make arguments, the first thing you must learn in order to debate is how to construct an argument in a clear, compelling, and persuasive manner.
An effective argument begins with a provable, debatable claim, similar to the thesis statement of a persuasive essay you might have been asked to write for class. In order for there to be a debate, two different and mutually exclusive positions need to be evaluated against each other.
Step 1: Write Your Case
Establish a Clear Position Statement
A helpful way to frame one’s position in a debate is to state which side of the debate one is on, and then list several key reasons why that side is better. These reasons can then be expanded on as sub-arguments, or contentions, to provide additional depth and information in support of the overarching claim.
Let’s say that you are debating about whether or not schools should require students to wear uniforms, and you are going to defend uniforms. That puts you on what might be known as the proposition, affirmative, or in-favor side. Your provable, debatable claim statement to establish your position could be:
“Schools should require students to wear uniforms because uniforms reduce bullying, save families money, and foster a stronger school culture.”
It is easy to discern from this statement that you are on the proposition (not opposition) side of this debate, because you said, “schools should require students to wear uniforms.” It is also easy to preview the sub-arguments, or contentions, you will make in this debate to support your claim, as you listed out the three reasons of “...reduce bullying, save families money, and foster a stronger school culture.”
Articulate a Framework
Before developing your contentions in support of your side further, though, it is helpful to articulate a framework for the debate. A framework, simply put, is a way of evaluating something and determining what we should care about when making a decision. The purpose of framework in debate is to tell the judge (or audience) how they should think about the debate as a whole, to convince them what should matter the most and what matters less.
In the debate about school uniforms, for example, the framework for the debate could be:
“We should evaluate all arguments about school uniforms in terms of how they ultimately impact students’ learning and educational outcomes. Since the essential purpose of school is to help students learn as much as possible, we should ultimately look to which side in this debate improves educational outcomes the most.”
There are many other ways this debate could be framed, too, which is why establishing a clear framework is so important. Someone could say, for example, that we should actually care about students’ mental wellness and happiness first and foremost. Or maybe we should care about reducing inequality and promoting fairness first and foremost.
High-quality debates almost always include arguments not only about specific points related to the topic, but also more big-picture, framework arguments about how we should think about and evaluate the topic.
Develop Contentions with a Claim, Warrant, Impact
Similar to the body paragraphs of a persuasive essay, contentions are unique arguments focused on specific reasons why the overall position is true, correct, or worthy of support. Contentions are the specific, detail-oriented section of a case, and where arguments over evidence, facts, and logical reasoning play out. Effective contentions tend to follow a specific structure in debate, focused around a claim, warrant, and impact.
The claim of the contention is akin to a topic sentence in an essay: it is a clear, direct, and provable statement which will be defended in the rest of contention. Returning to the example topic of school uniforms, for example, a contention could begin with the claim: “school uniforms strengthen student culture.” This is not the only claim one could make to support school uniforms, but it is a claim that can be defended with further evidence.
Next, a contention should include a warrant (or ideally a series of warrants) about why the claim is true. Simply put, warrants are a combination of evidence and logical reasoning that explain why the claim makes sense.
A debater might, for example, cite a study showing that students’ feelings of belonging and school spirit increased by 20% after a school instituted a uniform policy. Then, the debater might offer logical reasoning for why that result occurred. One reason why school uniforms strengthen student culture is that they remind students of being on a sports team or other activity where teamwork and collaboration are essential.
Finally, a contention should end with an impact (or ideally a series of impacts) that show what would happen as a result of the claim being true. In other words, the impact shows the possible effects of the contention. It can be helpful to think of impacts in terms of “what would happen if?” questions.
So, what would happen if school uniforms do improve student culture? One possible impact might be that instances of bullying will go down, thereby leading to greater student happiness and feelings of being safe and welcomed at school. This impact could be stretched even further, for example, to say that as a result of students feeling safer and welcome, they will attend school more often and miss fewer classes and assignments.
Step 2: Present Your Case
Since debate is a communicative activity, a debater must convey an argument to persuade their audience. Though the substance and structure of your argument matters, everyone is susceptible to boredom! To get your point across, you must project confidence and speak in a way that holds your audience’s attention. This section explains the art of public speaking and breaks it down into components that can be practiced.
Let’s begin with a brief analogy. Musicians, when writing music, must choose notes, the tempo, the key signature, etc. That is, musicians must use the building blocks of music to create a song. This is like what debaters do: they take the building blocks of argumentation (claims, warrants, evidence, impacts, etc.) to craft a debate case.
Musicians add accent marks to notes, they give directions for when notes should be played loudly (forte) or softly (piano), they add in crescendos and decrescendos for dramatic effect.
Skilled debaters, similarly, vary the volume of their voices; pause and emphasize words; move their hands, change their posture, and vary their facial expressions. Both musicians and debaters understand the same principle: it is not just what we make, but how we present it, that leaves a lasting impression on our audience.
A good public speaker captures the attention of their audience and projects what is often called gravitas: a calm, serious, and poised demeanor. A public speaker appears neither too timid nor too confident, but rather calm and in control.
Additionally, they employ rhetorical devices, tailoring their words for their audience. This might sound intimidating to master, but great public speaking is in fact similar to stimulating conversation.
First, great presentation involves the careful and purposeful use of words. There are an infinite number of ways to express an idea, but public speakers use a variety of rhetorical tactics to make their words stick and have maximum impact.
Repetition: To solve poverty, to solve joblessness, to solve homelessness, we must reinvest in our communities.
Alliteration: These tired, tormented soldiers sacrificed so much; we owe them mental health care.
Contrast: The choice is clear: to protect the land of Native Americans or to destroy it.
Vivid Diction: What hideous, heinous advocacy from side opposition!
Second, debaters manipulate many variables related to their voice. Slowing down, speaking louder, and raising one’s voice often convey emphasis and importance, for example.
Volume (loud or soft)
Pace (fast or slow)
Pitch (high or low)
Tone (sarcastic, mocking, somber, serious, passionate, etc)
Cadence (pauses, accelerations)
Third, debaters also strategically use body language, since the posture, motion, and overall presentation of the body adds meaning to words.
Gestures (raising arms, shrugging, pointing)
Stance (off-center, spread, compact, etc.)
Facial expression (frowning, furrowed brow, raised brow, smile, etc.)
Movement (still to fluid)
Returning to our analogy, a musician reads the notes on the page and hears the music as they perform it. Your task as a debater is similar: to be simultaneously aware of what you are saying and aware of how you are saying it, and to work to make your delivery as best as it can be.
There is only one way to become a great public speaker: practice! There is nothing better than practicing in front of an audience but practicing in front of a mirror is a great alternative. Additionally, even pretending to give a speech while you’re walking around is great, too. The more you orate, the better you’ll be when you have to do it for real.
Here are 4 easy practice ideas to help you become a more engaging, dynamic public speaker.
1. Find a famous historical speech. Listen to it/watch it, and then present it yourself. Or present it to a friend, loved one, or even your pet and ask for feedback.
2. Find an empty room and read a poem or song aloud as if you were performing it.
3. Imagine various circumstances when you might have to give a speech, and then do it on the fly. Give a speech in the car, in the shower, or on a walk when you don’t have other distractions.
4. Record yourself on video giving a speech, and then watch and assess your words, voice, and body.
Step 3: Take Notes & Attack the Other Side
After presenting your own case, whether in a formal debate setting or a more casual atmosphere, your opponent will present their case. Hopefully, their case will present arguments that are at-odds with yours, such that something called clash is created in the debate.
Clash is the idea that debate happens not when people say things that are different, but that are both different and contradictory, i.e. necessarily competitive. If you argue that schools should require students to wear uniforms, but your opponent argues that schools should not require students to wear shoes in class, you are having two different debates without clash!
To track the clash in a debate, competitive debaters use a specific method of taking notes on their opponents’ arguments called flowing. The reason it is called flowing is because the notes (“the flow”) are a record of how the arguments develop over the course of the debate (and also how you respond to them).
The easiest way to flow is to split a sheet of paper into a few columns and to record each speech in its own column. So, you could take down notes on your opponents’ arguments in the very first column, and then you jot down some ideas in the next column for points you might want to make in response.
Rather than take notes on every word that is said, debaters flow the key ideas (like the claims, warrants, and impacts) of each argument. Many debaters also take notes in shorthand, which means that they abbreviate words and even use symbols (like an up arrow to symbolize something increasing, growing, etc.). There is no right or wrong way to flow, as it is a matter of personal preference.
If you are a novice debater, you should try to experiment with a few different techniques to see what works best for you. One helpful tip for keeping your notes organized is to use two different colored pens (one color for everything your opponent says, the other color for everything you say/will say).
Notes don’t talk, though, so you must form cogent responses to your opponent’s case and present them in a structured, organized way.
Good debaters don’t just say, “that’s not true!” or “I disagree!” in response to their opponent. They offer multiple reasons why the argument is true, attacking it from many different angles. Here are a few different strategies you can use to attack an argument:
Think about unintended consequences, especially problems or harms, that could happen. Your opponent selectively presented the best, most desirable impacts in their case, most likely, but that doesn’t mean that the impacts they presented are the only impacts possible.
Example: School uniforms might increase feelings of student belonging, for instance, but an unintended consequence is that students might also feel less strong senses of self & individuality as they are prevented from expressing their identities in their fashion choices. That’s bad!
Think about reasons the warrants of the contention (the reasons why it is supposedly true) don’t make sense.
Example: In the school uniforms case, a debater might cite evidence such as quotations from an expert in a research study or statistics from a reliable, objective source. They might, however, be interpreting that evidence incorrectly or stretching it too far.
Just because students felt a greater sense of belonging after being required to wear uniforms doesn’t mean the uniforms caused the change. This is a classic example of correlation without causation, the idea that just because something after something else happens doesn’t mean it was caused by it.
Think about the trade-offs that happen when one thing is gained.
Example: Let’s say that school uniforms do increase feelings of belonging at school. If the purpose of school is to educate students as much as possible, then this particular method of increasing feelings of belonging actually hurts students’ education.
Fashion is closely related to culture and traditions, for example, so uniforms take away the valuable expression of cultural diversity that comes via clothing choices, such as a recently immigrated student wearing a traditional piece from their home country.
Additionally, clothing can be used to convey important political messages or express support for causes, such as a ‘Black Lives Matter’ t-shirt. So, even though students might feel a greater sense of belonging, this comes at the expense of opportunities for cultural exposure and education that happen through personal fashion.
Think about why the argument doesn’t matter or isn’t important. Or more specifically, think about why the argument matters less or is less important than your argument.
Think about the bigger goal or objective trying to be accomplished in the debate. Perhaps there are other ways of achieving that same goal or objective that have far fewer problems, risks, harms, etc.
Think about how points made by your opponent might be incomplete or in tension with other points. Pointing out claims without good warranting and reasoning to back them up, or arguments that contradict other arguments can help expose the flaws of your opponent’s case.
When responding to your opponent’s points, it is helpful to list out your responses and to clearly state which of your opponent’s points are relevant to your particular responses. You might say, for example, “in response to my opponent’s first contention, I have three points to make.”
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How to Win Any Debate
Skilled debaters understand that two principles hold true for all debates: there is always a comparison being made between two different sides, and there are always advantages and disadvantages to both sides.
Try not to hold an “all-or-nothing” mindset in debate. Sometimes, the best you can do is defend a policy that is still bad/problematic and only makes a tiny bit of positive change. If you find yourself in that position, don’t despair.
The key is to think about the comparative; what happens if your side and your advocacy isn’t upheld? Debate is not about all possible ideas and solutions to problems; it is only about the ideas and solutions that the debaters bring up in the debate round!
Consider another example: some say banning soda won’t stop people from drinking soda entirely, so we shouldn’t ban soda at all. That’s an “all-or-nothing” mindset. But if a soda ban—or a similar prohibitory policy—is less bad than the alternatives, and if it causes more positive change than the alternatives, it still may be the best policy.
Bans on soda might prevent only 50% of people from having soda, but that’s still better than preventing no one from having soda, given how soda contributes to diabetes, obesity, and other health problems, right? The point is that even if the benefit is less than perfect, there is still some positive impact to be realized.
Remember: Your job as a debater isn’t to perfectly solve a problem. It’s just to solve it better than your opponent.
When thinking about comparatives in debate, it is helpful to think about what and who could be changed in the context of a debate topic.
Maybe you are debating about changing some social norm so that feminism is more widely accepted in society. For example, maybe you are debating about whether there should be separate titles “Miss,” “Ms.” and “Mrs.” assigned to women to reflect their marital status; or if all women, regardless of their marital status, should be referred to as “Ms.”. Socially conservative men (and women) who have opposed feminism for most of their lives probably aren’t going to change their minds anytime soon about this particular issue. At the same time, serious feminists probably aren’t going to change their minds, either.
The question is, who is on the margins of the debate? Who are the people in the so-called middle-ground who can actually be influenced one way or another?
To win any debate, you must make the comparative very clear. You must tell a story to the audience or the judge where it is clear what supporting your side entails and what supporting your opponent’s side entails.
One way to do this is to present what are called voting issues at the end of the debate. A voting issue is a big, key reason why you should win the debate. Many debaters state voting issues as rhetorical questions, such as, “which side in this debate best helps minority citizens?” or “which side in this debate uses taxpayers’ money the most efficiently?” or “which side in this debate best strengthens the security of the United States?”
As you talk about each voting issue in the debate, your goal is to compare the arguments made over the course of the debate and weigh each side to show why you won. Perhaps you have presented more reliable, trustworthy evidence. Or perhaps you have explored many serious unintended consequences with the other side. Or perhaps you have clearly shown a positive benefit of your side that your opponent has left uncontested in the debate.
10 High-Yield Debate Tips
Clash. Spend an equal amount of time developing, defending, and advancing your own arguments and also attacking, critiquing, and responding to your opponents’ argument. Great debates happen when there is strong, direct engagement in the form of clash between the two sides.
Framework. Always tie arguments back to a framework for evaluating them. In debate, you are both trying to prove your individual points but also telling your audience how they should think about evaluating and judging each point you make.
Keep cool. Debate becomes unproductive and often very unpleasant for both participants and spectators alike when people get heated, hostile, and combative.
Research. Always come armed with specific evidence and ample information about the topic. You will have to think on your feet and adapt as you go, but there is no substitute for knowing what you are talking about well in advance.
Practice public speaking. Practice with a friend or a teammate before a real competition or event. Your public speaking and presentation skills, especially, will benefit from practice.
Anticipate. Before your opponent can object, add in counterarguments to your own case. It is helpful to try to stay one step ahead of your opponent rather than always remaining on the defensive.
Use rhetorical strategies. Vary the modes of persuasion you use. Some people are moved by stories that tug on their heartstrings and play to their emotions, whereas other people prefer cold, hard facts, data, and evidence.
Study great debaters. Watch video debates by trained debaters, especially elite collegiate teams, on sites like YouTube or Vimeo. Avoid taking your debate tips from clickbait videos or cable news snippets, as these are often superficial and meant to entertain more than educate.
Growth mindset. Be open to feedback and don’t take losing personally. Instead, always ask spectators and judges how you might improve, and remember that every debate is a chance to hone and develop your skills even further.
Vary your practice. Debate (thoughtfully and politely!) about many different topics and with many different people (e.g. different ages, different opinions, different cultural backgrounds) to create a well-rounded base of knowledge and a set of skills.
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List of 100+ Debate Topics
If you’re looking for good debate topics for high school, college, or another group entirely, you’ll find a broad set of starting points in the next section. Anyone can come up with a good debate topic without too much hard work, but these are some topics that have been proven to lead to productive, engaging debates.
All of the following begin with the term “This House,” which is open to interpretation by debaters. “This House” often refers to the government, but it could also simply refer to a group of people or a single person. One person sides with “This House” as the proposition or affirmative debater, and another person sides against “This House” as the opposition or negative debater. Once you decide who is “This House” in each topic, you are set to debate!
Good Debate Topics
This House would not invest in companies in the fossil fuel industry.
This House supports civil disobedience in response to police brutality.
This House believes developed countries are morally obligated to fight climate change.
This House would fund art that depicts the struggles of marginalized groups.
This House believes people should not celebrate the deaths of their enemies.
This House would institute a gun buyback program in the United States of America.
This House would ban cars from the central areas of large cities.
This House believes elected officials should not allow polls to influence their actions.
This House would ban spouses of elected officials from policy roles and deliberations.
This House would forbid private funding in political campaigns.
This House would televise all government proceedings.
This House would ban close relatives from succeeding each other in public office.
This House would not permit candidates to spend their own money on their political campaigns.
This House would require children to support their parents in old age and illness.
This House believes colleges owe athletes an education.
Controversial Debate Topics
This House would allow athletes to take performance enhancing drugs.
This House would ban beauty contests.
This House believes global warming is inevitable.
This House believes the police are inherently biased against minorities
This House would punish parents who fail to vaccinate their children.
This House would boycott professional sports teams with controversial, culturally-appropriated mascots.
This House believes that anyone can succeed through hard work, regardless of background.
This House would immediately return all illegal immigrants to their country of origin.
This House would permit corporations to discriminate on the basis of lifestyle factors like smoking or obesity when hiring.
Fun Debate Topics
This House would rather fight 1,000 duck-sized horses than 1 horse-sized duck.
This House would rather have 1 million followers on TikTok than on Instagram.
This House believes that aliens exist.
This House would rather eat ice cream than cookies for dessert.
This House believes amusement parks are superior to waterparks.
Given the choice between traveling back in time or into the future, This House would go back in time.
This House would rather have the power to read minds than the ability to fly.
This House would rather be totally rejected than friendzoned by their crush.
This House would rather get caught sleeping in class than forget their homework.
This House believes the person with the aux cord/who controls the music must take song requests from everyone else at least 50% of the time.
Timeless Debate Topics
This House believes God exists.
This House believes humans have free will.
This House believes that morality is objective, not subjective.
This House believes that truth is absolute, not relative.
This House believes that taxes are immoral.
This House believes that science can coexist with religion.
This House believes that all war is evil.
This House believes that there is life after death.
This House believes that people are inherently good, but the world makes them evil.
This House believes that the chicken came before the egg.
Debate Topics for High School
This House would prioritize vocational education over the liberal arts in high schools.
This House would ban fracking for oil and natural gas recovery.
This House would negotiate with terrorists.
This House would establish education and experience qualifications for Presidential candidates.
This House believes that nuclear proliferation has been on balance good.
This House believes that countries should offer free university education to students in exchange for 5 years of civil service.
This House would encourage the creation of all girls’ schools.
This House welcomes the decline of the USA as the sole global superpower.
This House would ban its citizens from visiting authoritarian states whose economies depend on tourism.
This House would allow individuals to sell their organs.
This House believes that voting power should vary by income and/or wealth.
This House believes that the UN is a failure.
This House would limit wealth inequality.
This House would require labeling for food with genetically modified (GMO) content.
This House believes drone strikes targeting specific individuals are immoral.
Debate Topics for College Students
This House would permit terminally ill patients to take drugs which have not yet completed testing.
This House would support extensive Russian military involvement in Syria.
This House believes That US Middle East policy has been a failure.
This House would prohibit the publication of recordings of police activity without prior court approval.
This House believes That Supreme Court judges should be elected, not appointed.
This House believes That Arab nations should take responsibility for Middle Eastern refugees.
This House would require all primaries to be open, that is any voter can vote in any primary regardless of party affiliation.
If This House were Saudi Arabia, This House would not rely on the United States.
This House believes That free trade no longer benefits the economy.
This House, as the Federal Government, would not lend money to college students.
This House would permit businesses to invoke a conscientious religious objection.
This House would privatize all major infrastructure such as roads, railways, airports, harbors, utilities etc
This House would adopt a law making it illegal to hire fashion models who have a BMI lower than levels proposed by health authorities.
This House would allow corporations to use hackers to retaliate against cyberattacks where the state seems unwilling or unable to do so.
This House would ban direct-to-consumer advertisements of prescription drugs in the United States.
