Public Forum Debate Topics |
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2018- 2019
- January
- Resolved: The United States federal government should prioritize reducing the federal debt over promoting economic growth.
- November - December
- Resolved: The United States federal government should impose price controls on the pharmaceutical industry.
- September-October
- Resolved: The United States should accede to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea without reservations.
- *Note*
- The initial Public Forum topic above will be a 2-month topic for both September-October and November-December. Public Forum topics will then revert to a month-to-month topic thereafter.
2017- 2018
- March
- Resolved: On balance, the current Authorization for Use of Military Force gives too much power to the president.
- February
- Resolved: The United States should abolish the capital gains tax.
- January
- Resolved: Spain should grant Catalonia its independence.
- December
- Resolved: NCAA student athletes ought to be recognized as employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
- November
- Resolved: The United States should require universal background checks for all gun sales and transfers of ownership.
- September-October
- Resolved: Deployment of anti-missile systems is in South Korea’s best interest.
- *Note*
- The initial Public Forum topic above will be a 2-month topic for both September and October. Public Forum topics will then revert to a month-to-month topic thereafter.
2016- 2017
- November
- Resolved: On balance, the benefits of the Internet of Things outweigh the harms of decreased personal privacy.
- September-October
- Resolved: In United States public K-12 schools, the probable cause standard ought to apply to searches of students.
- *Note*
- The initial 2014-15 Public Forum topic above will be a 2-month topic for both September and October. Public Forum topics will then revert to a month-to-month topic thereafter.
2015- 2016
- March
- Resolved: The United States should withdraw its military presence from Okinawa.
- February
- Resolved: The United States federal government should adopt a carbon tax.
- January
- Resolved: On balance, economic sanctions are reducing the threat Russia poses to Western interests.
- December
- Resolved: On balance, standardized testing is beneficial to K-12 education in the United States.
- November
- Resolved: In response to the current crisis, a government should prioritize the humanitarian needs of refugees over its national interests.
- September-October
- Resolved: The United States Federal Government ought to pay reparations to African Americans.
- *Note*
- The initial 2014-15 Public Forum topic above will be a 2-month topic for both September and October. Public Forum topics will then revert to a month-to-month topic thereafter.
2014- 2015
- March
- Resolved: In the United States, students should be guaranteed two years of free tuition to a community or technical college.
- February
- Resolved: On balance, economic globalization benefits worldwide poverty reduction.
- January
- Resolved: United Nations peacekeepers should have the power to engage in offensive operations.
- December
- Resolved: For-profit prisons in the United States should be banned.
- November
- Resolved: On balance, the benefits of genetically modified foods outweigh the harms.
- September-October
- Resolved: On balance, public subsidies for professional athletic organizations in the United States benefit their local communities.
- *Note*
- The initial 2014-15 Public Forum topic above will be a 2-month topic for both September and October. Public Forum topics will then revert to a month-to-month topic thereafter.
2013- 2014
- March
- Resolved: Single-gender classrooms would improve the quality of education in American public schools.
- February
- Resolved: The Supreme Court rightly decided that Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act violated the Constitution.
- January
- Resolved: Development assistance should be prioritized over military aid in the Sahel region of Africa.
- December
- Resolved: Immigration reform should include a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States.
- November
- Resolved: The benefits of domestic surveillance by the NSA outweigh the harms.
- September-October
- Resolved: Unilateral military force by the United States is justified to prevent nuclear proliferation.
- *Note*
- The initial 2013-14 Public Forum topic above will be a 2-month topic for both September and October. Public Forum topics will then revert to a month-to-month topic thereafter.
2012- 2013
- April
- Resolved: The continuation of current U.S. anti-drug policies in Latin America will do more harm than good.
- March
- Resolved: The U.S. government should not require its citizens to have health insurance.
- February
- Resolved: On balance, the rise of China is beneficial to the interests of the United States.
- January
- Resolved: On balance, the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission harms the election process.
- December
- Resolved: The United States should prioritize tax increases over spending cuts.
- November
- Resolved: Current U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East undermines our national security.
- October
- Resolved: Developed countries have a moral obligation to mitigate the effects of climate change.
- September
- Resolved: Congress should renew the Federal Assault Weapons Ban.
2011- 2012
- March
- Resolved: The United States should suspend all assistance to Pakistan.
- February
- Resolved: Birthright citizenship should be abolished in the United States.
- January
- Resolved: The costs of a college education outweigh the benefits.
- December
- Resolved: In the United States, current income disparities threaten democratic ideals.
- November
- Resolved: Direct popular vote should replace electoral vote in presidential elections.
- October
- Resolved: Private sector investment in human space exploration is preferable to public sector investment.
- September
- Resolved: The benefits of post-9/11 security measures outweigh the harms to personal freedom.
2010 - 2011
- March
- Resolved: North Korea poses a more serious threat to United States national security than Iran.
- February
- Resolved: Wikileaks is a threat to United States national security.
- January
- Resolved: In the United States, plea bargaining undermines the criminal justice system.
- December
- Resolved: Cyberbullying should be a criminal offense.
- November
- Resolved: High school Public Forum Debate resolutions should not confront sensitive religious issues.
- October
- Resolved: NATO presence improves the lives of Afghan citizens.
- September
- Resolved: Allowing deep water offshore oil drilling is in the best interest of the United States.
2009 - 2010
- NCFL Grand Nationals
- Resolved: That the constitutional right of freedom of religion has wrongly evolved into freedom from religion.
- April
- Resolved: On balance, government employee labor unions have a positive impact on the United States.
- March
- Resolved: Affirmative action to promote equal opportunity in the United States is justified.
- February
- Resolved: In the United States, organized political lobbying does more harm than good.
- January
- Resolved: President Obama's plan for increasing troops in Afghanistan is in the United States' best interest.
- December
- Resolved: That merit pay based on student achievement should be a significant component of K-12 teacher compensation in United States public schools.
- November
- Resolved: Failed nations are a greater threat to the United States than stable nations.
- October
- Resolved: When in conflict, the United Nations should prioritize global poverty reduction over environmental protection.
- September
- Resolved: United States policy on illegal immigration should focus on attrition through enforcement rather than amnesty.
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Last Updated on Sunday, 16 December 2018 11:48 |