Public Speaking Resources

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

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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.

Argumentative Speech Topics and ideas

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.

Public Speaking Mentor

100+ Best Argumentative Speech Topics

delivering argumentative speech

“Everything in the world is relative, my dear Watson”, said the legendary fictional detective Sherlock Holmes.

You have accepted the rising of the sun in the East and setting in the East as a gospel. But the sun does not rise, the sun does not set. The sun just sits there; a big yellow ball in the sky. Who is right? It all comes down to who can make the right arguments.

The greatest battles are not fought among the ones who hold the swords. The greatest battles happen when the mind collides.

“God does not play dice with the universe”, said Einstein “Don’t teach god what to do with his dice”, said Neil Bohr. That is what real battle is.

So, here are the things to keep in mind while you are in an argumentative debate:

You are always right.

To doubt yourself when you are in the middle of the debate is to accept you are wrong. So, exclude all the phrases that imply compromise, self-doubt, or give the hint of you being caught in a double mind.

Speak as you mean it.

Speak like the world is listening. Have a commanding voice. Lion is the king not only because it preys on others. There are plenty of other carnivores in the jungle. It’s the authoritative roar that is its crown.

Make eye contact.

This is not new. If you don’t speak by making eye contact, then you don’t become authoritative enough. If you can’t become authoritative, even with the best of the arguments you are not going to win.

Body languages.

Body languages play an important role because it’s not always about what you say but how you say it that catches the attention . So, make sure you are on the top of that game.

Fluctuate the pitch of your voice.

Don’t be monotonous. Make your voice hit the crests, make it hit the trough. This is what will keep the people engaged and make the debate look more spontaneous.

Jokes don’t hurt.

They say the only tool one needs is a sense of humor. In the words of Ayn Rand, “one loses everything when one loses his sense of humor.” So, once you are in the middle of the debate and you’re speaking confidently, making the pitch of your voice go up and down, now a few relevant jokes won’t hurt. It helps to win over the audience and judges.

List of Argumentative Speech Topics

Constitutional issues, environment.

  • Food & Drinks
  • International Politics
  • Relationships

1. The pros and cons of starting your own business.

2. The benefits and drawbacks of franchising.

3. Is it better to start a small or large business?

4. The government should support small businesses to improve the economy.

8. All businesses should build websites, use social media, and do online marketing.

11. Businesses need to improve on technology to improve operations.

12. What are the benefits and drawbacks of outsourcing?

13. The benefits and drawbacks of working from home.

14. The pros and cons of taking out a loan to start a business.

15. The pros and cons of starting a family-run business.

16. The benefits and drawbacks of venture capitalism.

17. Why small businesses are the backbone of the economy?

18. The pros and cons of crowdfunding.

19. Why customer satisfaction is essential for businesses?

20. Is it better to work for a small or large company?

1. The death penalty is a violation of the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

2. The Second Amendment does not protect the right to own assault weapons.

3. The Affordable Care Act is constitutional.

4. States cannot ban same-sex marriage.

5. The Voting Rights Act is constitutional.

6. The Patriot Act violates the Fourth Amendment’s ban on unreasonable searches and seizures.

7. The Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate is constitutional.

8. The Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision was wrongly decided.

9. Redistricting can be used to achieve racial equality.

10. Gerrymandering is unconstitutional.

11. The Electoral College should be abolished.

12. Term limits for members of Congress are constitutional.

13. The President should not have the power to declare war.

14. Congress should have the power to declare war.

15. The government should not tax the elderly.

16. The President should not be able to unilaterally order military action.

17. The use of torture is never justified, even during the war.

18. Enemy combatants should not be denied due process rights.

19. Indefinite detention is unconstitutional.

20. The government should not collect data on its citizens without a warrant.

1. The government should do more to help small businesses.

2. The national debt is not a big deal.

3. The government should spend less money on the military.

4. We need more tariffs to protect our industries.

5. Cuts to social programs are necessary for the economy.

6. Infrastructure spending is necessary for the economy.

7. The minimum wage should be increased.

8. The government should provide more incentives for businesses to invest in green energy.

9. Majority of Americans believe the economy is rigged against them.

10. Income inequality is a problem in the United States.

11. The wealthy should pay more in taxes.

12. The tax code needs to be reformed.

13. The federal reserve should be abolished.

14. The United States should return to the gold standard.

15. Bitcoin is a good investment.

1. Is homeschooling a good or bad idea?

2. Should all schools be private?

3. Are charter schools better than public schools?

4. Should children be taught sex education in schools?

5. Should prayer be allowed in school?

6. Are single-sex schools better for education than co-ed schools?

7. Should evolution be taught in school?

8. Is the No Child Left Behind Act effective?

9. Are standardized tests a good way to measure student achievement?

10. Should there be more funding for education?

11. Should the government invest more in early childhood education?

12. Are teachers paid enough?

13. Educational disparities between rich and poor students.

14. Should college be free?

15. Is online learning as effective as traditional learning?

16. Are for-profit colleges a good option for students?

17. Should student loan debt be forgiven?

18. The negative effects of homework on students.

19. The over-reliance on technology in education.

20. CPR and first aid-related courses should be mandatory in school.

1. How climate change is affecting our planet and what we can do to reduce its impact.

2. The dangers of fracking and its potential to contaminate our water supply.

3. Why the world needs to move away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy sources.

4. How overfishing is threatening global fish stocks and what can be done to halt this trend.

5. The devastating effects of deforestation and what needs to be done to stop it.

6. How air pollution is impacting our health and what measures can be taken to reduce its impact.

7. The importance of conserving energy and how we can all do our bit to save energy.

8. Why we need to reduce our reliance on single-use plastics and what alternatives are available.

9. How industrial agriculture is harming the environment and what needs to be done to address this issue.

10. The potential impacts of climate change on our food supply and what we can do to mitigate these effects.

11. The problem of plastic pollution in our oceans and what needs to be done to address it.

12. How we can all do our bit to reduce our carbon footprints and help fight climate change.

13. The importance of composting and how it can help reduce landfill waste.

14. Why we need to reduce our reliance on cars and start using more environmentally friendly modes of transportation.

15. The harmful effects of pesticides and what needs to be done to stop their use.

16. How waste management practices need to change in order to protect the environment.

17. Why we need to support local farmers and buy more locally grown produce.

18. The benefits of organic gardening and how it can help the environment.

19. How solar power can be used to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.

20. The potential of wind power as an alternative energy source.

1. Are some ethical ideals more important than others?

2. Does morality require belief in God?

3. Should we always tell the truth, even if it hurts someone’s feelings?

4. Should abortion be legal?

5. Is it morally wrong to cheat on a test or plagiarize an essay?

6. Torture is an acceptable measure to prevent terrorism.

7. Should animals have the same rights as humans?

8. Is it wrong to wear fur or use products made from animals?

9. Should we be allowed to experiment on animals for medical research?

10. Is it morally right to kill animals for food or sport?

11. Cultural treasures should be returned to their countries of origin.

12. Is it morally to keep animals in zoos or circuses?

13. Should we be allowed to hunt endangered animals?

14. Is it wrong to buy or sell organs or body parts?

15. Should people be allowed to clone animals or humans?

16. Hunting is unethical and should not be allowed.

17. Is it morally acceptable to use human embryos for stem cell research?

18. Are beauty pageants sexists and exploitative?

19. Is it okay to test new drugs on humans?

20. Is it morally wrong to end a life through euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide?

1. Should parents be held responsible for the actions of their children?

2. Is it necessary for couples to live together before getting married?

3. Are extended families becoming a thing of the past?

4. Is single parenting really as difficult as people make it out to be?

5. Should parents be allowed to choose their child’s gender?

6. Should more single women adopt children?

7. Should the government do more to help families in poverty?

8. Physical punishment is a good practice for raising children.

9. Is it important for families to have dinner together every night?

10. How can parents deal with their children’s screen time?

11. Should parents be allowed to monitor their children’s online activity?

12. Is homeschooling a good option for families?

13. Should there be more paternity leave for fathers?

14. Are working mothers harming their children?

15. Teenagers should have more freedom than younger kids.

16. Is it better to live in a an extended family?

17. Should families be allowed to have more than one child?

18. Parents should be role models for their children.

19. Siblings can be both friends and rivals.

20. The challenges of raising multicultural families.

Food and Drinks

1. Is it better to eat organic food?

2. Are GMOs really that bad for our health?

3. Should we all be vegan?

4. Is processed food really that bad for us?

5. Is sugar really as addictive as some people say it is?

6. Should there be a tax on sugary drinks?

7. Are organic foods worth the extra money?

8. Should we be drinking more water?

9. Is organic milk really any better for us than regular milk?

10. Are there any benefits to drinking green tea?

11. Is coffee actually good for us?

12. Is there such a thing as too much water intake?

13. Should we be eating more vegetables?

14. Is the Paleo diet a healthy way to eat?

15. Is gluten really that bad for us?

16. Are there any health benefits to drinking red wine?

17. Is dark chocolate actually good for us?

18. Why we should all be eating less meat.

19. The benefits of home cooking.

20. Is there such a thing as a “healthy” diet?

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130 New Prompts for Argumentative Writing

Questions on everything from mental health and sports to video games and dating. Which ones inspire you to take a stand?

best argumentative speech topics

By The Learning Network

Note: We have an updated version of this list, with 300 new argumentative writing prompts .

What issues do you care most about? What topics do you find yourself discussing passionately, whether online, at the dinner table, in the classroom or with your friends?

In Unit 5 of our free yearlong writing curriculum and related Student Editorial Contest , we invite students to research and write about the issues that matter to them, whether that’s Shakespeare , health care , standardized testing or being messy .

But with so many possibilities, where does one even begin? Try our student writing prompts.

In 2017, we compiled a list of 401 argumentative writing prompts , all drawn from our daily Student Opinion column . Now, we’re rounding up 130 more we’ve published since then ( available here as a PDF ). Each prompt links to a free Times article as well as additional subquestions that can help you think more deeply about it.

You might use this list to inspire your own writing and to find links to reliable resources about the issues that intrigue you. But even if you’re not participating in our contest, you can use these prompts to practice the kind of low-stakes writing that can help you hone your argumentation skills.

So scroll through the list below with questions on everything from sports and mental health to dating and video games and see which ones inspire you to take a stand.

Please note: Many of these prompts are still open to comment by students 13 and up.

Technology & Social Media

1. Do Memes Make the Internet a Better Place? 2. Does Online Public Shaming Prevent Us From Being Able to Grow and Change? 3. How Young Is Too Young to Use Social Media? 4. Should the Adults in Your Life Be Worried by How Much You Use Your Phone? 5. Is Your Phone Love Hurting Your Relationships? 6. Should Kids Be Social Media Influencers? 7. Does Grammar Still Matter in the Age of Twitter? 8. Should Texting While Driving Be Treated Like Drunken Driving? 9. How Do You Think Technology Affects Dating?

10. Are Straight A’s Always a Good Thing? 11. Should Schools Teach You How to Be Happy? 12. How Do You Think American Education Could Be Improved? 13. Should Schools Test Their Students for Nicotine and Drug Use? 14. Can Social Media Be a Tool for Learning and Growth in Schools? 15. Should Facial Recognition Technology Be Used in Schools? 16. Should Your School Day Start Later? 17. How Should Senior Year in High School Be Spent? 18. Should Teachers Be Armed With Guns? 19. Is School a Place for Self-Expression? 20. Should Students Be Punished for Not Having Lunch Money? 21. Is Live-Streaming Classrooms a Good Idea? 22. Should Gifted and Talented Education Be Eliminated? 23. What Are the Most Important Things Students Should Learn in School? 24. Should Schools Be Allowed to Censor Student Newspapers? 25. Do You Feel Your School and Teachers Welcome Both Conservative and Liberal Points of View? 26. Should Teachers and Professors Ban Student Use of Laptops in Class? 27. Should Schools Teach About Climate Change? 28. Should All Schools Offer Music Programs? 29. Does Your School Need More Money? 30. Should All Schools Teach Cursive? 31. What Role Should Textbooks Play in Education? 32. Do Kids Need Recess?

College & Career

33. What Is Your Reaction to the College Admissions Cheating Scandal? 34. Is the College Admissions Process Fair? 35. Should Everyone Go to College? 36. Should College Be Free? 37. Are Lavish Amenities on College Campuses Useful or Frivolous? 38. Should ‘Despised Dissenters’ Be Allowed to Speak on College Campuses? 39. How Should the Problem of Sexual Assault on Campuses Be Addressed? 40. Should Fraternities Be Abolished? 41. Is Student Debt Worth It?

Mental & Physical Health

42. Should Students Get Mental Health Days Off From School? 43. Is Struggle Essential to Happiness? 44. Does Every Country Need a ‘Loneliness Minister’? 45. Should Schools Teach Mindfulness? 46. Should All Children Be Vaccinated? 47. What Do You Think About Vegetarianism? 48. Do We Worry Too Much About Germs? 49. What Advice Should Parents and Counselors Give Teenagers About Sexting? 50. Do You Think Porn Influences the Way Teenagers Think About Sex?

Race & Gender

51. How Should Parents Teach Their Children About Race and Racism? 52. Is America ‘Backsliding’ on Race? 53. Should All Americans Receive Anti-Bias Education? 54. Should All Companies Require Anti-Bias Training for Employees? 55. Should Columbus Day Be Replaced With Indigenous Peoples Day? 56. Is Fear of ‘The Other’ Poisoning Public Life? 57. Should the Boy Scouts Be Coed? 58. What Is Hard About Being a Boy?

59. Can You Separate Art From the Artist? 60. Are There Subjects That Should Be Off-Limits to Artists, or to Certain Artists in Particular? 61. Should Art Come With Trigger Warnings? 62. Should Graffiti Be Protected? 63. Is the Digital Era Improving or Ruining the Experience of Art? 64. Are Museums Still Important in the Digital Age? 65. In the Age of Digital Streaming, Are Movie Theaters Still Relevant? 66. Is Hollywood Becoming More Diverse? 67. What Stereotypical Characters Make You Cringe? 68. Do We Need More Female Superheroes? 69. Do Video Games Deserve the Bad Rap They Often Get? 70. Should Musicians Be Allowed to Copy or Borrow From Other Artists? 71. Is Listening to a Book Just as Good as Reading It? 72. Is There Any Benefit to Reading Books You Hate?

73. Should Girls and Boys Sports Teams Compete in the Same League? 74. Should College Athletes Be Paid? 75. Are Youth Sports Too Competitive? 76. Is It Selfish to Pursue Risky Sports Like Extreme Mountain Climbing? 77. How Should We Punish Sports Cheaters? 78. Should Technology in Sports Be Limited? 79. Should Blowouts Be Allowed in Youth Sports? 80. Is It Offensive for Sports Teams and Their Fans to Use Native American Names, Imagery and Gestures?

81. Is It Wrong to Focus on Animal Welfare When Humans Are Suffering? 82. Should Extinct Animals Be Resurrected? If So, Which Ones? 83. Are Emotional-Support Animals a Scam? 84. Is Animal Testing Ever Justified? 85. Should We Be Concerned With Where We Get Our Pets? 86. Is This Exhibit Animal Cruelty or Art?

Parenting & Childhood

87. Who Should Decide Whether a Teenager Can Get a Tattoo or Piercing? 88. Is It Harder to Grow Up in the 21st Century Than It Was in the Past? 89. Should Parents Track Their Teenager’s Location? 90. Is Childhood Today Over-Supervised? 91. How Should Parents Talk to Their Children About Drugs? 92. What Should We Call Your Generation? 93. Do Other People Care Too Much About Your Post-High School Plans? 94. Do Parents Ever Cross a Line by Helping Too Much With Schoolwork? 95. What’s the Best Way to Discipline Children? 96. What Are Your Thoughts on ‘Snowplow Parents’? 97. Should Stay-at-Home Parents Be Paid? 98. When Do You Become an Adult?

Ethics & Morality

99. Why Do Bystanders Sometimes Fail to Help When They See Someone in Danger? 100. Is It Ethical to Create Genetically Edited Humans? 101. Should Reporters Ever Help the People They Are Covering? 102. Is It O.K. to Use Family Connections to Get a Job? 103. Is $1 Billion Too Much Money for Any One Person to Have? 104. Are We Being Bad Citizens If We Don’t Keep Up With the News? 105. Should Prisons Offer Incarcerated People Education Opportunities? 106. Should Law Enforcement Be Able to Use DNA Data From Genealogy Websites for Criminal Investigations? 107. Should We Treat Robots Like People?

Government & Politics

108. Does the United States Owe Reparations to the Descendants of Enslaved People? 109. Do You Think It Is Important for Teenagers to Participate in Political Activism? 110. Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16? 111. What Should Lawmakers Do About Guns and Gun Violence? 112. Should Confederate Statues Be Removed or Remain in Place? 113. Does the U.S. Constitution Need an Equal Rights Amendment? 114. Should National Monuments Be Protected by the Government? 115. Should Free Speech Protections Include Self Expression That Discriminates? 116. How Important Is Freedom of the Press? 117. Should Ex-Felons Have the Right to Vote? 118. Should Marijuana Be Legal? 119. Should the United States Abolish Daylight Saving Time? 120. Should We Abolish the Death Penalty? 121. Should the U.S. Ban Military-Style Semiautomatic Weapons? 122. Should the U.S. Get Rid of the Electoral College? 123. What Do You Think of President Trump’s Use of Twitter? 124. Should Celebrities Weigh In on Politics? 125. Why Is It Important for People With Different Political Beliefs to Talk to Each Other?

Other Questions

126. Should the Week Be Four Days Instead of Five? 127. Should Public Transit Be Free? 128. How Important Is Knowing a Foreign Language? 129. Is There a ‘Right Way’ to Be a Tourist? 130. Should Your Significant Other Be Your Best Friend?

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166 Argumentative Essay Topics

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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.

Writing an argumentative essay is hard enough. But picking a good topic can sometimes get you stuck before you’ve even started.

Argumentative Essay Topics intro image

Although it seems like a small part of the essay writing process, your topic idea can actually make or break your paper. Suppose the issue you’ve settled on doesn’t carry enough potential to be researched and explored from different sides. In that case, you may end up wasting a lot of time on unproductive work before you finally give up and try to find a better subject.

That’s why we compiled an extensive catalog of argumentative essay topics organized by subject matter that you can use for inspiration. Feel free to browse through all sections or jump to the area you’re looking for.

In this article:

Choosing a Great Argumentative Essay Topic

What makes a good argumentative essay topic, interesting and controversial, immigration, racism, and native american issues, science and research, technology and social media, health, medical, and nursing, psychology and mental health, music, popular culture, and other creative endeavors, funny, easy, and simple.

Before we jump into the lists, let’s go over what you need to look for in an essay topic.

Many students assume that they can pick an issue first and then think about their essay later. But that actually sets you up for potential disappointment. A topic may seem tenable or defensible at first, but once you dig a bit deeper, it may turn out the issue is settled beyond doubt, and there’s no real point in writing about it. It may also be a good idea to sketch out your argumentative essay outline and even draft a thesis statement before making a final decision about what you want to explore.

Here’s a helpful video that explains the importance of preliminary research:

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Another thing to consider is how fascinating the topic is for you . It’s great to engage your audience, but you can’t really be sure if an issue is captivating for your teacher or professor. But you can be entirely sure if it’s interesting to you. And the more you care about the subject you’ve chosen, the more enjoyable it will be for you to put in the work.

It may seem at first that you can write an essay about anything, so why bother thinking too much about the topic? Well, you can write about anything, but not everything you write can fit the requirements of your assignment. An argumentative essay has to fit a specific format and style, and the topic you pick has to conform to those. Here are a few main characteristics of a good argumentative essay topic:

If no one disagrees with the argument you’re trying to make, what’s the point of arguing about it? Trying to convince your audience that texting while driving is dangerous is a waste of time because the assumption is that most people don’t need convincing. That’s why it’s crucial to pick an issue with at least some validity on both sides.

If your topic is not specific enough, you can’t really make a good point one way or the other. Should we do more to protect animals? That depends—are we talking about rhinos or mosquitos? And who should do the protecting—governments or ordinary citizens? Drill down your topic to something you can make a definitive point about.

If you can’t find something to back your argument with, then maybe it’s purely a matter of opinion. Are pancakes better than pizza? Who’s to say? A good topic allows you to make a point based on facts. That said, defending an insupportable position is sometimes good practice for pure critical thinking and works great for impromptu assignments where there is no time for research.

Of course, after you’ve picked a topic, you still have to write the actual essay. Here’s a video to help guide you through the process:

166 Argumentative Essay Topic Ideas (Organized in Sections)

Below you’ll find a number of lists of argumentative essay topics organized in sections by subject matter. They range from sports to history and anything in between. Keep in mind that many of the issues have to do with more than one field of knowledge, so there is some overlap between sections.

You may notice that all of the topics are in the form of a question. We’ve done that to make them neutral towards the issue they touch upon, but for the purposes of an argumentative essay, you might want to convert them to a statement that conveys the claim you’ll support in your paper.

Interesting and Controversial

One of the best ways to ensure your audience is engaged in your essay is to choose a topic that’s, to some extent, contentious. Your teacher or professor is unlikely to doze off if the issue at hand is something that everyone has a strong opinion about. Controversy will make your job easier, too—it’s a lot more painless to do research and write when you have a genuine interest in the topic.

But there’s also a pitfall to hot-button topics, especially age-old ones. There’s a chance the arguments you choose have been made a thousand times already. That’s not to say you should never write about euthanasia or abortion. Just pick your ideas carefully and make sure they’re fresh and original to avoid making your audience yawn.

Below are a few controversial argumentative essay topics from across subject matters to give you inspiration:

  • Should human cloning be allowed?
  • Should abortion be subject to stricter regulation?
  • Should there be greater gun control?
  • Do video games cause violent behavior?
  • Should the death penalty be abolished?
  • Is torture justifiable as an interrogation technique?
  • Should there be any exceptions to free speech?
  • Did the #metoo movement go too far?
  • Is capitalism the only effective economic system?

Education

Most topics on this page can work for any academic level in which students are already versed in research and persuasive writing. But in this section, we’ve collected issues specifically related to education and sorted them into the different stages of school. So besides college, here you’ll find topics that can be used by high school and middle school students.

For College

Below is a selection of argumentative essay ideas that have to do with college life. Is college worth it? Is it too expensive? Read on to find similar questions.

  • Should everyone go to college?
  • Is college education overrated?
  • Is college admission overly competitive?
  • Are Ivy League colleges worth the cost?
  • Has college tuition become too expensive?
  • Should family income play a role in determining who gets a scholarship?
  • Is a gap year beneficial or a waste of time?
  • Are some college majors more valuable than others?
  • What are the benefits of an MBA?
  • Is an online college degree as good as one from a brick-and-mortar college?

For High School

Here you’ll find a collection of topics related to high school and all of its triumphs and struggles—perfect for students in this age group.

  • Should schools be required to have security?
  • Is standardized testing helping or hurting students?
  • Does high school encourage creativity or conformity?
  • Should high school students work during the school year?
  • Should high school students be required to take drug tests?
  • Should arts education be voluntary in high school?
  • Should the senior year be voluntary?
  • Is prom overrated?

For Middle School

Middle school is a great time to start developing writing skills and the ability to make a strong argument. Here’s a list of topics on middle school that are bound to be relatable for students of that age.

  • Do teachers give middle school students too much homework?
  • Should energy drinks be banned for middle schoolers?
  • Should vending machines be banned in schools?
  • Is school cafeteria food too unhealthy?
  • Should middle school be single-sex or co-ed?
  • Is distant learning effective for middle school students?
  • Should students have a choice on what subjects to study in middle school?
  • Should learning a foreign language be required in middle school?

As a bonus, we’re including a special section on bullying—an ongoing problem at all school levels that’s always worth discussing, including in an academic paper.

  • Should schools do more to prevent bullying?
  • Should parents of bullies be held responsible for their children’s behavior?
  • Where is the line between pranks and bullying?
  • Do kids bully others because they are mistreated at home?
  • Is cyberbullying less harmful than real-life bullying?
  • How should cyberbullying be punished?

For Kids

To make children write an essay, even if it’s just one page, you definitely need to give them a topic they care about. Here are a few ideas:

  • Is it ever acceptable to eat dessert before dinner?
  • Is it OK for kids to read grown-up books?
  • Should kids be allowed to watch grown-up movies?
  • Should children get paid when they get good grades?
  • Is it better to be a single child or to have siblings?
  • Do parents treat their daughters differently than their sons?
  • Should parents punish kids if they haven’t done their chores?

Political

Whether you’re looking for a topic for your political science term paper or simply need a strong topic idea for your persuasive writing class, you’ll find something worth exploring in the list below.

  • Are US elections representative of the will of the people?
  • Should the voting age be lowered?
  • Should voting be mandatory?
  • Should the Electoral College be abolished?
  • Should corporations pay more taxes?
  • Should senators and house representatives have term limits?
  • Should recycling be mandatory?
  • Should prisoners be allowed to vote?
  • Should same-sex marriage be allowed?
  • Should healthcare be free for everyone?
  • Will universal basic income be beneficial for society?

Religion

Religious issues often elicit a strong response, but beliefs are not always subject to rational argumentation. Still, such topics often touch on society as a whole and can be great subjects for a paper.

  • Should creationism be part of the school curriculum?
  • Is religion responsible for war?
  • Is science an enemy of religion?
  • Should public prayer be banned in schools?
  • Should religion be taught in schools?
  • Should laws be affected by religion?
  • Should churches be required to pay taxes?

History

History is always up for debate, and there’s plenty of credible sources to explore, so if you need an essay topic for your history class, feel free to pick one from the list below.

As a bonus, we’ve added a couple of specialized subsections on World War 2 and American history.

  • Can we ever know the “truth” about historical events?
  • Is life better now than it was 100 years ago?
  • Have peaceful revolutions ever led to real change?
  • What caused the fall of the Roman Empire?
  • Was Julius Caesar a tactical genius or a deranged dictator?
  • Did European colonialism help or harm the colonized populations?
  • Did nuclear weapons help make the world safer or more dangerous?
  • Were the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki the only way to end World War 2?
  • Should the US have stayed out of World War 2?
  • What caused the rise of Nazism in Germany?
  • Was Stalin’s rule more harmful than Hitler’s?
  • Could World War 2 have been avoided if Hitler had been admitted to art school?

American History

  • Who was the greatest US president of all time?
  • Could the Civil War have been avoided?
  • Was the Declaration of Independence a declaration of war?
  • Was the Constitution a proslavery document?
  • Should the US founding fathers who owned slaves be revered as much as those who didn’t?
  • How did Abraham Lincoln’s assassination affect Reconstruction?

Immigration, Racism, and Native American Issues

Here we have a group of issues that are often related, but we sometimes wish they weren’t. In any case, they’re an excellent opportunity to practice argumentative writing.

  • Should it be mandatory for Americans to speak English fluently?
  • Should immigrants who enter the US illegally be granted residency?
  • Should children of immigrants who enter the US illegally be entitled to public education?
  • Is affirmative action helping or hurting racial equality?
  • Should the US government pay reparations for slavery?
  • Is the Black Lives Matter movement equivalent to the Civil Rights movement?
  • Should Columbus Day be abolished and replaced with Indigenous Peoples’ Day?
  • Should Native Americans be compensated for how settlers treated them?

Science and Research

Here you’ll find topics related to various scientific fields that you’re bound to find evidence on to build a solid research paper.

  • Should the government fund scientific research?
  • Should corporate interests influence scientists?
  • Do people have enough trust in science?
  • What is the biggest issue facing humanity that scientists should focus on the most?
  • Should we spend resources looking for alien life?
  • Is space travel worth the cost?
  • Do humans cause climate change?
  • Is fracking harmful to the environment?
  • Are scientific breakthroughs or government regulations a better solution to the environmental crisis?

Technology and Social Media

Many issues around technology and social media are up for debate, so they can serve as an excellent basis for a persuasive essay.

  • Is technology helping or hurting society?
  • Has the internet caused more harm than good to society?
  • Are we becoming too dependent on computers?
  • Is technology making us more isolated?
  • Is AI dangerous for humanity?
  • Are smartphones dangerous?
  • Is social media helping us stay connected or making us more lonely?
  • Are social media companies responsible for the spread of fake news?
  • Does social media contribute to political radicalization?
  • Should Facebook be banned from collecting data from users?
  • Should people be allowed to stay anonymous online?

Health, Medical, and Nursing

In this section, we’ve curated argumentative essay topics related to health and medicine that are worth exploring.

  • Should the morning-after pill be sold to underage teens?
  • What is the best way to fight the obesity epidemic?
  • Are GMOs dangerous?
  • Should there be limits on sugary drink sizes?
  • Is healthcare a fundamental human right?
  • Should assisted suicide be legalized?
  • Should doctors be banned from promoting drugs?
  • Should medical marijuana be legal?
  • Should parents be able to deny medical treatment for their children?
  • Are nurses compensated fairly?
  • Should nurses be allowed to prescribe drugs?
  • Is the nursing profession better suited for women?

Psychology and Mental Health

If you’re struggling to come up with an argumentative essay topic for your psychology class, feel free to pick one from the list below.

  • Does screen time negatively affect children’s psyche?
  • Should psychotherapists inform the police if a client admits to breaking the law?
  • Do dreams have any meaning?
  • Is positive thinking helpful or harmful?
  • Can lie detectors ever be trusted?
  • Are projective tests such as inkblots reliable?
  • Can hypnosis help us remember forgotten events?
  • Is prejudice against different people inherent to humans?
  • Is anxiety ever helpful?

Sports

There’s no shortage of discussions surrounding sports, but they’re often too specialized to be interesting for the layman. Here are a few broad and contentious ones that can lay the grounds for a strong argumentative essay.

  • Should athletes be considered role models?
  • Should coaches make as much money as players?
  • Should athletes face repercussions if they don’t stand for the National Anthem?
  • Is football too dangerous?
  • Is sports betting different from casino gambling?
  • Is cheerleading a real sport?
  • Do sports rely too much on computer predictions nowadays?
  • Should performance-enhancing drugs be allowed in sports?

Music, Popular Culture, and Other Creative Endeavors

Here you’ll find argumentative essay topics related to music, films, and other art forms that shape today’s pop culture.

  • Is music getting better or worse over time?
  • Is listening to music an effective remedy against stress?
  • Are television shows an accurate representation of the American lifestyle?
  • Did the golden age of Hollywood pass?
  • Should celebrities be considered role models?
  • Should any artwork be censored?
  • Is art unique to humans, or can it be observed in other animals?

Animals

If you care about animals, you might want to write an argumentative paper on a topic related to animal welfare. Here are a few ideas:

  • Should animal research be banned?
  • Should zoos or aquariums be banned and replaced with wildlife reserves?
  • Should fur be banned?
  • Should we stop eating animals?
  • Should the government try to save endangered species?
  • Is hunting for sport justifiable, or should it be banned?
  • Do animals have emotions?
  • Do pets help kids learn to be caring and empathetic?

Funny, Easy, and Simple

Sometimes you just don’t want to deal with complex and serious issues or excessive research. That’s why we curated a collection of light-hearted and easy argumentative essay topics.

  • Is complaining helping us deal with stress?
  • Is talent more important than hard work or vice versa?
  • How much compromise is OK in a relationship?
  • Should couples live together before getting married?
  • How important is it to keep your home clean and tidy?
  • At what age do you become an adult?
  • Are parents entitled to knowing everything about their kids?
  • How long is it acceptable to stay in a restaurant after finishing your meal?

Looking for a topic for a different type of essay? We’ve compiled a huge catalog in our Essay Topics page. If you want something that carries a stronger emotional charge for your paper, speech, or debate, you can also check out our list of Controversial Topics .

127 Funny Controversial Topics

121 Funny Debate Topics for Your Class

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52 Argumentative Essay Ideas that are Actually Interesting

What’s covered:, how to pick a good argumentative essay topic, elements of a strong argumentative essay, argumentative essay idea example topics.

Are you having writer’s block? Coming up with an essay topic can be the hardest part of the process. You have very likely encountered argumentative essay writing in high school and have been asked to write your own. If you’re having trouble finding a topic, we’ve created a list of 52 essay ideas to help jumpstart your brainstorming process! In addition, this post will cover strategies for picking a topic and how to make your argument a strong one. Ultimately, the goal is to convince your reader. 

An argumentative essay tasks the writer with presenting an assertion and bolstering that assertion with proper research. You’ll present the claim’s authenticity. This means that whatever argument you’re making must be empirically true! Writing an argumentative essay without any evidence will leave you stranded without any facts to back up your claim. When choosing your essay topic, begin by thinking about themes that have been researched before. Readers will be more engaged with an argument that is supported by data.

This isn’t to say that your argumentative essay topic has to be as well-known, like “Gravity: Does it Exist?” but it shouldn’t be so obscure that there isn’t ample evidence. Finding a topic with multiple sources confirming its validity will help you support your thesis throughout your essay. If upon review of these articles you begin to doubt their worth due to small sample sizes, biased funding sources, or scientific disintegrity, don’t be afraid to move on to a different topic. Your ultimate goal should be proving to your audience that your argument is true because the data supports it.

The hardest essays to write are the ones that you don’t care about. If you don’t care about your topic, why should someone else? Topics that are more personal to the reader are immediately more thoughtful and meaningful because the author’s passion shines through. If you are free to choose an argumentative essay topic, find a topic where the papers you read and cite are fun to read. It’s much easier to write when the passion is already inside of you!

However, you won’t always have the choice to pick your topic. You may receive an assignment to write an argumentative essay that you feel is boring. There is still value in writing an argumentative essay on a topic that may not be of interest to you. It will push you to study a new topic, and broaden your ability to write on a variety of topics. Getting good at proving a point thoroughly and effectively will help you to both understand different fields more completely and increase your comfort with scientific writing.

Convincing Thesis Statement

It’s important to remember the general essay structure: an introduction paragraph with a thesis statement, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. A strong thesis statement will set your essay up for success. What is it? A succinct, concise, and pithy sentence found in your first paragraph that summarizes your main point. Pour over this statement to ensure that you can set up your reader to understand your essay. You should also restate your thesis throughout your essay to keep your reader focused on your point.

Ample Research

A typical argumentative essay prompt may look like this: “What has been the most important invention of the 21st century? Support your claim with evidence.” This question is open-ended and gives you flexibility. But that also means it requires research to prove your point convincingly. The strongest essays weave scientific quotes and results into your writing. You can use recent articles, primary sources, or news sources. Maybe you even cite your own research. Remember, this process takes time, so be sure you set aside enough time to dive deep into your topic.

Clear Structure

If the reader can’t follow your argument, all your research could be for nothing! Structure is key to persuading your audience. Below are two common argumentative essay structures that you can use to organize your essays.

The Toulmin argument and the Rogerian argument each contain the four sections mentioned above but executes them in different ways. Be sure to familiarize yourself with both essay structures so that your essay is the most effective it can be.

The Toulmin argument has a straightforward presentation. You begin with your assertion, your thesis statement. You then list the evidence that supports your point and why these are valid sources. The bulk of your essay should be explaining how your sources support your claim. You then end your essay by acknowledging and discussing the problems or flaws that readers may find in your presentation. Then, you should list the solutions to these and alternative perspectives and prove your argument is stronger.

The Rogerian argument has a more complex structure. You begin with a discussion of what opposing sides do right and the validity of their arguments. This is effective because it allows you to piece apart your opponent’s argument. The next section contains your position on the questions. In this section, it is important to list problems with your opponent’s argument that your argument fixes. This way, your position feels much stronger. Your essay ends with suggesting a possible compromise between the two sides. A combination of the two sides could be the most effective solution.

  • Is the death penalty effective?
  • Is our election process fair?
  • Is the electoral college outdated?
  • Should we have lower taxes?
  • How many Supreme Court Justices should there be?
  • Should there be different term limits for elected officials?
  • Should the drinking age be lowered?
  • Does religion cause war?
  • Should the country legalize marijuana?
  • Should the country have tighter gun control laws?
  • Should men get paternity leave?
  • Should maternity leave be longer?
  • Should smoking be banned?
  • Should the government have a say in our diet?
  • Should birth control be free?
  • Should we increase access to condoms for teens?
  • Should abortion be legal?
  • Do school uniforms help educational attainment?
  • Are kids better or worse students than they were ten years ago?
  • Should students be allowed to cheat?
  • Is school too long?
  • Does school start too early?
  • Are there benefits to attending a single-sex school?
  • Is summer break still relevant?
  • Is college too expensive?

Art / Culture

  • How can you reform copyright law?
  • What was the best decade for music?
  • Do video games cause students to be more violent?
  • Should content online be more harshly regulated?
  • Should graffiti be considered art or vandalism?
  • Should schools ban books?
  • How important is art education?
  • Should music be taught in school?
  • Are music-sharing services helpful to artists?
  • What is the best way to teach science in a religious school?
  • Should fracking be legal?
  • Should parents be allowed to modify their unborn children?
  • Should vaccinations be required for attending school?
  • Are GMOs helpful or harmful?
  • Are we too dependent on our phones?
  • Should everyone have internet access?
  • Should internet access be free?
  • Should the police force be required to wear body cams?
  • Should social media companies be allowed to collect data from their users?
  • How has the internet impacted human society?
  • Should self-driving cars be allowed on the streets?
  • Should athletes be held to high moral standards?
  • Are professional athletes paid too much?
  • Should the U.S. have more professional sports teams?
  • Should sports be separated by gender?
  • Should college athletes be paid?
  • What are the best ways to increase safety in sports?

Where to Get More Argumentative Essay Topic Ideas

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 argumentative essay ideas, and she can also help with the rest of your homework, from math to languages.

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At some point, you’re going to be asked to write an argumentative essay. An argumentative essay is exactly what it sounds like—an essay in which you’ll be making an argument, using examples and research to back up your point.

But not all argumentative essay topics are created equal. Not only do you have to structure your essay right to have a good impact on the reader, but even your choice of subject can impact how readers feel about your work.

In this article, we’ll cover the basics of writing argumentative essays, including what argumentative essays are, how to write a good one, and how to pick a topic that works for you. Then check out a list of argumentative essay ideas to help you get started.

What Is an Argumentative Essay?

An argumentative essay is one that makes an argument through research. These essays take a position and support it through evidence, but, unlike many other kinds of essays, they are interested in expressing a specific argument supported by research and evidence.

A good argumentative essay will be based on established or new research rather than only on your thoughts and feelings. Imagine that you’re trying to get your parents to raise your allowance, and you can offer one of two arguments in your favor:

You should raise my allowance because I want you to.

You should raise my allowance because I’ve been taking on more chores without complaining.

The first argument is based entirely in feelings without any factual backup, whereas the second is based on evidence that can be proven. Your parents are more likely to respond positively to the second argument because it demonstrates that you have done something to earn the increased allowance. Similarly, a well-researched and reasoned argument will show readers that your point has a basis in fact, not just feelings.

The standard five-paragraph essay is common in writing argumentative essays, but it’s not the only way to write one. An argumentative essay is typically written in one of two formats, the Toulmin model or the Rogerian model.

The Toulmin model is the most common, comprised of an introduction with a claim (otherwise known as a thesis), with data to support it. This style of essay will also include rebuttals, helping to strengthen your argument by anticipating counterarguments.

The Rogerian model analyzes two sides of an argument and reaches a conclusion after weighing the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Both essay styles rely on well-reasoned logic and supporting evidence to prove a point, just in two different ways.

The important thing to note about argumentative essays as opposed to other kinds of essays is that they aim to argue a specific point rather than to explain something or to tell a story. While they may have some things in common with analytical essays, the primary difference is in their objective—an argumentative essay aims to convince someone of something, whereas an analytical essay contextualizes a topic with research.

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What Makes a Good Argumentative Essay?

To write an effective argumentative essay, you need to know what a good one looks like. In addition to a solid structure, you’ll need an argument, a strong thesis, and solid research.

An Argument

Unlike other forms of essays, you are trying to convince your reader of something. You’re not just teaching them a concept or demonstrating an idea—you’re constructing an argument to change the readers’ thinking.

You’ll need to develop a good argument, which encompasses not just your main point, but also all the pieces that make it up.

Think beyond what you are saying and include how you’re saying it. How will you take an idea and turn it into a complex and well thought out argument that is capable of changing somebody’s mind?

A Strong Thesis

The thesis is the core of your argument. What specific message are you trying to get across? State that message in one sentence, and that will be your thesis.

This is the foundation on which your essay is built, so it needs to be strong and well-reasoned. You need to be able to expand on it with facts and sources, not just feelings.

A good argumentative essay isn’t just based on your individual thoughts, but research. That can be citing sources and other arguments or it can mean direct research in the field, depending on what your argument is and the context in which you are arguing it.

Be prepared to back your thesis up with reporting from scientific journals, newspapers, or other forms of research. Having well-researched sources will help support your argument better than hearsay or assumptions. If you can’t find enough research to back up your point, it’s worth reconsidering your thesis or conducting original research, if possible.

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How to Come Up With an Argumentative Essay Topic

Sometimes you may find yourself arguing things you don’t necessarily believe. That’s totally fine—you don’t actually have to wholeheartedly believe in what you’re arguing in order to construct a compelling argument.

However, if you have free choice of topic, it’s a good idea to pick something you feel strongly about. There are two key components to a good argumentative essay: a strong stance, and an assortment of evidence. If you’re interested and feel passionate about the topic you choose, you'll have an easier time finding evidence to support it, but it's the evidence that's most important. 

So, to choose a topic, think about things you feel strongly about, whether positively or negatively. You can make a list of ideas and narrow those down to a handful of things, then expand on those ideas with a few potential points you want to hit on.

For example, say you’re trying to decide whether you should write about how your neighborhood should ban weed killer, that your school’s lunch should be free for all students, or that the school day should be cut by one hour. To decide between these ideas, you can make a list of three to five points for each that cover the different evidence you could use to support each point.

For the weed killer ban, you could say that weed killer has been proven to have adverse impacts on bees, that there are simple, natural alternatives, and that weeds aren’t actually bad to have around. For the free lunch idea, you could suggest that some students have to go hungry because they can’t afford lunch, that funds could be diverted from other places to support free lunch, and that other items, like chips or pizza, could be sold to help make up lost revenue. And for the school day length example, you could argue that teenagers generally don’t get enough sleep, that you have too much homework and not enough time to do it, and that teenagers don’t spend enough time with their families.

You might find as you make these lists that some of them are stronger than others. The more evidence you have and the stronger you feel that that evidence is, the better the topic.  Of course, if you feel that one topic may have more evidence but you’d rather not write about it, it’s okay to pick another topic instead. When you’re making arguments, it can be much easier to find strong points and evidence if you feel passionate about our topic than if you don't.

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50 Argumentative Essay Topic Ideas

If you’re struggling to come up with topics on your own, read through this list of argumentative essay topics to help get you started!

  • Should fracking be legal?
  • Should parents be able to modify their unborn children?
  • Do GMOs help or harm people?
  • Should vaccinations be required for students to attend public school?
  • Should world governments get involved in addressing climate change?
  • Should Facebook be allowed to collect data from its users?
  • Should self-driving cars be legal?
  • Is it ethical to replace human workers with automation?
  • Should there be laws against using cell phones while driving?
  • Has the internet positively or negatively impacted human society?

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  • Should college athletes be paid for being on sports teams?
  • Should coaches and players make the same amount of money?
  • Should sports be segregated by gender?
  • Should the concept of designated hitters in baseball be abolished?
  • Should US sports take soccer more seriously?
  • Should religious organizations have to pay taxes?
  • Should religious clubs be allowed in schools?
  • Should “one nation under God” be in the pledge of allegiance?
  • Should religion be taught in schools?
  • Should clergy be allowed to marry?
  • Should minors be able to purchase birth control without parental consent?
  • Should the US switch to single-payer healthcare?
  • Should assisted suicide be legal?
  • Should dietary supplements and weight loss items like teas be allowed to advertise through influencers?
  • Should doctors be allowed to promote medicines?

Government/Politics

  • Is the electoral college an effective system for modern America?
  • Should Puerto Rico become a state?
  • Should voter registration be automatic?
  • Should people in prison be allowed to vote?
  • Should Supreme Court justices be elected?
  • Should sex work be legalized?
  • Should Columbus Day be replaced with Indigenous Peoples’ Day?
  • Should the death penalty be legal?
  • Should animal testing be allowed?
  • Should drug possession be decriminalized?

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  • Should unpaid internships be legal?
  • Should minimum wage be increased?
  • Should monopolies be allowed?
  • Is universal basic income a good idea?
  • Should corporations have a higher or lower tax rate?
  • Are school uniforms a good idea?
  • Should PE affect a student’s grades?
  • Should college be free?
  • Should Greek life in colleges be abolished?
  • Should students be taught comprehensive sex ed?

Arts/Culture

  • Should graffiti be considered art or vandalism?
  • Should books with objectionable words be banned?
  • Should content on YouTube be better regulated?
  • Is art education important?
  • Should art and music sharing online be allowed?

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How to Argue Effectively

A strong argument isn’t just about having a good point. If you can’t support that point well, your argument falls apart.

One of the most important things you can do in writing a strong argumentative essay is organizing well. Your essay should have a distinct beginning, middle, and end, better known as the introduction, body and opposition, and conclusion.

This example follows the Toulmin model—if your essay follows the Rogerian model, the same basic premise is true, but your thesis will instead propose two conflicting viewpoints that will be resolved through evidence in the body, with your conclusion choosing the stronger of the two arguments.

Introduction

Your hook should draw the reader’s interest immediately. Questions are a common way of getting interest, as well as evocative language or a strong statistic

Don’t assume that your audience is already familiar with your topic. Give them some background information, such as a brief history of the issue or some additional context.

Your thesis is the crux of your argument. In an argumentative essay, your thesis should be clearly outlined so that readers know exactly what point you’ll be making. Don’t explain all your evidence in the opening, but do take a strong stance and make it clear what you’ll be discussing.

Your claims are the ideas you’ll use to support your thesis. For example, if you’re writing about how your neighborhood shouldn’t use weed killer, your claim might be that it’s bad for the environment. But you can’t just say that on its own—you need evidence to support it.

Evidence is the backbone of your argument. This can be things you glean from scientific studies, newspaper articles, or your own research. You might cite a study that says that weed killer has an adverse effect on bees, or a newspaper article that discusses how one town eliminated weed killer and saw an increase in water quality. These kinds of hard evidence support your point with demonstrable facts, strengthening your argument.

In your essay, you want to think about how the opposition would respond to your claims and respond to them. Don’t pick the weakest arguments, either— figure out what other people are saying and respond to those arguments with clearly reasoned arguments.

Demonstrating that you not only understand the opposition’s point, but that your argument is strong enough to withstand it, is one of the key pieces to a successful argumentative essay.

Conclusions are a place to clearly restate your original point, because doing so will remind readers exactly what you’re arguing and show them how well you’ve argued that point.

Summarize your main claims by restating them, though you don’t need to bring up the evidence again. This helps remind readers of everything you’ve said throughout the essay.

End by suggesting a picture of a world in which your argument and action are ignored. This increases the impact of your argument and leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

A strong argumentative essay is one with good structure and a strong argument , but there are a few other things you can keep in mind to further strengthen your point.

When you’re crafting an argument, it can be easy to get distracted by all the information and complications in your argument. It’s important to stay focused—be clear in your thesis and home in on claims that directly support that thesis.

Be Rational

It’s important that your claims and evidence be based in facts, not just opinion. That’s why it’s important to use reliable sources based in science and reporting—otherwise, it’s easy for people to debunk your arguments.

Don’t rely solely on your feelings about the topic. If you can’t back a claim up with real evidence, it leaves room for counterarguments you may not anticipate. Make sure that you can support everything you say with clear and concrete evidence, and your claims will be a lot stronger!

What’s Next?

No matter what kind of essay you're writing, a strong plan will help you have a bigger impact. This guide to writing a college essay is a great way to get started on your essay organizing journey!

Brushing up on your essay format knowledge to prep for the SAT? Check out this list of SAT essay prompts to help you kickstart your studying!

A bunch of great essay examples can help you aspire to greatness, but bad essays can also be a warning for what not to do. This guide to bad college essays will help you better understand common mistakes to avoid in essay writing!

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Melissa Brinks graduated from the University of Washington in 2014 with a Bachelor's in English with a creative writing emphasis. She has spent several years tutoring K-12 students in many subjects, including in SAT prep, to help them prepare for their college education.

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150 Good Persuasive Speech Topics for Students in 2024

April 1, 2024

Do you know that moment in your favorite film, when the soundtrack begins to swell and the main character stands up and delivers a speech so rousing, so impassioned, it has the entire room either weeping or cheering by the time it concludes? What distinguishes the effectiveness of such a speech is not only the protagonist’s stellar delivery but also the compelling nature of the subject matter at hand. Choosing an effective persuasive speech topic is essential for guaranteeing that your future speech or essay is as moving as these . If this sounds like a tall order, have no fear. Below you’ll find a list of some of the best and most interesting persuasive speech topics for high school students to tackle, from the playful (“Pets for President”) to the serious (“Should We Stop AI from Replacing Human Workers?”).

And if you’re craving more inspiration, feel free to check out this list of Great Debate Topics , which can be used to generate further ideas.

What is a Good Persuasive Speech?

Before we get to the list, we must address the question on everyone’s minds: what is a persuasive speech, and what the heck makes for a good persuasive speech topic? A persuasive speech is a speech that aims to convince its listeners of a particular point of view . At the heart of each persuasive speech is a central conflict . Note: The persuasive speech stands in contrast to a simple informative speech, which is intended purely to convey information. (I.e., an informative speech topic might read: “The History of Making One’s Bed,” while a persuasive speech topic would be: “Why Making One’s Bed is a Waste of Time”—understand?)

And lest you think that persuasive speeches are simply assigned by your teachers as a particularly cruel form of torture, remember that practicing your oratory skills will benefit you in all areas of life—from job interviews, to business negotiations, to your future college career in public policy or international relations . Knowing how to use your voice to enact meaningful change is a valuable skill that can empower you to make a difference in the world.

Components of a Great Persuasive Speech Topic

The ideal persuasive speech topic will inspire the audience to action via both logical arguments and emotional appeals. As such, we can summarize the question “what makes a good persuasive speech topic?” by saying that the topic must possess the following qualities:

  • Timeliness and Relevance . Great persuasive speech topics grapple with a contemporary issue that is meaningful to the listener at hand. The topic might be a current news item, or it might be a long-standing social issue. In either case, the topic should be one with real-world implications.
  • Complexity . A fruitful persuasive speech topic will have many facets. Topics that are controversial, with some gray area, lend themselves to a high degree of critical thinking. They also offer the speaker an opportunity to consider and refute all counterarguments before making a compelling case for his or her own position.
  • Evidence . You want to be able to back up your argument with clear evidence from reputable sources (i.e., not your best friend or dog). The more evidence and data you can gather, the more sound your position will be. In addition, your audience will be more inclined to trust you.
  • Personal Connection. Do you feel passionately about the topic you’ve chosen? If not, it may be time to go back to the drawing board. This does not mean you have to support the side you choose; sometimes, arguing for the opposing side of what you personally believe can be an effective exercise in building empathy and perspective. Either way, though, the key is to select a topic that you care deeply about. Your passion will be infectious to the audience.

150 Good Persuasive Speech Topics

  • Should tech companies regulate the development of AI systems and automation to protect humans’ jobs?
  • Should we limit screen time for children?
  • Is it ethical for AI models like Dall-E to train themselves on artists’ work without the artists’ permission?
  • Should the government regulate the use of personal drones?
  • Is mass surveillance ethical? Does its threat to civil liberties outweigh its benefits?
  • Are virtual reality experiences a valuable educational tool?
  • Do the positive effects of powerful AI systems outweigh the risks?
  • Do voice assistants like Siri and Alexa invade individuals’ privacy?
  • Are cell phone bans in the classroom effective for improving student learning?
  • Does the use of facial recognition technology in public violate individuals’ privacy?
  • Should students be allowed to use ChatGPT and other AI tools for writing assignments?
  • Should AI-generated art be allowed in art shows or contests?
  • Who holds responsibility for accidents caused by self-driving cars: the driver or the car company?

Business and Economy

  • Should we do away with the minimum wage? Why or why not?
  • Is it ethical for companies to use unpaid internships as a source of labor?
  • Does the gig economy benefit or harm workers?
  • Is capitalism the best economic system?
  • Is it ethical for companies to use sweatshops in developing countries?
  • Should the government provide free healthcare for all citizens?
  • Should the government regulate prices on pharmaceutical drugs?
  • Should the government enact a universal base income?
  • Should customers be required to tip a minimum amount in order to ensure food service workers make a living wage?
  • Should someone’s tattoos or personal appearance factor into the hiring process?
  • Should US workers have more vacation time?
  • Is big game hunting beneficial for local communities?
  • Should we legalize euthanasia?
  • Is it ethical to use animals for medical research?
  • Is it ethical to allow access to experimental treatments for terminally ill patients?
  • Should we allow genetic engineering in humans?
  • Is the death penalty obsolete?
  • Should we allow the cloning of humans?
  • Is it ethical to allow performance-enhancing drugs in sports?
  • Should embryonic stem cell collection be allowed?
  • Do frozen IVF embryos have rights?
  • Should state and federal investigators be allowed to use DNA from genealogy databases?
  • Should the government limit how many children a couple can have?
  • Is spanking children an acceptable form of discipline?
  • Should we allow parents to choose their children’s physical attributes through genetic engineering?
  • Should we require parents to vaccinate their children?
  • Should we require companies to give mandatory paternal and maternal leave?
  • Should children be allowed to watch violent movies and video games?
  • Should parents allow their teenagers to drink before they turn 21?
  • Should the government provide childcare?
  • Should telling your children about Santa Claus be considered lying?
  • Should one parent stay home?
  • Should parental consent be required for minors to receive birth control?
  • Is it an invasion of privacy for parents to post photographs of their children on social media?

Social Media

  • Should social media platforms ban political ads?
  • Do the benefits of social media outweigh the downsides?
  • Should the government hold social media companies responsible for hate speech on their platforms?
  • Is social media making us more or less social?
  • Do platforms like TikTok exacerbate mental health issues in teens?
  • Should the government regulate social media to protect citizens’ privacy?
  • Is it right for parents to monitor their children’s social media accounts?
  • Should social media companies enact a minimum user age restriction?
  • Should we require social media companies to protect user data?
  • Should we hold social media companies responsible for cyberbullying?
  • Should schools ban the use of social media from their networks?
  • Should we be allowed to record others without their consent?
  • Do online crime sleuths help or hurt criminal investigations?

Education – Persuasive Speech Topics 

  • Would trade schools and other forms of vocational training benefit a greater number of students than traditional institutions of higher education?
  • Should colleges use standardized testing in their admissions processes?
  • Is forcing students to say the Pledge a violation of their right to freedom of speech?
  • Should school districts offer bilingual education programs for non-native speakers?
  • Should schools do away with their physical education requirements?
  • Should schools incorporate a remote learning option into their curriculum?
  • Should we allow school libraries to ban certain books?
  • Should we remove historical figures who owned slaves from school textbooks and other educational materials?
  • Should we have mixed-level classrooms or divide students according to ability?
  • Should grading on a curve be allowed?
  • Should graphic novels be considered literature?
  • Should all students have to take financial literacy classes before graduating?
  • Should colleges pay student athletes?
  • Should we ban violent contact sports like boxing and MMA?
  • Should sports leagues require professional athletes to stand during the national anthem?
  • Should sports teams ban players like Kyrie Irving when they spread misinformation or hate speech?
  • Should high schools require their athletes to maintain a certain GPA?
  • Should the Olympic committee allow transgender athletes to compete?
  • Should high schools ban football due to its safety risks to players?
  • Should all high school students be required to play a team sport?
  • Should sports teams be mixed instead of single-gender?
  • Should there be different athletic standards for men and women?
  • In which renewable energy option would the US do best to invest?
  • Should the US prioritize space exploration over domestic initiatives?
  • Should companies with a high carbon footprint be punished?
  • Should the FDA ban GMOs?
  • Would the world be a safer place without nuclear weapons?
  • Does AI pose a greater threat to humanity than it does the potential for advancement?
  • Who holds the most responsibility for mitigating climate change: individuals or corporations?
  • Should we be allowed to resurrect extinct species?
  • Are cancer screening programs ethical?

Social Issues – Persuasive Speech Topics

  • College education: should the government make it free for all?
  • Should we provide free healthcare for undocumented immigrants?
  • Is physician-assisted suicide morally justifiable?
  • Does social media have a negative impact on democracy?
  • Does cancel culture impede free speech?
  • Does affirmative action help or hinder minority groups in the workplace?
  • Should we hold public figures and celebrities to a higher standard of morality?
  • Should abortion be an issue that is decided at the federal or state level?
  • Should the sex offender registry be available to the public?
  • Should undocumented immigrants have a path to amnesty?
  • Do syringe services programs reduce or increase harmful behaviors?
  • Should there be a statute of limitations?
  • Should those who are convicted of a crime be required to report their criminal history on job and housing applications?

Politics and Government

  • Is the Electoral College still an effective way to elect the President of the US?
  • Should we allow judges to serve on the Supreme Court indefinitely?
  • Should the US establish a national gun registry?
  • Countries like Israel and China require all citizens to serve in the military. Is this a good or bad policy?
  • Should the police force require all its officers to wear body cameras while on duty?
  • Should the US invest in the development of clean meat as a sustainable protein source?
  • Should the US adopt ranked-choice voting?
  • Should institutions that profited from slavery provide reparations?
  • Should the government return land to Native American tribes?
  • Should there be term limits for representatives and senators?
  • Should there be an age limit for presidential candidates?
  • Should women be allowed in special forces units?

Easy Persuasive Speech Topics

  • Should schools have uniforms?
  • Can video games improve problem-solving skills?
  • Are online classes as effective as in-person classes?
  • Should companies implement a four-day work week?
  • Co-ed learning versus single-sex: which is more effective?
  • Should the school day start later?
  • Is homework an effective teaching tool?
  • Are electric cars really better for the environment?
  • Should schools require all students to study a foreign language?
  • Do professional athletes get paid too much money?

Fun Persuasive Speech Topics

  • Should we allow pets to run for public office?
  • Does pineapple belong on pizza?
  • Would students benefit from schools swapping out desks with more comfortable seating arrangements (i.e., bean bag chairs and couches)?
  • Is procrastination the key to success?
  • Should Americans adopt British accents to sound more intelligent?
  • The age-old dilemma: cats or dogs?
  • Should meme creators receive royalties when their memes go viral?
  • Should there be a minimum drinking age for coffee?
  • Are people who make their beds every day more successful than those who don’t?

Interesting Persuasive Speech Topics

  • Is the movie ranking system an effective way to evaluate the appropriateness of films?
  • Should the government place a “health tax” on junk food?
  • Is it ethical to create artificial life forms that are capable of complex emotions?
  • Should parents let children choose their own names?
  • Creating clones of ourselves to serve as organ donors: ethical or not?
  • Is it ethical to engineer humans to be better and more optimized than nature intended?
  • Should we adopt a universal language to communicate with people from all countries?
  • Should there be a penalty for people who don’t vote?
  • Should calories be printed on menus?
  • Does tourism positively or negatively impact local communities?
  • When used by non-Natives, are dreamcatchers cultural appropriation?
  • Should companies require their employees to specify pronouns in their signature line?
  • Should commercial fishing be banned?
  • Are cemeteries sustainable?
  • Is it okay to change the race, culture, and/or gender of historical figures in movies or TV shows?

I’ve Chosen My Topic, Now What?

Once you’ve selected your topic, it’s time to get to work crafting your argument. Preparation for a persuasive speech or essay involves some key steps, which we’ve outlined for you below.

How to Create a Successful Persuasive Speech, Step by Step

  • Research your topic. Read widely and smartly. Stick to credible sources, such as peer-reviewed articles, published books, government reports, textbooks, and news articles. The right sources and data will be necessary to help you establish your authority. As you go, take notes on the details and nuances of your topic as well as potential counterarguments. Research the counterarguments, too.
  • Choose an angle. For example, if you chose the topic “Should we limit screen time for children?” your speech should come down firmly on one side of that debate. If your topic is frequently debated, such as abortion, capital punishment, gun control, social media, etc. try to find a niche angle or new research. For example, instead of “Should abortion be legal?” you might consider “Should you be able to order abortion pills online?” Another example: “Should the death penalty be banned?” might become “How long is it ethical for someone to stay on death row?” If you do some digging, even the most cliche topics have incredibly interesting and relatively unexplored sub-topics.
  • Create an outline. Your outline should include an introduction with a thesis statement, a body that uses evidence to elaborate and support your position while refuting any counterarguments, and a conclusion. The conclusion will both summarize the points made earlier and serve as your final chance to persuade your audience.
  • Write your speech. Use your outline to help you as well as the data you’ve collected. Remember: this is not dry writing; this writing has a point of view, and that point of view is yours . Accordingly, use anecdotes and examples to back up your argument. The essential components of this speech are logos (logic), ethos (credibility), and pathos (emotion) . The ideal speech will use all three of these functions to engage the audience.

How to Practice and Deliver a Persuasive Speech

  • Talk to yourself in the mirror, record yourself, and/or hold a practice speech for family or friends. If you’ll be using visual cues, a slide deck, or notecards, practice incorporating them seamlessly into your speech. You should practice until your speech feels very familiar, at least 5-10 times.
  • Practice body language. Are you making eye contact with your audience, or looking at the ground? Crossing your arms over your chest or walking back and forth across the room? Playing with your hair, cracking your knuckles, or picking at your clothes? Practicing what to do with your body, face, and hands will help you feel more confident on speech day.
  • Take it slow. It’s common to talk quickly while delivering a speech—most of us want to get it over with! However, your audience will be able to connect with you much more effectively if you speak at a moderate pace, breathe, and pause when appropriate.
  • Give yourself grace. How you recover from a mistake is much more important than the mistake itself. Typically, the best approach is to good-naturedly shrug off a blip and move on. 99% of the time, your audience won’t even notice!

Good Persuasive Speech Topics—Final Thoughts

The art of persuasive speaking is a tricky one, but the tips and tricks laid out here will help you craft a compelling argument that will sway even the most dubious audience to your side. Mastering this art takes both time and practice, so don’t fret if it doesn’t come to you right away. Remember to draw upon your sources, speak with authority, and have fun. Once you have the skill of persuasive speaking down, go out there and use your voice to impact change!

Looking for some hot-button topics in college admissions? You might consider checking out the following:

  • Do Colleges Look at Social Media?
  • Should I Apply Test-Optional to College?
  • Should I Waive My Right to See Letters of Recommendation?
  • Should I Use the Common App Additional Information Section?
  • High School Success

Lauren Green

With a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from Columbia University and an MFA in Fiction from the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas at Austin, Lauren has been a professional writer for over a decade. She is the author of the chapbook  A Great Dark House  (Poetry Society of America, 2023) and a forthcoming novel (Viking/Penguin).

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  • 100 persuasive speech ideas

Persuasive speech ideas

100 good persuasive speech topics for high school students

By:  Susan Dugdale  

Potentially interesting persuasive speech topics are everywhere - billions of them! But exactly how do you choose the right topic for yourself?

My goal is to help you do that easily! ☺ 

What you'll find on this page:

  • 100+ persuasive speech ideas  grouped by theme: animals/birds, arts/culture, automotive, business/economy, social/community, environment, education, ethics, global/world, sports... 

Notes covering:

  • what makes a speech topic 'good'
  • why some topics are potentially boring for an audience to listen to and best left alone
  • local and 'happening now' (current) persuasive speech ideas
  • the best way to use this list of topics

Reading the notes  before trying to decide what you'll talk about will make the process of choosing the perfect persuasive speech topic simpler.    

How to pick the right persuasive speech topic

The trick to picking the best topic from the bewildering mass of possibilities begins with understanding what makes a speech topic idea 'good'.

What makes a speech topic good?

While there are many factors that combine to make a 'good' speech topic, the three main ones are:

  • the subject matter is something you are genuinely interested in. If you're enthusiastic about your subject, you'll enjoy doing the research required and you'll do it thoroughly. What's more, your interest will show in the way you give your speech. A passionate person is a great deal more persuasive than someone who is ambivalent about what they're talking about.
  • something your audience will be interested in hearing about. Before you make a final choice consider carefully who you are talking to. As a group what particular topic, subjects or issues will make them want to sit up and listen? You'll want to avoid topics that have limited or little appeal to your audience. For example, you may be fascinated by your Great-Grandmother's hand crocheted doily collection, but will your audience really share your opinion that everyone would benefit from learning to crochet? Unless they're all like you, I don't think so! Find out more about the  benefits of audience analysis  in effective persuasive speech preparation.
  • something that has not been covered a 'squillion' times, already. You want a fresh topic!

Image: colorful crochet doily. Text: 100+ good persuasive speech topics - Everyone will benefit from learning to crochet. Mmm. Perhaps not.

Return to Top

Beware! Some persuasive speech topics are tired

All the engaging 'wow, that's interesting' energy has been squeezed out of them because they have been covered over and over again.  Those topics are exhausted through overuse. They've become cliches.

Most people do not want to listen to another speech:

  • smoking/vaping should be banned,
  • the legal drinking age should be raised to 21,
  • wearing seat belts in vehicles should be compulsory, or
  • the voting age should be lowered.

Even if the issues they raise are unresolved choose something else rather than risk boring your audience.

Of course, there are exceptions!   If you have a genuinely fresh and interesting angle to bring, perhaps new information or research to share, then go ahead. However, make that clear from the outset, otherwise you'll risk losing your audience's interest before you've had a chance to get your speech underway.

Remember - local and topical is GOOD

Before settling on a  persuasive speech topic from my list  check what's going on right under your nose. 

Great persuasive speech topics can pop out of your local community newspaper, radio, TV, or even your Facebook page. These could genuinely interest your audience. 

After all it's where you all live and the issues in your community have an impact on everyone's wellbeing.

The 'Wellywood' sign saga

I've just flicked through a copy of the local community news I picked up at my supermarket.

There were articles about a huge sign Wellington airport is considering placing on a prominent hill alongside the runway. It will read "Wellywood".

Image -The hill above Miramar Wharf, Wellington, NZ with a sign saying Wellywood.

Airport authorities say it supports our thriving film industry, celebrating and building on the success of "The Lord of the Rings".

Those against it argue it's cheap copycatting of the famous Hollywood sign. They say the thousands of overseas visitors per day who see it will hoot and snort with derisive laughter.

There are two potential persuasive speech ideas right there: depending on your point of view, either for or against the sign.

Another piece was on the mixed success of a newly introduced recycling scheme.

Yet another was on depression alongside the story of a young man who suffered from it. What angles could be taken on either of those?

How to use this list of speech topic suggestions

Note down 3 possibilities as you go through the list of speech topics below.

As you read apply the three 'tests' for selecting a good persuasive speech topic I've already mentioned: your interest in the topic, its appeal to your audience and its freshness.

In addition to those there are a few other factors to bear in mind before committing yourself. 

Other important factors to consider

Any of these could also influence your choice.

  • the time you have to research the topic thoroughly If it's a complex topic and you have limited time to prepare you may want to reconsider.
  • your desired outcome A successful persuasive speech persuades!  It challenges and seeks to change the way people think, feel and behave. What do you want your audience to do as a result of hearing you speak? Sign a petition, make a donation, vote for you, volunteer ...? What you want to happen is often called a ' most wanted response ' or MWR. Being clear about that will help you choose your topic as well as shape your speech.
  • your credibility How qualified are you to speak on the topic you've chosen? Do you have personal experience on your side?  How long have you been interested in it?  Have you done your research? Have you found reliable resources from reputable sources covering all angles of your topic?

100+ good persuasive speech ideas

Image:- street art- two girls writing on wall - 'Please no more war. Love.' Text: 100 persuasive speech ideas - Graffiti is a justifiable form of social protest.

Animals/birds ...

  • Factory farming of animals (e.g. of cows, sheep, pigs or chickens) is inhumane.
  • Humane meat production is an oxymoron.
  • Exotic animals can make excellent pets.
  • Should rats, mice and birds be used in scientific experimentation?
  • Pit-bull dogs are dangerous.
  • There are significant advantages to animal testing.
  • Puppy mills should be illegal.
  • The domestic cat is a serious threat to endangered birds.
  • Pet therapy should receive more funding.
  • Birds should not be kept in cages.
  • Wild animals should be left in the wild.

Arts/Culture

  • Artists should be supported and funded by the state.
  • Cultural appropriation in any form is an insult.
  • No subject should be considered taboo in art.
  • Graffiti is art.
  • Indigenous artifacts should be returned to their rightful owners.
  • Famous artists are entitled to have their rights to privacy respected.
  • Music videos are an art form in their own right.
  • Art should be freely accessible to all.
  • Tattooing is a modern form of Fine Art.
  • Art appreciation and practice should be compulsory subjects.
  • Respecting cultural difference should be taught in all schools.
  • Everyone should know about the culture(s) they are born into.
  • Culture is essential, just like fresh air and food.
  • Hands-on defensive driving training should be compulsory.
  • Electric vehicles should be subsidized.
  • Internal combustion engine powered vehicles should be taxed to cover emissions.
  • Bicycles and cars should have separate roads.
  • Children under the age of 10 should not ride bicycles on public roads.
  • Everybody who holds a driving license should be regularly retested.
  • Driving while using a cell phone should be illegal.
  • Private vehicle ownership and use in cities should be restricted.
  • Public transport in cities should be readily available and affordable.

Business/Economy

  • Money is not the root of all evil.
  • Power does not necessarily corrupt.
  • All workers should at least receive the minimum wage.
  • All workers should be paid equitably for the same job regardless of differences in race, gender or sexuality. 
  • The minimum wage should be increased.
  • Local businesses deserve more support.
  • Using cheaper foreign labor for manufacturing is ruining our economy.

Social/Community

  • Homelessness is the result of choice.
  • Becoming a parent should be an earned privilege.
  • Same-sex marriage should be accepted in the same way that heterosexual marriage is.
  • Juvenile crime is a cry for help not punishment.
  • Guns should not be allowed in public places.
  • Helping those who need it in the community should be everyone's responsibility.
  • Food should never be wasted.
  • Community service projects create healthier communities.
  • All education should be free.
  • Higher education is over-rated.
  • Boys and girls should be educated separately.
  • Students should wear uniforms.
  • GPAs (Grade Point Averages) are more harmful than helpful.
  • The state colleges versus private colleges debate is meaningless.
  • Sex education is essential.
  • Mental health should be a mandatory subject in schools.
  • Private (fee-paying) schools achieve better results.
  • Everybody who wants to go to school should be able to.
  • Ranking student ability using traditional examinations should be stopped.
  • Assessment of a student's progress should be measured against themselves not their peers.
  • Class sizes should be smaller.
  • What is right? Choosing a major on the basis of personal interest or because of a potential salary? 
  • On-line teaching is as effective as classroom-based teaching.

Environment

  • Being 'green' is a fashionable fad.
  • Many current farming practices damage the environment and should be banned.
  • All plastic packaging must be banned.
  • Disposable diapers need to be biodegradable.
  • Should fracking be illegal?
  • Renewable energy schemes should be supported.
  • Climate change is a fact.
  • Mining in environmentally vulnerable areas should be stopped.
  • 'Green' spaces are good for mental health. There should be more parks. 
  • Lying is always wrong.
  • Truth is never debatable, or alternative. 
  • There is never an excuse or reason good enough to declare war.
  • Free speech should not be confused with hate speech.
  • What is 'right' and 'wrong' changes from generation to generation, from culture to culture.
  • Is it right to allow white supremacists to hold rallies?
  • Should drones be allowed in military warfare?
  • Ethical considerations should underpin stem-cell research.
  • Disabilities of any sort (mental, emotional, or physical) are an opportunity for personal growth.
  • Healthcare is the responsibility of the individual, not the state.
  • What we eat, we become.
  • What we think, we are.
  • Drug addicts are chronically sick. They have a disease.
  • Access to effective, safe birth control should be a right.
  • Plastic surgery should be only for those who really need it.
  • Assisted dying (suicide) should be legal.
  • Vaccinations in schools for common infectious diseases should be compulsory. 
  • A tax on sugar would help lessen the spread of diet related health problems.
  • Fast foods should not be blamed for health concerns.
  • Good affordable housing would solve many chronic health problems.
  • Therapies, like art or music, should be government funded. 

Global/World

  • Global warming is real.
  • The idea of peace on earth is naive.
  • Nationalism creates and sustains enemies.
  • Cultural difference should be celebrated.
  • First world countries should meaningfully and freely assist countries who need help.

Government/Law/Politics

  • Religion has no place in government.
  • State censorship or surveillance is never a right course of action.
  • That giant international companies should not be able to dodge paying tax.
  • Military service should be compulsory.
  • It should be illegal to own or have a semi-automatic or assault weapon.
  • Modern media is to blame for lowering moral standards/ reading levels/ escalating violence. (Select one!)
  • Online games can be good for you.
  • Internet chat rooms should be monitored.
  • Facebook (or any other form of social media) is replacing the need for face-to-face communication.
  • Cyberbullying controls should be more actively put in place.
  • Monitoring media of any sort should be banned.
  • Religious tolerance should be encouraged.
  • All religious institutions should be monitored by the state.
  • Animal sacrifices as part of religious practice need to be viewed in context.
  • Should students be allowed to follow their religious practices in public schools?

Science/Technology

  • Food engineering is the way of the future.
  • Cell phone use in public places should be controlled.
  • Should the government put restrictions on the development and use of AI?
  • Designer children - is this good for future generations?
  • Cloning is justifiable.
  • Self-driving cars should be legal.
  • Should schools teach the use of AI tools?
  • The use of robots should be limited.
  • All professional athletes should be required to take regular drug tests.
  • Professional male and female athletes in the same sport should be paid equally.
  • Children should not be allowed to play collision sports.
  • Is cheerleading a sport?
  • Competitive sports teach us valuable life lessons.
  • Physical education should be a compulsory subject.
  • No-one should be barred from a sport because of their gender.

best argumentative speech topics

Getting from compelling topic to persuasive speech

For help turning your chosen persuasive speech idea into a fully-fledged speech check these pages.

Resources for preparation 

  • Persuasive Speech Outline Find out more about structuring an effective persuasive speech using Monroe's Motivated Sequence, the classic 5 step pattern used by all professional persuaders: politicians, the advertising industry, and PR experts. There's a step-by-step example outline and a printable blank persuasive speech outline template for you to use too.

Alan H Monroe

Image per courtesy Purdue University

  • And here's a  persuasive speech example  that uses Monroe's Motivated Sequence.  Before you go to look I'd like you know its content is potentially controversial: suicide and the impact it has on close family and friends.
  • Sample Speech Outline This is the familiar 3 part speech outline - good for any type of speech. Read the step by step instructions then download a free blank speech outline to complete. Fill it in and you're ready to go!
  • How to Write a Speech Step by step easily followed instructions for shaping your material into an effective speech.

More persuasive speech topics to choose from

Image:-piece of half eaten chocolate cake on a plate. Text: Fun persuasive speech topics - Having you cake and eating it too is fair.

And if you're still in need of persuasive speech ideas check these pages:

  • 50   good persuasive speech topics  
  • 105 fun persuasive speech topics  
  • 309 'easy' persuasive speech topics
  • 108  feminist persuasive speech topics    
  • 310 persuasive speech topics for college . 

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best argumentative speech topics

101 Standout Argumentative Essay Topic Ideas

An argumentative essay is just what it sounds like: an essay where you argue. You pick a topic, take a stance, research information to support your opinion, state your claims, and voilà! You’ve got your essay.

Choose a topic that is debatable. You need to present your own personal stance but also discuss an opposing point of view. If the topic is too universally agreed upon, it won’t work.

As simple as that may sound, writing a persuasive essay can be quite difficult for even very experienced writers. It takes excellent organization and planning to clearly address your thoughts and requires stellar research skills to find valid arguments that support your claim.

But before you can state your case, you first need to come up with the topic you’re going to argue about.

How to Choose a Topic for an Argumentative Essay

When you choose a topic for an argumentative essay, it’s important to keep these tips in mind:

  • Your topic must be debatable. Duh... this seems obvious, but it’s worth stating. You need a topic that has (at least) two sides. Choosing a topic such as Puerto Rico is My Favorite Place is not really debatable. However, picking a topic like Puerto Rico Should Become the 51st State to Join the United States is something arguable. Some people agree with this statement, and others do not. There are pros and cons that can be discussed. ‍
  • Write about what people are talking about. Watch the news. Browse the internet. It’s more engaging to write about something that’s relevant right now. For example, if you keep hearing a lot about immigration, you might choose a topic such as America Should Close Its Borders . Or if you read a lot about standardized testing in schools, you can create a topic like Colleges Should Eliminate Standardized Testing From Their Application Process . When a topic is current and intriguing, it makes for a more interesting essay. ‍
  • Reflect on your interests. It’s always better to write about something for which you have a passion. If you love video games, you could write a persuasive essay such as Video Gaming is Healthy for Teens . If you’re passionate about sports, you could cover something like College Athletes Deserve to Be Paid . Researching and writing an argumentative essay takes quite a bit of time, so you should pick a topic you’re fascinated by to make the process a little less painless.

Forming General Arguments

To test whether or not the prompt you have in mind is up to snuff for an entire essay, you can test it out by putting it in a general argument.

Pick the topic you’re thinking about and see if it works as a two-sided debate in any of the following formats:

  • Is…effective? Productive? Helpful? Worth it? (i.e. Is school choice effective?)
  • Is…hurtful? Harmful? Wasteful? (i.e. Is fracking harmful to the environment?)
  • …should be allowed for… (i.e. Alcohol should be allowed for all people who are 18 and older. )
  • …should be forbidden for… (i.e. Football should be forbidden for children under the age of ten .)

If you can make a topic from any of these, you’re ready at this point to start outlining your essay . If not, you need to find a more specific starting point.

To see if your topic has enough depth to fill up a full essay assignment, try putting it into a general argument. This will help you determine if the prompt you have in mind is truly debatable.

Argumentative Essay Topic Ideas

Need some ideas to help you choose a topic? This list will get you started.

Note that these are listed as questions so you can take your own stance. For example, Should everyone have free healthcare? gives you at least two possible topics depending on your point of view: Everyone is Entitled to Free Healthcare vs. It is Not the Government’s Responsibility to Provide Healthcare for Everyone .

Laws & Policies

  • Should the drinking age be lowered/raised?
  • Should military participation be mandatory for all citizens?
  • Should all Americans be required to speak English fluently?
  • Should Americans be required to speak Spanish?
  • Should teachers be armed?
  • Should gun control laws be stricter?
  • Should the military age be lowered/raised?
  • Should there be limits to free speech?
  • Should marijuana be legal?
  • Should the internet be censored?
  • Are gun control laws too strict?
  • Should people of the same sex be allowed to marry each other?
  • Should abortion be legal?
  • Should laws be grounded in religion?
  • Should churches be tax-free institutions?
  • Should the voting age be lowered/raised?
  • Should felons have the right to vote?
  • Should the electoral college still exist?
  • Should Puerto Rico become a state?
  • Should all politicians have term limits?
  • Should everyone have free healthcare?
  • Should social security be privatized?
  • Should the United States build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico?
  • Should the minimum wage be raised?
  • Should wealthier citizens pay more taxes?
  • Should the use of the penny be eliminated?
  • Should every citizen be required to vote?
  • Is life better now than it was X years ago?
  • Who is the greatest president of all time?
  • Who is the most ethical/moral politician that has ever served?
  • Is globalization a good thing?
  • How can governments prevent World War 3?
  • Is democracy the best form of government?
  • Are teenagers now smarter than teenagers of past generations?
  • Does revolution result in real change?
  • Should the U.S. get involved with other countries’ wars?
  • Should cursive writing be taught in schools?
  • Should students have to wear school uniforms?
  • Should all students have free college tuition?
  • Should teachers be paid more?
  • Should K–12 school selection be based on where you live?
  • Should all students be required to study abroad?
  • Should year-round schooling be mandatory?
  • Should high school start times be later?
  • Should everyone be required to learn a foreign language?
  • Should schools have mandatory metal detectors and security guards?
  • Is standardized testing fair?
  • Should prayer be allowed in school?
  • Should sex education be required for all students?
  • Are single-sex schools more effective?
  • Should students be required to take a year off before starting college?

Science & Technology

  • Should we invest in space travel?
  • Are nuclear weapons helping make the world safe?
  • Are video games harmful?
  • Do video games cause children to be violent?
  • Does screen time have an effect on a child’s social behavior?
  • Should animals be used to test new products?
  • Has technology helped or hurt society?
  • Does technology make life easier?
  • Are online relationships legitimate?
  • Is cloning ethical?
  • How can we best fight against the obesity epidemic?
  • Should smoking be illegal?
  • Should energy drinks be banned?
  • Are diets helpful?
  • Is technology making healthcare more/less personal?
  • Should schools offer healthier food choices?
  • Should doctor-assisted suicide exist?
  • Should unhealthy foods and beverages be taxed at a higher rate?
  • Should physical education be mandatory for everyone?
  • Should recycling be mandatory?
  • Should every household have a trash limit?
  • Should people eat vegan to help save the environment?
  • Should tax money be used to save endangered species?
  • Should cars be outlawed in cities?
  • Should plastic straws and bags be banned worldwide?
  • Should there be limits on water usage?
  • Should solar and wind power be used more often than other energies?
  • Should college athletes be paid?
  • Should players have to stand for the National Anthem?
  • Do athletes have a responsibility to be role models?
  • Who is the greatest athlete of all time?
  • Is football too dangerous for young athletes?
  • Should sports betting be illegal?
  • Does playing a sport help build character in young children?
  • Should professional sports have cheerleaders?

Pop Culture & the Arts

  • Should beauty contests be terminated?
  • Should artwork be censored?
  • Do celebrities have responsibilities to be role models?
  • Is social media helpful or hurtful?
  • Do television shows accurately represent current American lifestyles?
  • Should music be censored?
  • Should people live together before marriage?
  • Should children be put in the spotlight at a young age?
  • Does money lead to happiness?
  • Should the death penalty be abolished?
  • Is there any time when breaking the law is okay?
  • Is money the root of all evil?
  • Are we responsible for other people or only for ourselves?
  • Do the ends justify the means of any action?
  • Can people ever change who they are?

Once you have chosen a topic that is relevant, debatable, and worth discussing, you are free to begin organizing your argumentative essay. Outline your opinion, do some research, and get started!

How to Write Essay Titles and Headers

Don’t overlook the title and section headers when putting together your next writing assignment. Follow these pointers for keeping your writing organized and effective.

Need a topic for your upcoming argumentative essay? We've got 100 helpful prompts to help you get kickstarted on your next writing assignment.

Writing a Standout College Admissions Essay

Your personal statement is arguably the most important part of your college application. Follow these guidelines for an exceptional admissions essay.

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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.

Jamie Oliver persuasive speech

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 .

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Persuasive Speech Topics: The Best 150 Ideas

Plus, a step-by-step guide for writing and delivering your speech.

Persuasive Speech Topics

Persuasive speech topics can inspire an audience and influence change in your community, town, or city. Whether you are giving a presentation at a large conference or converting a college essay into a speech to be given at your high school's auditorium, delivering a persuasive speech is not an easy task. We are here to guide you through this difficult process and provide you with 150 persuasive speech topics that can help you prepare your own inspirational presentation.

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Article Contents 13 min read

The art of persuasion.

The art of oratory is one of the oldest and most compelling persuasion tactics in human history. The power of speech has been used for centuries by men and women to negotiate peace, start revolutions, and inspire generations. At the source of change, we often witness a great speaker or speech that affected people’s worldviews. King Solomon, Socrates, Cicero, Elizabeth I, Napoleon, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, were all powerful speakers who changed the course of human history.  

Luckily, not every persuasive speech happens on such a grand scale. You do not have to become Napoleon to change the lives of people who hear what you have to say. You might have experienced this yourself – perhaps you have had a teacher who instilled in you a great passion for the study of physics during his lectures? Or you happened to attend a political, grassroots gathering where you heard a speech that changed your attitude towards homelessness or poverty. Or maybe your classmate's presentation revealed something about a novel you were reading in class that made you reflect on your own life and the people in it.

The power of a speech lies in your conviction and delivery of the topic you choose to discuss. A persuasive speech topic can be anything you are passionate about. Yes, it is true; whether you want to discuss the repercussions of the Cuban Revolution or analyze the power of K-pop in popular culture, it is up to you to enthrall the audience with your topic. The key to any successful speech is your confidence and enthusiasm. So, let’s start by examining what makes a speech persuasive.

To deliver a speech takes a lot of guts – not everybody is comfortable with public speaking. But to deliver a good speech takes conviction. Think of it like this: you must believe in the importance of your speech topic to discuss it. This must be something you care about and believe in; otherwise, your topic must be something that drives your curiosity, and you believe that it must be examined further.

Conviction stirs your desire to share this topic with others – you are convinced that other people will similarly find this topic fascinating! Whether it is the importance of recycling or bike lanes, the conviction is what will become the backbone of a successful and persuasive topic choice, as well as drive your desire to give a speech in the first place.

With conviction comes passion. These two elements of a successful speech are intimately intertwined. If you believe in the importance of something, you will be passionate about sharing it with the public.

If we look at some of the most famous speeches in human history, you will notice that conviction and passion are the driving force that makes these speeches legendary. Whether it's Cicero's defense of the Republic in the Roman Senate or Martin Luther King's speech in the defense of civil rights almost two millennia later, both these speakers believed in the importance of their convictions and were passionate about sharing their beliefs. In these cases, even despite the threats of death.

Unbiased Expertise

Conviction and passion should also drive your need to know everything there is to know about your topic. To give a persuasive speech, you must not only show confidence and excitement but demonstrate that you are an expert in the topic of your choice. Granted, if you are a high school student or an undergraduate who's been assigned to deliver a speech in less than 2 weeks, you are not going to become a world-renowned expert in your subject matter. However, as I pointed out, your speech topic should be something you are already passionate about, so you must have done some research and have some knowledge of your topic.

A persuasive speech should be based on facts. It should deliver arguments and counterarguments to show many sides of the issue you choose to discuss. For example, if you choose to discuss the importance of bike lanes, you can present several arguments in support of creating more bike lanes in your town or city, such as safety, decrease in traffic, environmental benefits, etc. However, make sure to include arguments that also show the other side of the issue, such as having to close down several major streets in your city to reconstruct the roads to fit in the new bike lanes and the side-effects of construction for businesses. Presenting both sides of the issue will show your comprehensive knowledge of the topic and demonstrate your professionalism.

Using the bike lanes topic as an example, I want to emphasize that showing unbiased research and knowledge of your topic can win the audience’s favor. You can, and should, still have your own opinion on the matter and defend your conviction in the speech but presenting the audience with both sides of the story is a tactic that will make them trust you.

Additionally, knowing both sides of the coin shows that you have come to your conviction after long and thorough research. You are not just presenting an uneducated opinion.

Taking care of the substance of your speech is the first step. While learning how to properly deliver your speech may seem less important, even the most well-researched and factually based speech will seem weak if the orator does not engage the public.

Though they certainly help your confidence, conviction and passion do not always result in strong delivery. This is understandable since public speaking is not everyone’s forte. While you may be animated and absorbing when you speak of your topic with friends, gripping an audience full of strangers is different.

There are three potential goals of any persuasive speech:

To familiarize your audience with a topic they have never considered before and inspire them to research it on their own. "}]" code="timeline1">

When you think about it, these objectives are pretty ambitious. Delivery plays a huge part in achieving these goals. It will be hard to move your audience to pursue any of these goals without clear articulation, professionalism, and charisma.

Strong delivery can be developed. Yes, there are those to whom oratory skills come more naturally, but this is rather an exception than the rule. Many successful orators were terrified of public speaking but worked hard to overcome their fears. A good example of this is King George VI of England. Before taking the throne in 1936, he was already an infamously bad speaker. The King trained to keep his speech impediment and nerves at bay once he was crowned and delivered one of the most inspiring speeches against Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich at the beginning of World War II.

Now that you know what makes a speech topic persuasive, let's go over a step-by-step formula that will help you choose the right topic for you. 

  • Brainstorm where your convictions lie and what you are passionate about. You must reflect on what interests, hobbies, news, events, individuals, and activities of yours could be developed into a persuasive, strong narrative. 
  • Narrow these down to 2 or 3 topics that are particularly important or riveting to you. 
  • Now comes the practical side of the brainstorming process: take a moment to think whether preparing a comprehensive and compelling speech on this topic is feasible in the amount of time you have available. Consider the following questions: Are the topics of your choice well researched by you? Do you know these topics well? If you are not well-versed in the topic of your choice, do you have enough time to do research to present a comprehensive and complete narrative? Do you have enough time to form a well-developed stance about this topic? A thesis? Will you be able to cover several sides of this topic in the amount of time you have available?
  • If you have answered “No” to these questions regarding each of the topics you had in mind, you must go back to the drawing board. 
  • If you have come up with a topic that results in a positive response to all the questions mentioned in step 3, you might have found the winner.
  • Start by developing a thesis, i.e., the main message of your speech. Without a thesis, you will not have a strong speech. 
  • Develop arguments that endorse your thesis and support them with facts. Remember, a strong speech must be based on facts, rather than opinions and unsubstantiated statements.
  • Research counterarguments to your thesis. While you may not personally support these, you must present a well-rounded picture of the issue you are discussing. 
  • You can finish off your speech by responding to the counterarguments in a way that reinforces your thesis. Don't forget to re-emphasize your main message in the closing paragraphs of your speech.

Know your audience

It is always a good idea to know who your audience is. Whether you are giving a speech in your high school, or traveling to attend an undergraduate conference, reflect on who will be listening to your speech. Before you sit down to write it, consider whether you can give yourself the freedom to use technical language, jargon, or make inside jokes on the matter. In general, I would advise you to avoid overly technical or niche language. It is never a good tactic for making a persuasive speech – this might alienate a large part of your audience.

However, if you are delivering a speech to a like-minded audience, you may use "industry lingo". For example, if you are delivering a speech at a video game convention, it is likely that many, if not most, attendees will be familiar with the terms and vocabulary you use. You will be able to strengthen your speech by using language that unites you with your audience. In this case, you are encouraged to engage the public by making inside jokes, using niche terminology, and creating a relatable experience with your speech.

Knowing your audience will allow you to develop a language for your speech. It will also allow you to gauge how deep you can delve into the topic of your choice. For example, if you are a young physics aficionado who is giving a lecture on black holes to your sophomore classmates, you might want to consider the fact that many of them have never studied physics in depth. This may help you shape your speech into something accessible and interesting for others.

If you are unsure about who your audience might be, try researching it. It is always good practice to know whom you will be addressing. Not only will it help you prepare the speech, but it will also ease your anxiety about the day of your speech delivery.

Hook the audience

Your opening sentences can hook the audience and guarantee their attention. While it will be the substance of your speech that keeps them listening to you, the opening must be captivating for your speech to have a chance for success.

So, what do I mean by hooking the audience with your opening? For example, you can state a shocking statistic about your topic. It will be especially impactful if it is related to your audience’s experiences, geographical area, community, or hot-topic issue. Here’s an example for an opening sentence for a speech about the importance of bike lanes:

“Last year, the city of Toronto recorded 715 serious accidents involving cyclists, with over 5% of these accidents resulting in a fatality."

Now, if I was living in Toronto, I would be surprised to hear such information; especially, if I have never thought about this before. I am saddened by this statistic and would like to learn how we can help prevent these accidents.

Let’s examine another opening. This time, we will consider a speech topic involving a historical event. For example, if you are captivated by the mystery of Princess Anastasia of the Russian royal family, the House of Romanov, you might start your speech thusly:

“The question of whether the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova survived the brutal execution of her entire family by the Bolsheviks is one of the greatest mysteries of the 20th century.”

This sentence performs several tasks:

The opening sentence is your chance to establish yourself as the expert! You will seem like the authority on this topic, especially if you can pronounce the Princess's name without mistakes. "}]" code="timeline2">

Coming up with a strong opening sentence is not easy, but very worthwhile for delivering a persuasive speech. If you are having trouble finding the right opening sentence, you do not need to wait to start writing your speech. If you are stuck, move on to the main body of your speech and return to creating a captivating opening later.

To be persuasive, your speech must have a thesis. A thesis is the main argument you are trying to convince your audience of, or simply put, the purpose of you giving the speech. Without a thesis, your speech will be aimless, chaotic, and most likely, unengaging.

And while you can write your introduction after the main body of your speech is ready, you cannot write your speech without a thesis. It will be the landmark, the leading light, of your speech. Everything you say and every fact and argument you include in your essay must support your thesis. Certainly, you will be able to bring up alternative points of view later in the speech, but as we already discussed, your objective is to persuade the audience that your thesis is the correct one.

Let’s return to our bike lanes example. If you are a proponent of bike lanes, your thesis should be more than “Bike lanes are good”. While this can be considered a thesis, it is pretty thin. Instead, find a way to make your thesis compelling, include a supporting statistic, or a benefit of having bike lanes. For example: 

“Having more bike lanes in our city will not only reduce traffic by X% but also allow our city to be at the forefront of the environmentally friendly initiatives happening all over our country.” 

This thesis is clear and introduces the audience to some of the main points of the speech. The listeners get a concise prelude to what the speech is about and what it stands for.

Research and Arguments

Research is always conducted before you sit down to write. While you may have some general knowledge about your topic, remember that you are trying to be as persuasive as you possibly can be. This means that you need the latest statistics, the most up-to-date information, and the strongest support from experts in the field. 

Tip: keep in mind your thesis as you are writing. All your arguments and facts must be in support of the main purpose of your essay. While you should present alternative points of view in your speech to make it well-rounded and unbiased, a strong speech must contain arguments that make it clear that your thesis is the correct one.

Concluding your speech has a twofold purpose. In addition to persuading the audience of your thesis, you must complete your narrative. Give the audience some closure about the topic. On the other hand, you must leave them even more interested in learning about your research. In other words, they must be compelled to explore on their own.

Tip: your conclusion cannot be a dry summary of your thesis and arguments. While you must restate your thesis in the conclusion, you are strongly encouraged to incite an emotional response from your audience. For example:

“More bike lanes will alleviate the heavy traffic and relieve our city from car fumes and soot. It is our responsibility to start making our city more eco-friendly. These small steps will inspire even more initiatives across our hometown and lead to a brighter, greener, future."

In this example, the audience is not only reminded of the main purpose of the speech but is also encouraged to think of other green initiatives that can help their town. The author does a good job of invoking responsibility for the future to encourage their audience to act. 

Want to learn how to choose persuasive speech topics? Check out our infographic:

Now, let’s go over 150 persuasive speech topics that can inspire your own essay and presentation! Note that these are questions that should help you form ideas, arguments, and most importantly, theses. Rather than giving you the thesis upfront, we are encouraging you to come up with your own opinion and answers to these questions.

Your speech should be between 15 to 20 minutes long. Anything longer may lose your audience's attention. If applicable, don't forget to factor in some time after your presentation for questions from the audience.

The best way to approach the choice of topic is to reflect on your convictions and passions. If you are truly interested in a topic, your excitement will be felt by the audience.

Of course, you must be interested in your topic, first and foremost. Secondly, your speech must demonstrate a level of expertise and knowledge that will allow the audience to believe that you know what you are talking about. Thirdly, your delivery will have a great effect on whether you succeed in persuading the audience. Even a well-researched speech will suffer from poor delivery.

Firstly, only practice can really help you improve. Once you have written your speech, read it over several times. Do not memorize it, but rather, remember the structure, the flow of your arguments, your main points. Then start practicing pronouncing your entire speech in front of the mirror. Do this until you are quite confident with the content of the essay. Then, you can start practicing with family members, your friends, and classmates. Ask for their feedback: can they hear you well? Are you being articulate? Does your speech have a logical flow? Did they understand your thesis? Their feedback can help you modify not only your content, but also your presentation.

Your speech should take the form of an academic essay: introduction, main body, and conclusion.

Your speech must have a thesis, otherwise it will be meandering and pointless. A thesis will guide you and keep your essay/presentation well-structured. A thesis is what you will be arguing for (or against, if it's a negatively stated thesis) throughout your speech. And while you can include some alternative points of view in your speech, your thesis will inform every argument you make in the speech.

Typically, you should avoid using overly technical language. Even if you are presenting at a professional conference in front of peers, there is a chance that some of your audience will be unfamiliar with the professional terminology. To be inclusive, you should avoid niche language.

To be frank, there is no such thing. You can make a great speech on any topic of your choosing! Your research, your delivery, and your passion will determine whether your speech is successful.

Acknowledging opposing views and presence of debate will demonstrate your thorough knowledge of the topic. Additionally, you will demonstrate that you came to your conclusion/thesis after researching the topic, rather than simply forming an uneducated opinion.

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50 Topics for a Persuasive Speech

50 Topics for a Persuasive Speech

  • 5-minute read
  • 13th January 2023

Some find writing a persuasive speech to be intimidating, but it’s an opportunity to share your position on a topic you care about and to invite listeners to support (or at least appreciate) your way of thinking. You’ll benefit from a clear position, credible evidence, and careful consideration of your audience.

Your first step is to pick a topic. Whether you’re a teacher creating an assignment or a student deciding what to speak about, our list of 50 suggested persuasive speech topics and tips are a good starting place.

Choosing a Topic

●  It’s more enjoyable to research and write a speech about a topic that genuinely holds your interest. It’ll make for better delivery, too. Passion is contagious! On the other hand, boredom and a lack of enthusiasm come through easily in vocal tone.

●  Avoid tired, overdone issues. If you’ve heard it all before, there’s a good chance your audience has, too. Pick something current and relevant to your listeners . If you go with a popular topic, try to approach it from a fresh angle.

●  Issues that contain multiple viewpoints are preferable to simplistic good/bad debates. Most reasonable people would agree that “bullying is bad.” But they might learn something new if you share recent research on bullying and offer different approaches to tackling it.

Let’s look at some interesting speech topics, categorized by subject.

Should free speech on the internet be restricted?

At what age should children have access to smartphones?

Does texting hinder interpersonal skills?

Should parents limit their children’s screen time?

Should laws prohibit using devices while driving?

Is there a link between device usage and decreased mental health?

Should the number of US Supreme Court Justices be increased?

Should voting be compulsory?

Should Election Day in the US change from Tuesday to the weekend?

Should the electoral college system be abolished?

Should election procedures be standardized in all states?

Should the Senate filibuster be abolished?

Should the death penalty be legal?

Should states be allowed to have different abortion laws?

Should the legal age to own an assault rifle be raised?

Should the US conduct a voluntary gun buyback program?

Are governments doing enough to address climate change?

Is student loan forgiveness fair?

Should the US invest in high-speed rail similar to those in Japan and Europe?

Should plastic bags be banned in grocery stores?

What is the greatest threat to international stability?

What can be done to prevent cyber threats?

Is the two-party political system of the US failing?

Should the US adopt a single-payer universal health care system?

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Should minimum wage be a factor in the cost of health care?

Is healthcare a human right?

Should access to abortion be required by healthcare providers?

Do school shooter drills damage students’ mental health?

Should vaccinations be required for students to attend public school?

Should employers offer incentives and bonuses to employees who bike or walk to work?

Do school uniforms offer any advantages?

Are school dress codes gender biased?

Are standardized test scores given too much importance in schools?

Do college entrance exams privilege those with higher socio-economic status?

Should teachers be allowed to keep firearms in their classrooms as protection against active shooters?

Should indigenous languages be taught in schools?

Should immigrants have access to free language classes?

Should books ever be banned in schools?

Should elementary schools be required to teach a foreign language?

Should schools be cellphone free?

Should volunteering before graduation be compulsory?

Should school cafeterias serve more plant-based foods?

Should parents let their children play tackle football?

Should college sports teams receive less money?

Should there be more female priests or pastors of churches?

Should churches and other religious organizations pay taxes?

Should all priests be allowed to marry?

Should prayer be permitted in public schools?

On balance, does religion create more conflict or foster peace?

Should there be exceptions to the freedom to practice any religion?

Persuasion Isn’t All or Nothing

People often think persuasion means getting others to agree with you, but persuasion is more nuanced than that. You might persuade someone to go beyond sympathy and act. You might highlight the gray areas of a typically black and white debate.

When total agreement is out of reach, you can settle for agreement in part. Consider your audience thoughtfully when you decide on your goals and remember that you have options.

Step Up with Confidence

We hope these suggested persuasive speech topics have the wheels of your mind turning. Whether it’s for a speech or an argumentative essay , getting your ideas on paper and editing them is a necessary part of the process. Our editors are here to help you confidently put out your best work. Submit a free sample today .

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100 Persuasive Speech Topics for Students

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  • M.Ed., Education Administration, University of Georgia
  • B.A., History, Armstrong State University

If you are planning a persuasive speech, you should think about a topic that can engage your audience. For this reason, you may want to consider a few topics before settling on the one that allows you to be more descriptive and entertaining.

Another important factor when picking a persuasive speech topic is to choose one that can provoke your audience. If you stir up a little emotion in your audience members, you'll keep their attention.

The list below is provided to help you brainstorm. Choose a topic from this list, or use it to generate an idea of your own. It could even be an idea that opposes the proposed example. For instance, instead of arguing American workers should be guaranteed a three-day weekend by law, you could argue why this shouldn't be the case.

How to Pick a Good Persuasive Speech Topic

Persuasive speeches are generally meant to convince an audience to agree with an idea you present. The topics can range from political to scientific or societal, and professional to personal—or even fun. They can be almost anything.

Just remember, a persuasive speech is different than a persuasive essay because you are presenting to an audience. So as you decide on a topic, think about your audience and decide on a subject matter that will be appropriate, compelling, and engaging to discuss. Perhaps it's a timely issue attracting a lot of news coverage, or maybe you want to be motivational and encourage a healthy activity. Whatever it is, structure your argument with a hook to capture attention , a clear definition of the topic or issue, and finally, your proposed solution or opinion.

100 Examples of Persuasive Speech Topics

  • Studying martial arts is good for mind and health.
  • Competitive sports can teach us about life.
  • Reality shows are exploiting people.
  • Community service should be a graduation requirement for all high school students.
  • The characteristics that make a person a hero.
  • It's important to grow things in a garden.
  • Violent video games are dangerous.
  • Lyrics in a song can impact our lives.
  • Traveling and studying abroad are positive experiences.
  • Journal writing is therapeutic.
  • You should spend time with your grandparents.
  • A laptop is better than a tablet.
  • Religion and science can go hand in hand.
  • School uniforms are good.
  • All-female colleges and all-male colleges are bad.
  • Multiple-choice tests are better than essay tests .
  • We should not spend money on space exploration.
  • Open-book tests are as effective as closed-book tests.
  • Security cameras keep us safer.
  • Parents should have access to students' grades.
  • Small classes are better than big classes.
  • You need to start saving for retirement now.
  • Credit cards are harmful to college students.
  • We should have a royal family.
  • We should protect endangered animals.
  • Texting while driving is dangerous.
  • You can write a novel.
  • Recycling should be required in the U.S.
  • State colleges are better than private colleges.
  • Private colleges are better than state colleges.
  • We should do away with penny coins.
  • Fast food containers hurt the environment.
  • Plastic straws are harmful to the environment.
  • You can eat and enjoy healthy snacks.
  • You can become a millionaire.
  • Dogs are better pets than cats.
  • You should own a bird.
  • It's unethical to keep birds in cages.
  • Liberal arts degrees prepare graduates to be better workers than other degrees.
  • Hunting animals should be banned.
  • Football is a dangerous sport.
  • School days should start later.
  • Night school is better than day school.
  • Technical training is better than a college degree.
  • Immigration laws should be more lenient.
  • Students should be able to choose their schools.
  • Everyone should learn to play a musical instrument.
  • Grass lawns should be prohibited.
  • Sharks should be protected.
  • We should do away with cars and go back to horse and carriage for transportation.
  • We should use more wind power.
  • We should pay more taxes.
  • We should do away with taxes.
  • Teachers should be tested like students.
  • We should not interfere in the affairs of other countries.
  • Every student should join a club.
  • Homeschooling is better than traditional schooling.
  • People should stay married for life.
  • Smoking in public should be illegal.
  • College students should live on campus .
  • Parents should let students fail.
  • Giving to charity is good.
  • Education makes us happier people.
  • T​he ​ death penalty should be outlawed.
  • Bigfoot is real.
  • We should increase train travel to save the environment.
  • We should read more classic books.
  • Fame is bad for young children.
  • Athletes should stay loyal to teams.
  • We should reform our prisons.
  • Juvenile offenders should not go to boot camps.
  • Abraham Lincoln was the best president.
  • Abraham Lincoln gets too much credit.
  • Students should be allowed to have cell phones in elementary, middle, and high school.
  • College student-athletes should be paid for playing.
  • Elderly citizens on fixed income should receive free public transportation.
  • Colleges and universities should be free to attend.
  • All American citizens should complete one year of community service.
  • Students should be required to take Spanish language classes.
  • Every student should be required to learn at least one foreign language .
  • Marijuana should be legal for recreational use nationwide.
  • Commercial testing of products on animals should no longer be allowed.
  • High school students should be required to participate in at least one team sport.
  • The minimum drinking age in the U.S. should be 25.
  • Replacing fossil fuels with cheaper alternative energy options should be mandated.
  • Churches need to contribute their share of taxes.
  • The Cuba embargo should be maintained by the U.S.
  • America should replace income taxes with a nationwide flat tax.
  • Once they reach the age of 18, all U.S. citizens should be automatically registered to vote .
  • Doctor-assisted suicide should be legal.
  • Spammers—people who bombard the internet with unsolicited email—should be banned from sending junk mail.
  • Every automobile driver should be required to take a new driver's test every three years.
  • Electroshock treatment is not a humane form of therapy.
  • Global warming is not real.
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Home — Blog — Topic Ideas — 500 Mental Health Argumentative Essay Topics & Ideas

500 Mental Health Argumentative Essay Topics & Ideas

mental health argumentative essay topics

Mental health is an increasingly prominent topic in contemporary discourse, reflecting its critical impact on individuals and society as a whole. Addressing mental health issues through argumentative essays allows for a deeper exploration of the complexities involved, fostering greater understanding and advocacy. These essays not only provide an opportunity to challenge existing stigmas and misconceptions but also encourage critical thinking and informed debate.

In this article, we present a comprehensive collection of 500 mental health argumentative essay topics and ideas. This extensive list is designed to inspire students, educators, and professionals to engage with diverse aspects of mental health, from policy and treatment to the social and personal dimensions of mental well-being. Whether you're looking to explore current trends, delve into school-related issues, or discuss specific mental health conditions, you'll find a wide array of topics to suit your needs.

Our curated selection is divided into various categories, ensuring a broad coverage of relevant themes. Additionally, we offer practical tips on how to choose a compelling topic for your essay, ensuring that your work is both impactful and insightful. Dive into this resource to find the perfect mental health essay topic  that will not only engage your readers but also contribute meaningfully to the ongoing conversation about mental health.

🏆 TOP Argumentative Mental Health Topics

  • The Importance of Mental Health Awareness
  • Mental Health: Thesis Statement
  • Dissociative Identity Disorder in The "Split" Movie: a Psychological Analysis
  • How Did The Pandemic Affect Your Mental Health: a Reflection
  • Breaking The Stigma of Mental Health: an Essential Endeavor
  • Mental Illness as a Social Problem
  • Borderline Personality Disorder of The Protagonist in ‘Good Will Hunting’ Movie
  • Shutter Island: Psychology and Dissociative Identity Disorder
  • The Effects of Mental Health on Our Life
  • The Main Causes of Mental Health Issues in Students

🔥 20 Trendy Mental Health Argumentative Essay Topics in 2024

  • The Role of Social Media in Influencing Teen Mental Health
  • The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Practices in Managing Anxiety and Depression
  • Should Schools Implement Mental Health Education Programs for Students?
  • The Stigma Surrounding Mental Health in Different Cultures and How to Overcome It
  • The Link Between Religiosity and Mental Health
  • Tracking Mental Well Being by Using Sensing Technology
  • The Importance of Workplace Mental Health Initiatives
  • The Impact of Academic Pressure on Student Mental Health
  • Early Intervention Strategies for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
  • The Role of Exercise in Mental Health
  • The Efficacy of Teletherapy in Mental Health Treatment
  • Addressing Mental Health Disparities in Public Health Policies
  • The Relationship Between Nutrition and Mental Health
  • The Impact of Childhood Trauma on Adult Mental Health
  • Mental Health in Marginalized Communities
  • The Role of Pets in Improving Mental Health
  • The Benefits of Group Therapy for Mental Health
  • The Relationship Between Mental Health and Creativity
  • The Effects of Social Isolation on Mental Health
  • The Use of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in Treating Depression and Anxiety

🖋 Good Argumentative Mental Health Topics to Write About

  • Reduction of Inhibitory Control in People with ADHD
  • Ileana Chivescu Case Study
  • The Concept of Shyness in Psychology and Its Relation to Anxiety
  • The Power of Following Your Fear and Anxiety
  • Understanding The Facts Surrounding Bipolar Disorder
  • A Comprehensive Exploration of The Phenomenon in The Teaching Profession
  • The Complex Relationship Between Nursing, Burnout, and Professional Well-being
  • The Relationship Between Academic Burnout and Personality Traits
  • Analyzing Toyota's Recall Challenge
  • Exploring Crisis and Systems Theories in Social Work Practice
  • Understanding, Intervening, and Empowering Through Crisis
  • The Story of a 6 Month Old Baby not Wanting to Live
  • The Issue of Identity in a Separate Peace by John Knowles
  • The Ongoing Researches of Dissociative Identity Disorder, Its Symptoms and Effects
  • Dyslexia Disorder Description
  • Scholarly Pursuits in Special Education
  • How Light is Used in The Circadian Rhythm
  • NFL and MLB Performance Regarding Jet Lag Condition
  • Simulated Clinical Encounter Research Protocol
  • Causes of Witchcraft Mass Hysteria in Salem
  • Gile Coreys Death in The Crucible
  • Grudges and Personal Rivalries as The Basis for a Mass Hysteria
  • Human Nature is Prone to Mass Hysteria: The Crucible and Lindy Chamberlain Case
  • Mass Hysteria, Fear and Paranoia, and Its Effect on People
  • The Royal Free Epidemic of 1955 as a Mass Hysteria
  • Understanding of Mass Hysterias Throughout History: Witches, Communists, and Clowns
  • The Meaning of Psychological Well-being and Its Theoretical Conceptualization
  • Using a Traditional Therapy Model and a Community Psychology
  • Violence in Mental Health Settings
  • Trapped Protagonists in Atwood's "Handmaid's Tale" and Kane's "4.48 Psychosis"
  • Isolation from The Society: Heroism Or Foolishness
  • Racism in American Society in 'Just Walk on By' by Brent Staples
  • Social Isolation in The Elderly: Causes and Consequences
  • Social Isolation, Independence, and Interdependence in Learning Outcomes
  • Where I Lived and What I Lived: Experiment of Social Isolation
  • Key Features of Good Quality Edible Fungi
  • Narrative Essay on Stress
  • Review on The Trichotillomania
  • Worst Experience of My Life Essay
  • The Influence that Arousal, Stress, and Anxiety Can Have on Sport Performance
  • The Main Factors and Causes of Professional Burnout
  • The New Sources of Stress in Modern Society
  • Investigation into The Stress Response of Bacteria
  • The Relationship Between Physiology and Behavior in Stress
  • Conjugal Visits and The Issue of Sexual Encounters in Prison
  • Hips and Pelvis
  • Studies on Recovered Memory and Trauma
  • The Things They Carried Theme Essay
  • Theories of Trauma
  • Trauma at The Tunnel in Los Angeles: Emergency Response

🪄 Simple Argumentative Mental Health Essay Topics

  • The Effect of ADHD on The Life of an Individual
  • Behavioral Disorders: Causes, Symptoms, and Support
  • Understanding ADHD: a Comprehensive Analysis
  • Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) and The Impact Nature Have on It
  • The Importance of Managing Stress and Anxiety in Early Age
  • Anxiety Disorder Among Children and Ways to Prevent It
  • The Issue of Generalized Anxiety Disorder
  • Social Anxiety Disorder: Causes and What It Feels Like
  • The Effects of Bipolar Disorder on The Human Brain and Behavior
  • Understanding Bipolar Disorder: Causes, Symptoms, and Impact
  • Treating Muscle Dysmorphia
  • Examining Borderline Personality Disorder, a Mental Disorder
  • The Basics of Borderline Personality Disorder
  • Overcoming Burnout Syndrome
  • Understanding and Addressing Burnout and Compassion Fatigue in The Healthcare Workplace
  • The Impact of Occupational Burnout on Teachers
  • The Toll of Accountability: Burnout in The Nursing Profession
  • What is Nursing Compassion Fatigue and Burnout
  • Mental Illness that Affects Millions of People
  • The Connection Between Dissociative Identity Disorder and Criminal Behavior
  • Discussion on Whether Dissociative Identity Disorder is a Valid Disorder
  • Dyslexia: Advocacy, Representation, and Awareness Raising
  • Dyslexia: Understanding and Addressing Challenges in 2023
  • Types of Insomnia
  • Addressing Mental Health: Awareness, Support, and Intervention
  • Problems, Research and Treatment of Major Depression Disorder
  • The Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in The Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder
  • Major Depressive Disorder and Its Prevention
  • Supportive Homes for People with Serious Mental Illness
  • Mental Health Challenges in Higher Education
  • Mental Health Awareness Importance: The Bahraini Case
  • Prioritizing Early Intervention for Children's Mental Health
  • The Impact of Covid-19 on Mental Health
  • Mental Illness in The Criminal Justice System
  • The Problem of Ignorance About Mental Illness
  • Perception Vs Reality: The Challenge of Mental Illness
  • Wake Up Mental Health Awareness: Why It is Important
  • The Issue of Stigma Against Mental Patients and Its Solution
  • The Effect of Mental Illnesses on Art Throughout Different Time Periods
  • How Mental Health Affects Us Everyday
  • Mental Illnesses: Definition, Kinds and Its Effects on Society
  • The Problem of Mental Disorders Among School Students
  • The Interrelation Between Mental Illness and Drug Addiction
  • The Stigma of Mental Illness and Forms of Treatment
  • Research of Stigmatization of Mental Illness
  • The Use of Restraint in Mental Health In-patient Environments
  • The Dangers of Smart Phones
  • The Disadvantages of Social Networking
  • Personality Disorder Diagnosis: Personal Experience
  • 10 Things You Do if You Have Maladaptive Daydreaming

🏫 Argumentative Essay Topics about Mental Health in Schools

  • ADHD: The Child/teacher Struggle
  • Diagnosing Dyscalculia and ADHD Diagnosis in Schools
  • The Importance of Online Schooling for ADD/ADHD Students
  • Description and Prevention of The Most Common Mental Health Disorders
  • The Problem of Social Anxiety Disorders of Teenagers
  • A Study of Social Anxiety Disorder and Simple Shyness
  • Anxiety Disorders: Types, Causes, Impacts, Treatment
  • Overview of Generalized Anxiety Disorder
  • Solution for Anxiety Disorders
  • Symptoms and Treatment for Generalized Anxiety Disorder
  • The Characteristics, Causes, and Prevalence of Panic Disorder, an Anxiety Disorder
  • Treatment, Symptoms, and Prevention Strategies for Bipolar Disorder
  • Understanding Bipolar Disorder: Symptoms, Treatment, and Management
  • Children’s Social and Emotional Well-being
  • Nexus of Educator Stress, Burnout, and Leadership Styles in Girls’ State Secondary Schools
  • The Impact of Leadership Styles on Educator Burnout in a Girls' State Secondary School
  • The Relationship Between Academic Burnout and Personality Traits of Neuroticism and Agreeableness
  • Exploring Theoretical Perspectives and Interventions in Social Work
  • Legal, Ethical, and Practical Dimensions of Online Psychological Interventions in Crisis Situations
  • Theoretical Foundations and Methodological Approaches in Social Work Practice
  • Understanding Crisis Dynamics and Response Strategies
  • Advancing Inclusive Learning: Tech and Educational Strategies
  • Conquering Dyslexia: The Road to Succeeding in Life with The Learning Disability
  • Embracing Inclusivity: Effective Strategies for Students
  • Learning Disabilities: Governance, Employment, and Support
  • My Experience: How to Live with Dyslexia
  • Study of Developmental Phonological Dyslexia
  • A Brain Disorder that Prevents The Comprehension of People
  • Understanding Learning Disabilities
  • My Experience with a Patient with Depressive Disorder
  • Addressing The Stigma and The Importance of Treatment
  • Breaking The Stigma of Mental Health: Awareness and Acceptance
  • Exploring Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder
  • Mental Health Awareness: Importance and Impact
  • Mental Health Crisis Among College Students
  • Mental Health Crisis of University Students: Analysis of The Impact of Covid-19
  • Mental Health Issues Among Malaysian Students: Finding Coping Methods
  • Mental Health of The Lower Class
  • My Struggle with Anxiety and Depression
  • Personality Dysfunctions on The Characters in Winnie The Pooh
  • Prioritizing Mental Health: Individual and Collective Responsibility
  • Should Standardized Testing Be Abolished?
  • Teenage Mental Health: The Increase in Mental Illnesses
  • The Impact of Mental Health in Schools
  • The Importance of Psychology in Developing Countries
  • The Importance of Understanding of Self-knowledge and The Subconscious Mind
  • Understanding Mental Health: Definition, Causes, and Impacts
  • Understanding Self-injury from Personal Experience
  • Factors Affecting Mental Health of a Nurse
  • Social Isolation: Effects on an Individual from a Social, Medical and Psychological Perspective

👩‍🎓 Mental Health Debate Topics for Students

  • How Americans Relate to Depression in "Comfortably Numb" by Charles Barber
  • Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Unpacking The Traits
  • Research on Psychopathy as a Neuro-developmental Disorder
  • A Study of The Management of Mental Illnesses in a Family
  • A Study of Narcissistic Personality Disorder
  • A Study Regarding Medication Adherence Among Female Inmates with Bipolar Disorder
  • An Analysis of The Relation Between Mental Illness, Ethnicity and Social Classes
  • An Argument on Dissociative Identity Disorder (did) as Fictitious
  • An Examination of The Six Mental Illnesses and Its Impact on Human Life
  • An Overview of Dissociative Identity Disorder, Its Types, Diagnosis, and Treatment
  • An Overview of Narcissism and How to Deal with It
  • Analysis of a Personality with Mental Issues Using Jung's and Adler's Theories
  • Analysis of The Cases of Dissociative Identity Disorder
  • Analysis of The Mental Impact of Anxiety and Hostility
  • Antisocial Personality Disorders in Patrick Bateman's American
  • Anxiety Disorder: The Mind Which Plays All The Game
  • ASPD: Definition, Causes, and Treatment Strategies
  • "Bagg Lady": Analysis of Mental Illness
  • Bipolar Disorder: Concept, Types, Symptoms
  • Bipolar Disorder, Its Symptoms and Indicators
  • Bipolar Disorder: Types and Symptoms
  • Body Dysmorphia: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Approaches
  • Body Dysmorphic Disorder Literature Review
  • Borderline Personality Disorder in Holden Caulfield
  • Collaboration Between Psychologists and Psychiatrists in Mental Health Care
  • Crisis Theory and Critical Incident Stress Debriefing in Law Enforcement
  • Cultural Competence in Crisis Intervention
  • Cultural Views of Mental Illness
  • Dependent Personality Disorder
  • Depiction of Mass Hysteria in The Crucible by Arthur Miller
  • Emotional Deficit in Patients with Psychopathy: a Literature Review
  • Exploration of Treatments for Major Depressive Disorders
  • How Does COVID-19 Affect Mental Health
  • How Obsessive-compulsive Disorder is Depicted in Martin Scorsese's Film The Aviator
  • How Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) Can Affect Children
  • How The Antisocial Personality Traits of Those Diagnosed with Psychopathy Are Conducive to Assault
  • Hypnotherapeutic Treatments for Stress, Anxiety and Phobias
  • Impact of Employee Burnout on Work Performance in an Organization
  • Individual and Society Damage of Burnout Syndrome
  • Obsessive-compulsive Disorder (OCD): a Comprehensive Overview
  • Joey Barton and His Diagnosis of Antisocial Personality Disorder
  • Mental Illness and Homelessness: a Complex Interplay
  • Mental Illness and Its Treatment Nowadays
  • Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Diagnosis, Causes, and Treatment
  • Obsessive-compulsive Disorder
  • Obsessive-compulsive Disorder: a General Overview
  • How Bipolar Disorder Can Be Attributed to Heredity
  • Connection Between Drug Abuse and Mental Health
  • Connection Between Gender and Mental Health
  • Bipolar Disorder: Definition, Symptoms and Features

🎤 Mental Health Speech Topics

  • A Study on The Psychological Development
  • Analysis of Treatment Decisions for a Child with ADHD
  • Anorexia Nervos Social Determinants of Health
  • Anxiety Speech Outline
  • Bond Between Mother and Child: Effects of Maternal Depression
  • Bridging The Gap Between Police Officers and Citizens with Mental Illnesses in Canada
  • Burnout and Contagion of Rigorous Care Nurses
  • Character Analysis of Girl Interrupted
  • Childhood Trauma and College Freshmen
  • Concurrent Disorder Case Study Reflection
  • Crisis Understanding, Intervention, and Recovery
  • Dear Person Who is "So Ocd"
  • Development of a Terrorist’s Mentality: Religion, Mental Illness of Psychopathy and DNA
  • Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
  • Distress and Demoralization of Nurses as a Source of Anxiety and Job Seniority
  • Effects and Treatment of Bipolar Disorders
  • Emergency Service Burnout Symptoms and Solutions
  • Empowering Recovery: The Human Service Model for College Substance Abuse
  • Fears and Phobias
  • How Psychopathy Can Be Seen as Conditional Defense Mechanism
  • Ian Gallagher: Mania and Manmas in The Show Shameless
  • Incidents of Mass Hysteria Throughout History
  • John and Jane: Women Are Prone to Madness
  • Learning Disability in America
  • Main Characteristics of Generalized Anxiety Disorder
  • Mass Hysteria and Its Impact on Society in The Crucible
  • Mass Hysteria in The Crucible
  • Mental Health Issue in Malaysia
  • Mental Health: Prioritizing Education, Access, and Awareness
  • Morello Mental Illness
  • No I’m not Shy: I Have Social Anxiety
  • OCD: Understanding and Promoting Mental Health Awareness
  • People with GAD
  • Perfectionism is Destroying People
  • Personal Experience of The Struggles Associated with Asperger's Syndrome and ADHD
  • Personality Disorders and Their Treatment
  • Prioritizing Mental Health: Significance and Impact
  • Psychological Disorders Overview: Classification, Prevalence
  • Reflecting on My Real Life Experience with Trauma
  • Research of Whether Dissociative Identity Disorder is a Real Disorder
  • Sources of Stress in Youth
  • The Psychological Impact of Body Dysmorphic Disorder
  • The Mechanism of Mass Hysteria in The Past and Today
  • Understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences
  • The Cultural Beliefs Concerning Mental Illnesses in The South Asian Community
  • The Effects of Methylphenidate on Adults with ADHD
  • The Effects of The Stigmatization of Mental Illness on The Society
  • The History, Origin, Types, Misconceptions and Treatment of Mental Diseases
  • The Importance and Future of Mental Health Research
  • The Issue of Mental Illnesses in Women in "The Yellow Wallpaper"

🚑 Health Care Argumentative Essay Topics

  • Is It Ethical For Parents To Use Genetic Engineering To Create “Designer Babies” With Specific Physical And Intellectual Traits?
  • Should The Government Implement Stronger Regulations On Pharmaceutical Pricing?
  • Is It Ethical To Prioritize Healthcare Resources For Younger Patients Over Older Patients During A Crisis?
  • What Role Should Alternative Medicine Play In Modern Healthcare?
  • Compare and Contrast Psychologists and Psychiatrists
  • Should Organ Donation Be Mandatory?
  • Is Surrogacy Ethical?
  • How to Remedy Penile Dysmorphic Disorder (PDD)
  • DSM System for Mental Disorder Classification
  • The Impact of Gluten on Mental Health
  • Should Mental Health Care Be Integrated Into Primary Healthcare Services?
  • How Can Telemedicine Bridge The Gap In Healthcare Accessibility In Rural Areas?
  • The Importance of Autonomy in Counselling
  • Should Healthcare Be Considered A Basic Human Right?
  • Is The Privatization Of Healthcare Services Beneficial Or Harmful To The Public?
  • The Shift in Ideas About Mental Diseases Over The Years
  • Should Parents Be Legally Required To Vaccinate Their Children To Protect Public Health?
  • Should The Government Legalize Assisted Suicide For Terminally Ill Patients?
  • The Perception of Mental Illnesses by Senegalese People
  • Should Hospitals Be For-Profit Or Nonprofit Institutions?
  • Understanding Mental Health and Its Impact on Individuals and Society
  • Why Mental Illness is More Prevalent in The LGBT Community than in The General Population
  • Should Minors Have Access To Emergency Contraception?
  • Why Perfectionism is Associated with Depression, Anorexia Nervosa, Suicide Ideation and Early Death
  • Should The U.S. Government Offer Its Own Healthcare Plan?
  • The Effectiveness Of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (Cbt) In Treating Anxiety And Depression
  • Should The Government Fund Research On Embryonic Stem Cells For Medical Treatments?
  • The Role Of Nutrition In Managing Chronic Diseases
  • The Impact Of Climate Change On Global Health
  • The Ethics Of Mandatory Vaccination Policies For Healthcare Workers

🌟 Mental Health Argumentative Essay Topics in Popular Categories

  • The Issue of Depression and Its Affect in an Emerging Adulthood
  • Prevention of Depression, Anxiety and Burnout in Resident Doctors – a Systematic Review
  • About Depression in College: Understanding and Overcoming
  • Darwinian Psychology and Depression: The Gender Differential Hypothesis
  • The Connection Between Internet Addiction and Depression Within Adolescents
  • Causes of Depression Among International Students
  • Depression and Its Effects on Mind and Body
  • Depression in Teenagers: Causes and Ways to Overcome
  • How to Overcome Teenage Depression
  • Living in Depression: a Firsthand Account
  • Overview of Electronic Problem-solving Treatment (EPST) System to Treat Depression
  • The Role of Minerals in Preventing and Combating Depression
  • Research on Depression and Working Memory
  • The Link Between Self-esteem and Adolescent Depression
  • Depression as The Reason of Serious Health Problems and Suicide
  • Positive Thinking as Treatment for Depression
  • A Depressing World with Different Obstacles
  • A Report on Depression in University Students and How to Overcome It
  • Depression: Definition, Risks, Symptoms and Treatment
  • Understanding Depression: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
  • Depression: Definition and Ways of Resolving Caused Problems
  • The Factors Influencing Depression Development
  • The Effects of Depression in Your Body and Its Treatment
  • The Issue of Depression and Its Reality Nowadays
  • Depression Facts and Statistics: Psychiatry's Deadliest Scam in the DSM
  • Depression is Depression an Actual Illness
  • My Depression: a Tale of Struggle and Resilience
  • What Are You Depressed About Think About It
  • What is a Depression?
  • How Depression Changed My Life: College Admission Paper
  • The Issue of Depression: Mental Battle
  • Dysregulated Processing of Negative and Positive Responses in Depression
  • Genetic Disorder Report: Clinical Depression
  • Review on Depression in Scotland
  • The Epidemic of Depression Among Students and Teenagers
  • How to Overcome Depression and Anxiety
  • Depression and Its Main Causes
  • The Best Way to Help Someone Who is Depressed
  • Overview of Biological Predispositions and Risk Factors Associated with Depression
  • Teen Depression - Symptoms and Causes
  • Anxiety and Depression During Emerging Adulthood
  • MYP Personal Project: Childhood Anxiety and Insecurity
  • Overview of Anxiety Disorders in Children, Its Types and Impact
  • Influence of an Anxious Response on a Person
  • How to Overcome Anxiety Disorder
  • Representation of The Social Anxieties About Diversity
  • Cognitive Behavioral Theory Application for Anxiety Disorder
  • Lowdown on Anxiety and How to Cope with It Better
  • Research of Anxiety Increasing in The United States
  • Anxiety The Ever Tightening Spiral
  • Clinical Assessment: Case Study
  • Anxiety, Its Development, Effects, and Treatments
  • Reflection on How I Fought My Social Anxiety with The Help of Family
  • Pros and Cons of Anxiety
  • Anxiety and Depression Among College Students: a Critical Analysis
  • Social Anxiety: Exploring The Psychological and Social Dimensions
  • Anxiety: Causes, Symptoms and My Personal Experience
  • A Study on Anxiety Disorders and Its Negative Impact on People
  • Anxiety Disorders Experienced by Children
  • Social Anxiety Disorder and Its Impacts on The Lives of The Americans
  • Somatic Symptoms and Illness Anxiety Disorder
  • The Treatments and Conditions of Social Anxiety
  • Research of Social Anxiety Disorder: Symptoms, Causes, Effects and Treatments
  • What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and Its Treatment
  • Anxiety: Navigating The College Experience
  • Social Anxiety Disorder: My Experience
  • The Problem of Public Speaking Anxiety
  • The Way Teachers Can Help Their Students to Overcome Anxiety and Depression
  • The Problem of Anxiety and Stress and Its Treatment
  • Overview of Stranger and Separation Anxiety
  • Yoga and Stress
  • Substance Use as a Form of Coping with Stress
  • Teaching Competency and Stress Among Public Elementary School Teachers in Oas South District
  • Stress - a Universal Problem
  • Managing Stress: Causes, Effects, and Coping Mechanisms
  • Stress and Self-care
  • The Effects of Stress on Human Health
  • Work/life Balance and Stress Management
  • Feelings: Determine The Quality of Energy
  • Prevalence of Occupational Stress and Associated Factors
  • Traveling and Its Impact Towards Stress
  • Stress Related to Job and Ways to Manage It
  • Coloring Books Will Change Your Life Forever
  • Stress: Definition, Types and Impact
  • Effects of Stress on The Mind and Body
  • The Impact of Stress on Health: Physical and Mental Dimensions
  • Stress and Its Main Sources
  • A Study on The Negative Impact of Stress on an Individual's Health
  • Comparison of Stress Rates Among Children and Adults
  • How Does Stress Affect The Body: Physical and Psychological Effects
  • Stress and Its Role in Our Life
  • The Importance of Stress Management
  • Perfectionism and Academic Stress in Undergraduate and Post-Graduate Students
  • The Impact of Stress on Academic Success in College Students
  • Diathesis Stress Model of Psychopathology
  • Effects of Stress on The Body: How It Affects Physical and Psychological Health
  • Correct Mindset in Coping with Stress
  • The Stress of Student Mothers
  • Running Head Discussion
  • A Stressful Situation and How I Handled It
  • Suicide as an Honorable Choice in Viking Sagas
  • The Punishment for Those Who Committed Suicide in Dante Alighieri's Inferno
  • The Relationship Between Social Media and Teenage Suicide
  • The Issue and Role of Suicide in Existential Psychotherapy
  • An Argument on Why Suicide Is Not Worth It
  • Overview of The Main Causes of Teenage Suicide
  • Adolescent Depression and Its Contribution to Teenage Suicides
  • Essay on Military Suicide
  • Suicide Cases Among Successful Young Adults
  • Arguments Expressed by Proponents of The Legalization of Physician-assisted Suicide (PAS)
  • Understanding Suicide: Causes, Signs, and Prevention Strategies
  • The Relative Influence of Individual Risk Factors for Attempted Suicide
  • The Role of Cyberbullying in Increasing Suicide Rates Among Teens
  • Death Rates Among American Men Due to Suicide
  • How to Prevent Suicidal Behavior in High-risk Groups
  • Whether Suicide is Morally Acceptable
  • The Roots of Pressure Or Why People Commit Suicide
  • The Concept of Suicide in The History of Japan
  • The Importance of Human Life Preserving
  • The Complexity of Suicide: Understanding The Why
  • A Report on Teenage Suicide: Signs, Causes, and Prevention
  • Teenage Suicide Epidemic and How We Can Prevent It
  • Academic Pressure as The Main Reason for Teenage Suicides in South Korea
  • The Impact of Celebrity Suicides on Public Perception and Mental Health Awareness
  • Why Do Teenagers Commit Suicide
  • How Society Increases Teenage Suicide Rates
  • Socio-economic Factors that Cause Teenage Suicide
  • The Main Reasons of Teenage Suicide in America
  • The Problem of Teenage Suicide in The United States and How to Prevent It
  • Trauma, Suicide, and Residential Schools: Impact on Canadian Indigenous People

Schizophrenia

  • Psychosis and Schizophrenia in Children
  • The Effectiveness of Antipsychotic Medications in Treating Schizophrenia
  • Schizoaffective Disorder: The Bridge Between Schizophrenia and Bipolar
  • Biopsychosocial Influences on Schizophrenia
  • Research of Schizophrenia Disorder
  • The Role of Genetics in Schizophrenia
  • Schizophrenia and Its Impact on Family Dynamics
  • Innovative Therapies for Managing Schizophrenia
  • Schizophrenia: Symptoms, Treatment, and Stigma
  • Schizophrenia: Definition, Symptoms, Causes
  • Understanding Schizophrenia: Overview, Diagnosis, Treatment
  • Analysis of The Symptoms of Schizophrenia
  • Case Study: Mr. Nash's Schizophrenia and Treatment Plan
  • Schizophrenia and Crime: The Complex Relationship
  • The Ethical Implications of Forced Treatment for Schizophrenia
  • The Role of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Treating Schizophrenia
  • The Impact of Schizophrenia on Homelessness
  • Stigma and Discrimination Faced by Individuals with Schizophrenia
  • Technological Advances in Diagnosing Schizophrenia
  • Schizophrenia and the Criminal Justice System
  • Connection Between Schizophrenia and Social Isolation
  • Alice in Wonderland Syndrome
  • The History of Schizophrenia
  • Schizophrenia and Substance Abuse: A Vicious Cycle
  • Schizophrenia in the Workplace: Challenges and Solutions
  • Cultural Differences in the Perception and Treatment of Schizophrenia
  • Early Intervention Strategies for Schizophrenia
  • Long-term Outcomes for Individuals with Schizophrenia
  • The Relationship Between Schizophrenia and Creativity
  • The Role of Diet and Nutrition in Managing Schizophrenia

Stress Management

  • A Study on College Stress Management
  • The Impact of Mindfulness Meditation on Stress Reduction
  • Workplace Stress: Causes and Solutions
  • The Effects of Chronic Stress on Physical Health
  • Maintaining a Stress-Free Life: Personal Self-care and Burnout Strategy
  • Subjective and Objective Methodology in Stress Management
  • Stress Management in The Nurses' Workplace
  • Stress Management Techniques for High School Students
  • The Role of Nutrition in Stress Management
  • Stress and Sleep: How Lack of Sleep Affects Stress Levels
  • Coping Up with Stress
  • Stress Cause and Effect
  • Coping with Stress Essay
  • Stress Management Strategies for Parents
  • Managing Stress: Causes, Effects, and Techniques
  • "Good" Stress Vs "Bad" Stress
  • Stress Management of Teachers
  • The Role of Exercise in Stress Management
  • Stress Management: What is Stress and How to Overcome It
  • The Benefits of Yoga for Stress Relief
  • Technology and Stress: How to Manage Digital Overload
  • Stress Causes and Response to It
  • The Impact of Financial Stress on Mental Health
  • Stress Response and Stress Management
  • The Relationship Between Stress and Substance Abuse
  • Stress Response and Ways to Manage Stress
  • How Social Support Networks Can Help Manage Stress
  • Stress Management Techniques for Athletes
  • The Role of Hobbies in Reducing Stress
  • The Impact of Environmental Stressors on Mental Health

How to Choose a Good Mental Health Argumentative Essay Topics

Choosing a good mental health argumentative essay topic is crucial for crafting a compelling and impactful essay. Here are five tips to help you select the perfect topic:

  • Relevance : Ensure the topic is current and significant.
  • Interest : Choose a subject you are passionate about.
  • Researchable : Pick a topic with ample resources available.
  • Specificity : Narrow down broad subjects for focus.
  • Debate Potential : Select topics with clear opposing viewpoints.

In conclusion, exploring mental health argumentative essay topics is an invaluable endeavor that contributes to raising awareness and fostering informed discussions. This extensive list provides a variety of mental health topics to write about, ensuring that there is something for everyone, regardless of interest or expertise. By choosing a relevant, engaging, and well-researched topic, you can create a compelling essay that not only educates but also challenges preconceived notions about mental health. Dive into these topics, and let your writing make a difference in the ongoing conversation about mental well-being.

Biology Research Topics

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best argumentative speech topics

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  1. 100+ Best Argumentative Speech Topics

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  2. 🐈 School appropriate argumentative essay topics. 100+ Strong

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  3. 150 Best Argumentative Essay Topics

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  4. 200 Best Argumentative Essay Topics and Ideas to Consider

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  5. ⚡ List of argumentative speech topics. 613 Original Argumentative

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  6. 60+ Best Argumentative Essay Topics for Middle School Ideas

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  1. 183 Argumentative Speech Topics & ideas: A Complete Guide

    Make sure you research and present the argument that is a relevant argument. 4. Refute alternate positions. 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.

  2. 160 Good Argumentative Essay Topics for Students in 2024

    April 3, 2024. The skill of writing an excellent argumentative essay is a crucial one for every high school or college student to master. In sum, argumentative essays teach students how to organize their thoughts logically and present them in a convincing way. This skill is helpful not only for those pursuing degrees in law, international ...

  3. 112 Persuasive Speech Topics That Are Actually Engaging

    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.

  4. 300 Questions and Images to Inspire Argument Writing

    19. Snail Mail: Do you think handwritten cards and letters still have value in the digital age? 20. Cyberbullying: Should social media companies do more to prevent online harassment? 21. Phone ...

  5. 110 Interesting Persuasive Speech Topics to Impress Your Audience

    Add emotional connections with your audience. Make your argument more powerful by appealing to your audience's sense of nostalgia and common beliefs. Another tactic (which marketers use all the time) is to appeal to your listeners' fears and rely on their instincts for self-preservation. Address counterarguments.

  6. 310 Prompts for Argumentative Writing

    Every school day, we publish new questions for students based on the news of the day, including prompts, like these, that inspire persuasive writing. Below, we've rounded up over 300 of those ...

  7. 100+ Best Argumentative Speech Topics

    States cannot ban same-sex marriage. 5. The Voting Rights Act is constitutional. 6. The Patriot Act violates the Fourth Amendment's ban on unreasonable searches and seizures. 7. The Affordable Care Act's individual mandate is constitutional. 8. The Supreme Court's Citizens United decision was wrongly decided.

  8. 130 New Prompts for Argumentative Writing

    Try our student writing prompts. In 2017, we compiled a list of 401 argumentative writing prompts, all drawn from our daily Student Opinion column. Now, we're rounding up 130 more we've ...

  9. 613 Original Argumentative Speech Topics Ideas

    All men and women should complete a year of civil service. Community service isn't a punishment. 282 Argumentative Speech Topics and Ideas: social issues, media, technology, ethics, religion, education, health, sport, constitution, environment, literature, politics and more.

  10. 50 Compelling Argumentative Essay Topics

    50 Argumentative Essay Topics. Illustration by Catherine Song. ThoughtCo. An argumentative essay requires you to decide on a topic and argue for or against it. You'll need to back up your viewpoint with well-researched facts and information as well. One of the hardest parts is deciding which topic to write about, but there are plenty of ideas ...

  11. 166 Argumentative Essay Topics to Give You Inspiration

    166 Argumentative Essay Topic Ideas (Organized in Sections) Interesting and Controversial. Education. For Kids. Political. Religion. History. Immigration, Racism, and Native American Issues. Science and Research.

  12. 52 Argumentative Essay Ideas that are Actually Interesting

    Coming up with an essay topic can be the hardest part of the process. You have very likely encountered argumentative essay writing in high school and have been asked to write your own. If you're having trouble finding a topic, we've created a list of 52 essay ideas to help jumpstart your brainstorming process!

  13. 105 Interesting Persuasive Speech Topics for Any Project

    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 ...

  14. 100 Good Persuasive Speech Topics & Ideas

    What Makes a Good Persuasive Speech Topic? There are multiple factors that make some persuasive speech topic ideas better than others. Three major things to think about when choosing a persuasive ...

  15. 50 Great Argumentative Essay Topics for Any Assignment

    Check out our helpful list of argumentative essay topics, plus tips on picking the best one for you. Call Direct: 1 (866) 811-5546 Sign In Start Free Trial. SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips. 50 Great Argumentative Essay Topics for Any Assignment ... But not all argumentative essay topics are created equal.

  16. 150 Good Persuasive Speech Topics for Students in 2024

    How to Practice and Deliver a Persuasive Speech. Talk to yourself in the mirror, record yourself, and/or hold a practice speech for family or friends. If you'll be using visual cues, a slide deck, or notecards, practice incorporating them seamlessly into your speech. You should practice until your speech feels very familiar, at least 5-10 ...

  17. Persuasive speech ideas

    100+ persuasive speech ideas grouped by theme: animals/birds, arts/culture, automotive, business/economy, social/community, environment, education, ethics, global/world, sports... Notes covering: what makes a speech topic 'good'. why some topics are potentially boring for an audience to listen to and best left alone.

  18. 101 Standout Argumentative Essay Topic Ideas

    6. Mins. An argumentative essayis just what it sounds like: an essay where you argue. You pick a topic, take a stance, research information to support your opinion, state your claims, and voilà! You've got your essay. Choose a topic that is debatable. You need to present your own personal stance but also discuss an opposing point of view.

  19. 75 Persuasive Speech Topics and Ideas

    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 ...

  20. 120+ Strong Argumentative Essay Topics

    Choosing between argumentative essay topics can be hard; especially when you don't know where to start looking. Luckily, you can find over 120 topic ideas here, including our top 10 hot topics.

  21. Persuasive Speech Topics: The Best 150 Ideas

    While you may be animated and absorbing when you speak of your topic with friends, gripping an audience full of strangers is different. There are three potential goals of any persuasive speech: 1. #1. To convince your audience to believe you and take your side. 2.

  22. 50 Topics for a Persuasive Speech

    Choosing a Topic. It's more enjoyable to research and write a speech about a topic that genuinely holds your interest. It'll make for better delivery, too. Passion is contagious! On the other hand, boredom and a lack of enthusiasm come through easily in vocal tone. Avoid tired, overdone issues. If you've heard it all before, there's a ...

  23. 100 Persuasive Speech Topics for Students

    100 Examples of Persuasive Speech Topics. Studying martial arts is good for mind and health. Competitive sports can teach us about life. Reality shows are exploiting people. Community service should be a graduation requirement for all high school students. The characteristics that make a person a hero.

  24. 500 Mental Health Argumentative Essay Topics & Ideas

    In this article, we present a comprehensive collection of 500 mental health argumentative essay topics and ideas. This extensive list is designed to inspire students, educators, and professionals to engage with diverse aspects of mental health, from policy and treatment to the social and personal dimensions of mental well-being.