political topics to write a speech about

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.

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.

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112 Persuasive Speech Topics That Are Actually Engaging

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

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

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

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

Choose Something You’re Passionate About

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

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

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

Steer Clear of Cliches

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

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

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

Have a Clear Side of Opposition

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

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

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

Environment

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

Science & Technology

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

Social Media

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

Parenting & Family

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

Entertainment

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

Arts & Humanities

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

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

Do Your Research

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

Understand Your Audience

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

Have Someone Read Your Speech

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

Practice Makes Perfect

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

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

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

125+ Persuasive Speech Topics To Amaze Your Audience

Reviewed by:

Former Admissions Committee Member, Columbia University

Reviewed: 4/26/24

This article provides a comprehensive list of persuasive speech topics and answers to some of your frequently asked questions about speech topics. 

Persuasive writing is hard, and it’s even harder to try to come up with an engaging topic that interests you and your audience. 

Not only do you have to convince your audience to take your side on subjects that are often pretty divisive, you also have to persuade them to take your side of the argument. The first step to making a successful persuasive speech that will amaze your audience is having a strong topic.  

Keep reading for 125+ persuasive speech topics. 

125+ Topics for a Persuasive Speech

Persuasive speech ideas are harder to come up with than you may think. There is a fine balance between interesting your audience, interesting to you, unique and fresh, all while being thought-provoking without being outright offensive. 

Here is a breakdown of various topics for persuasive speeches, organized by categories, to inspire you. 

1. Arts & Culture

Art and culture are always hot topics amongst individuals and groups. There are many interesting arguments and stances on both topics, and many people have strong opinions when it comes to the subject matter. 

See below for prompts for persuasive speeches about art and culture: 

• Is graffiti art? 
• Should art classes be mandatory for all students?
• Should we keep reading classic literature that is offensive? 
• Should there be a distinction between ‘high’ and ‘low’ literature?
• Are romcoms and erotica series like Fifty Shades of Grey empowering for women?
• Is reading actually more beneficial than watching TV or playing video games?
• Is there any benefit or relevance to teaching high school students Shakespeare?
• Should video games be considered a high form of entertainment?
• Are biographical movies of deceased musicians and artists ethical?
• Is modern music really worse than older music?
• Should paparazzi be banned and unable to sell their photos?

Topics in arts and culture are always fun to debate and discuss because you have the opportunity to talk about your favorite pieces of media!

2. Economics

Economics is a hotly debated topic. There is no shortage of compelling, engaging arguments involving economics. 

Here are some good persuasive speech ideas on the topic of economics: 

• Is capitalism a functional, ethical economic system? 
• Should everyone, despite their income, be taxed at the same rate?
• Can we introduce another economic system to our society? 
• Should each state, the federal government, or individual companies be responsible for setting a living wage?
• Should minimum wage be doubled?
• Should everyone adapt to the four-day work week?
• Should people who make under a certain amount per year not be taxed at all?
• Should governments encourage and reward people for shopping locally? 
• Should advertisements be banned during TV and media programming aimed at kids?
• Has modern consumerism gone too far?

Economics is a great topic for a persuasive speech because it affects our everyday lives in so many ways. There are tons of research and perspectives to help support your argument. 

3. Education

Many people feel strongly about education and there are many sides and perspectives that come into play: teachers, parents, students, student athletes, and more. 

Here is a list of some engaging topics to write a persuasive speech on:

• Should post-secondary education be free?
• Should taking a year off between high school and college be mandatory?
• Is it fair to take cell phones away from kids in middle/high school while they are in class?
• Should school uniforms be mandatory in all high schools?
• Should cursive writing still be taught in schools?
• Do frats and sororities actually serve their purpose? 
• Should programming and coding be introduced to young students?
• Should school lunches be free?
• Is college/university necessary anymore?
• Does the education system prepare students for adult life?
• Should gyms be mandatory for all students?
• Do schools need to do a better job at teaching students a second language?
• Should schools teach sign language?
• What age should students be taught sex ed?
• Should distant learning be encouraged, or avoided at all costs?

Education is another great topic to write a speech about because it intersects with economics, culture , and politics . These topics will guarantee an engaged audience. This is a popular topic for high school students who are learning about tuition and scholarships at their top colleges! 

4. Environment

Since the release of Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” and Greta Thunberg’s unapologetic activism, climate change has been at the forefront of many political, economic, and cultural conversations. 

If environmental issues spark your interest, consider writing on one of the topics below:

• Can we ever live in a truly ‘green’ and environmentally friendly society?
• Should water bottles be banned?
• Are businesses responsible for implementing environmentally friendly production and products?
• Should there be a carbon tax?
• Should electric cars be mandatory in the near future?
• Should we switch over to entirely renewable energy?
• Do low-income families have the same duties to be eco-conscious as high-income families do? Should plastic bags and single use plastic be completely banned?
• Should car racing be banned?
• Should fast fashion be banned?

The environment and climate change are becoming, if not already, some of the most pressing issues of our day. 

Ethics may be one of the most difficult topics to write a persuasive speech about because the topics tend to cover sensitive subject matter. However, ethics are also some of the most compelling and complex topics to explore. 

Here are some potential topics for a persuasive speech about ethics:

• Is animal testing ethical?
• Is drinking coffee unethical?
• Are animal shelters that allow euthanization ethical?
• Should more people try to adopt a vegetarian/vegan diet?
• Is the death penalty ethical? 
• Can racism ever truly be eliminated?
• Can the prison system genuinely contribute to the improvement and rehabilitation of individuals?
• Should justice systems and incarceration facilities focus on rehabilitation over punishment? 
• Should cosmetic plastic surgery be covered by insurance?
• Are morals objective or subjective?
• Should zoos and circuses be banned?
• Should fur coats be illegal?
• Are censorship laws ethical?
• Is it ethical to genetically modify an embryo? 
• How should we, and who is responsible, for addressing the homelessness crisis? 
• Should minors who commit violent crimes be charged and tried as adults?

Tackling a persuasive speech on ethics is a challenge, as many of these topics are complex and sensitive. It can also be difficult to wrap up a speech on such huge ethical debates. 

However, these topics also provide some of the most riveting and energizing debates - if you’re up to the challenge, you should definitely try to tackle one of these topics. 

From fitness to food prices to economic privilege, there are tons of debatable topics regarding health. Here are just some of the potential topics you can write a speech on:

• Are individuals solely responsible for their own health?
• Should prescription medications be free?
• Should sugary drinks like pop be taxed at higher rates?
• Should Starbucks be allowed to advertise their high-calories and high sugar drinks?
• Should the government regulate the prices of fruits and vegetables?
• Should fast food restaurants regulate and reduce their portions?
• Should gym memberships be free?
• Should the government change and restructure the work week to reduce stress?
• Should nurses be paid more?
• Should smoking be banned?
• Should insurance companies fully cover rehabilitation stays for health issues like eating disorders?

People have varying opinions and understanding of health, which makes these topics very engaging and interesting to write about.

7. Politics

It goes without saying that almost every political issue is debatable. 

• Do we actually live in a truly democratic society?
• Should there be a minimum wage or a living wage?
• Should the legal voting age be decreased?
• Does the pay gap exist?
• Are younger politicians more effective?
• Should there be stricter gun laws?
• Should Presidents be able to serve more than two terms?
• Should everyone get the day off work to go vote?
• Should political party funding be regulated?
• Should political smear campaigns be banned?
• Is there a political bias in mainstream media?
• Should you date someone with opposing political views? 
• Is the government spending too much on the military sector?

Politics are all about persuading people to take a side, which makes it a strategic topic for delivering a moving persuasive speech. 

Sports is another big topic that people care a lot about. There are sports related matters that are questioned everywhere: sports on TV, the Olympics, college sports and athletics, and athletic sponsorships . 

Below is a list of captivating sports topics for a persuasive speech: 

• Should the pay for professional teams be based on audience viewership? 
• Are professional sports getting too violent? 
• Are athletes overpaid?
• Is cheerleading empowering or exploitative? 
• Should children be allowed to compete in competitive sports?
• Should we continue spending millions of dollars on the Olympic Games?
• Do people put too much importance on high school and college football?
• Should alcohol and tobacco ads be banned during sports?
• Is betting on sports teams ethical?
• Should high school and college athletes be paid?

Sports is a topic that people don’t often think of as controversial. However, your audience is bound to be engaged and contemplating your argument as you present your speech. 

9. Technology

As the world increasingly moves to online spaces, and technology advances faster than ever before, technology is another hot topic that people have a lot of thoughts and opinions on. 

• Should all workplaces offer hybrid/remote work?
• Should we pursue Artificial Intelligence?
• Do we need to put resources into travelling to space?
• Should parents monitor their children’s online activity?
• Is it okay for phones to use facial recognition and fingerprint technology?
• Is technology actually addicting?
• Can we blame technology for increased stress and anxiety?
• Are security cameras and body cameras an invasion of privacy? 
• Should the internet be surveilled or managed?
• Should video game chats be surveilled or even banned?
• Are machines replacing human labor? 
• Should cloning be outlawed/banned?

As technology continues to advance and expand into our personal lives, it is a great topic to write a unique persuasive speech on. 

Having a unique and creative speech topic discussing one of your interests can make it stand out more! Think about extracurriculars you participate in, podcasts you enjoy, or fascinating facts you’ve learned. Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box. 

• What makes a hero?
• Are we headed towards World War 3?
• Did humans really land on the moon?
• Are serial killers born or made?
• Can good and evil be separated neatly?
• Is cancel culture a positive or negative thing?
• Can money buy happiness?
• How to become a millionaire
• How to become more confident
• How to live to be 100
• How to survive an apocalypse
• Do extraterrestrial beings exist?
• Why students should start investing at 16
• The true history of… (event of your choice, such as the Chernobyl disaster, the Black Plague, Salem Witch Trials, etc.)

Exploring these kinds of diverse and intriguing topics will not only capture your audience's attention but will also allow you to share your passions with your peers! 

What Makes a Good Persuasive Speech Topic?

The best persuasive speech topics are topics that are not overdone, and topics that the speaker is genuinely passionate and knowledgeable about. 

Persuasive speech topics should also be a bit controversial (this does not mean offensive) because the topic and speech itself should be thought-provoking. The more people are emotionally invested in the topic, the better. 

For example, while you can try to persuade your audience that strawberry ice cream is better than chocolate ice cream, it’s unlikely that many people have a strong emotional investment in that topic. Without an emotional investment, audiences will be sitting listening to your speech thinking: “so what?” 

On the other hand, a topic like “Should government’s set limits on how many children a family can have in overpopulated countries?” is emotionally charged and truly matters to people. 

FAQs: Persuasive Speech Topics

After reading through all the possible topics you can write a persuasive speech on, you may still have some questions before you get going. Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about persuasive speech topics. 

1. What Are Some Easy Persuasive Topics?

Any persuasive topic can be easy to write about if you are passionate about your stance. The more passionate and knowledgeable you are about your topic, the easier it will be to research and write. 

There are also easy persuasive topics that are more lighthearted than controversial, which some people may find easier to debate and write about. Some easy persuasive topics include: 

• Should everyone have a three-day weekend?
• Should every public place have free Wi-Fi?
• Does social media do more harm than good?
• Should kids get paid for getting high grades?
• Do we need more holidays?

These topics are all fun to debate, which makes it easy to write a persuasive speech or essay. Whereas some persuasive topics can be complex and sensitive, the topics listed above are pretty straightforward, which makes them easier to discuss than more complex topics. 

2. What Is a Good Persuasive Speech Topic For School?

A good start to finding a good speech topic for school is looking for a topic that involves something related to school. For example, you can look into talking about school uniforms, class sizes, tuition and scholarships, and school sports, just to name a few. 

Having a speech topic related to school is a good idea for school because your audience (teachers and peers) are directly in that environment as well. This means they will likely be more engaged as the topic, whether they agree or disagree, is relevant to their everyday lives. 

3. What are Three Examples of a Persuasive Speech Topic?

Any of the above topics listed in this article are examples of persuasive speech topics. Three specific examples that have not been listed are:

• Is social media to blame for the rates of depression and anxiety amongst youth?
• Do young adult romance novels encourage harmful and toxic relationships to their target audience?
• Should children under 18 have total control over medical decisions made about their bodies?

These topics are examples of persuasive speech topics because you need to take a clear stance in order to answer the question. The point of a persuasive speech is to convince or persuade the audience that your side of the argument is valid and should be considered, so the topic needs the individual to take a specific stance. 

As briefly touched upon before, your topic needs to interest your audience for a successful persuasive speech. While you should make sure your topic isn’t overdone, you don’t want to go with something too ‘safe’ as that will most likely bore your audience. 

Final Thoughts

Coming up with a topic for a persuasive speech may be the most difficult part of the writing process. 

Read over our list of topics and pick out a few topics that genuinely interest you. From there, do some preliminary research on each topic and see which one has the strongest evidence to support your argument. Then, you’ll be good to start writing your persuasive speech that will amaze your audience!

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75 Persuasive Speech Topics and Ideas

October 4, 2018 - Gini Beqiri

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

What is persuasive speech?

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

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

How to choose a topic for your speech

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

Familiarity

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

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

The audience’s interest

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

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

Not overdone

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

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

Emotional topics

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

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

Desired outcome

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

Persuasive speech topics

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

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

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

Arts/Culture

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

Business and economy

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

Law and politics

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

Science and the environment

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

World peace

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

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

After choosing your topic

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

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

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

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

100 Persuasive Speech Topics for Students

• Homework Tips
• Learning Styles & Skills
• Study Methods
• Time Management
• Private School
• College Admissions
• College Life
• Graduate School
• Business School
• Distance Learning
• 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.
• Single-parent adoption should be encouraged and promoted.
• Gun companies should be held accountable for gun crimes.
• Human cloning is not moral.
• Religion does not belong in public education.
• Juveniles should not be tried as adults.
• American workers should be guaranteed a three-day weekend by law.
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• 30 Writing Topics: Persuasion
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• How to Write a Persuasive Essay
• 501 Topic Suggestions for Writing Essays and Speeches
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381 American Politics Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best american politics topic ideas & essay examples, 👍 good essay topics on american politics, ⭐ simple & easy american politics essay titles, 💡 interesting topics to write about american politics, 📑 good research topics about american politics, 📌 most interesting american politics topics to write about.

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• The Challenges of Racism Influential for the Life of Frederick Douglass and Barack Obama However, Douglass became an influential anti-slavery and human rights activist because in the early childhood he learnt the power of education to fight inequality with the help of his literary and public speaking skills to […]
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• George Washington’s Achievements and Farewell Address Washington was a successful leader because he promoted democracy, led the country through the revolutionary war, and achieved most of the goals which he had promised the people.
• Christianity: The Making of a Leader by Clinton The book narrows down the subject of leadership to the stages of developing leaders and the lessons that one can draw from each of the involved steps.
• Obama Had Authority to Order Operation Geronimo The public opinion of the US citizens supported the president and military force actions because of the ongoing conflict between the USA and Al-Qaeda.
• George Washington: Life and Achievements His role in the French and Indian War was significant, as he was a commander of the Virginia Regiment, raised to oppose the French in the Ohio Valley.
• Logos, Ethos, and Pathos in Hillary Clinton’s Speech Looking at the example of the Clinton speech, her address focuses on the rights of women and the need to protect them.
• Leadership Style of Bill Clinton: What Can We Learn? To have a good understanding of Bill Clinton, we shall have a review and a brief description of his biography in order to understand about the background of Bill Clinton right from the time he […]
• “Farewell Address” by George Washington The significant aspect of the president’s speech was the value of unity, loyalty to party over the nation, and the danger of foreign entanglements.
• “Industrial Education for the Negro” by B. T. Washington In the article, the author insists on the introduction of industrial education to the curriculums of all black students to ensure that they understand the value of labor.
• Donald Trump: Theory X and Autocratic Decision-Style Methods He has managed to maintain success using this style of headship in the real estate business in America and across the world.
• Obama vs. Lincoln: Presidents’ Comparison The people of the nation are the first line to be affected with how the president handles the state that is why they are very keen in evaluating the current president.
• Bill Clinton’s Accomplishments as President Besides the record-high surpluses and the record-low poverty rates, the economy could boast the longest economic expansion in history; the lowest unemployment since the early 1970s; and the lowest poverty rates for single mothers, black […]
• Blackstone’s Influence on American Political Philosophy This collection of comments and discussions highlighted the role of the citizen in the country and greatly influenced the formation of the American ideas of the common law.
• Natural and Revealed Law: American Political Philosophy While its roots go back to Ancient Greece and Rome, natural law has remained a part of modern history.[1] In particular, the rise of Christianity contributed to the evolution of natural and revealed law and […]
• Four Freedoms by President Roosevelt Throughout the discussion we shall elaborate the four freedoms in a broader way for better understating; we shall also describe the several measures that were put in place in order to ensure the four freedoms […]
• Franklin Roosevelt and Adolf Hitler: Leaders Ways This paper aims to reveal the cause of the problems faced by the United States and Germany as identified by their leaders in inaugural speeches and the ways Roosevelt and Hitler were planning to solve […]
• Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton – Leaders Comparison Economic growth as a result of Reagan’s and Clinton’s presidency can be seen as one of the main reasons to consider both presidents effective leaders.
• “Women’s Rights Are Human Rights” by Hillary Clinton Hillary Clinton’s speech about women’s rights effectively convinces her audience that women rights are an indispensable part of human rights through the use of logical argument, repetition, historical facts, and emotional stories.
• Barak Obama and Donald Trump: Communication Styles Nonetheless, it is essential to determine which of the factors play a decisive role by comparing the communication styles of Barak Obama and Donald Trump, examining the examples of their debates and speeches across their […]
• Biography of Bill Clinton: Interpretation of Personality Hillary Rodham Clinton, his life partner had played a vital role to boost up his political career and she gained immense popularity after the rejection of his health care reform bill by Congress in the […]
• George Washington: Servant Leadership and Communication To him, the Americans were the master in this new country, and they had the power of choosing the person they wanted to serve them as their president.
• Abraham Lincoln’s Cultural and Political Legacy on Central America 3 However, the eruption of the American Civil War resulted to the consecutive banning of slavery in all the States in U.S.
• Barack Obama: Ambassador Leadership Style The history and current experiences of the leaders determine the approaches to the management of contemporary institutions. The advantage of this leadership is that the staff gains a lot of experience as they become more […]
• Compare and Contrast of the Historical Figures: Barrack Obama and Joel Osteen He is also the best selling author and he has sold million copies of his books in America and abroad; he was included in the list of the ‘ten most fascinating people’ by Barbara Walter.
• Donald Trump: Leadership Ability As a leader, Trump is committed to direct involvement in every business that has his name on it. As a leader, Trump is able to build strong business relationships and rally people behind his ideas […]
• Americanization of Canadian Political Culture Nowadays, the Canadian political culture boasts of a great sense of collective responsibility as demonstrated by the general support of the universal care, foreign control, as well as gun control social programs However, as already […]
• Tea for Trump Public Relation Campaign: ROPE Theory To popularize drinking green tea: the company made use of the opportunity to spread the idea of their healthy and cleansing product organic green tea. To spread the power of tea on the global level.
• The American Political System Of course, there are some controversies, but it is possible to note that the political system of the country does work.
• Immigration as Political Issue in the USA The country has been witnessing a surge in the number of immigrants, and it is estimated that the number of illegal immigrants superseded that of the legal ones.
• Biden’s 2023 State of the Union Address Analysis It is good that Biden highlighted the achievements of his administration, which included the lowest unemployment rate in history and efforts to minimize the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukrainian crisis.
• Political Culture of American Government This type of political culture influenced the German government’s hesitation because they did not want to spoil the relationship with the Russian government.
• Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness Plan The changes essentially affect the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program that allows federal student loan borrowers to receive payment credits. As part of the plan, Biden paused the extension of loan repayment.
• Editorial on Donald Trump in 2024 Presidential Race This is a liberal view as the editors feel that the president will reverse some of the gains made towards creating a society where everyone feels entitled to the benefits that the nation has to […]
• Washington’s Farewell Speech Analysis With the help of James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, Washington composed a letter in Philadelphia in what later became described as the “Farewell Address”.
• Donald Trump’s Election Campaign for 2024 A few days after the results of the midterm elections for the U.S. According to Trump, his rivals suspended the counting of votes in important states of the country in order to get additional ballots […]
• The Port Huron Statement: American Political System The manifesto was written in historically difficult times for the United States, which fell on the aggravation of relations with the USSR, the beginning of the Cold War, the Vietnam War, and the development of […]
• The Role of Japan in Biden’s Indo-Pacific Economic Framework This paper addresses the challenges that led to the framework’s creation, the IPEF’s four pillars, and the participation of the other nations in the region.
• The American Political Campaigns: Major Historical Eras A breakdown of the remaining three eras, how congressional candidates can capitalize on campaign laws, the primary factors in a congressional campaign, and the role of media in driving the public’s understanding of candidates for […]
• Joe Biden’s First Two Years in Office The outcome of the midterm elections for the US Congress, where the Republicans received a majority of the votes, is evidence that Biden did not act quickly enough to address the issues arising in society.
• Rhetoric in Obama’s 2008 Speech on Racism When the audience became excited, it was Obama’s responsibility to convey his message in a more accessible form. To conclude, Obama’s speech in 2008 facilitated his election as the first African American President in history.
• Barack Obama’s Biography and Political Leadership The main reason why many see him as an inspiration is that he was the first person of color to hold the office of president, but there is so much more to him and what […]
• Donald Trump: The Law Violations The former president of the US, Donald Trump, has been the subject of heated political and legal discussions due to the numerous charges he faces because of violating the law on several accounts.
• Foreign Policy of the Clinton Administration The foreign policy strategies of Clinton and Bush Jr.differed significantly. In contrast, Bush Jr.was focused on isolation and confrontation with the principles of globalization.
• President Obama’s Justification for Killing bin Laden In Schlag’s opinion, the secrecy of lawyers in working on the legal actions surrounding the plot of Bin Laden’s death raised concerns regarding the justification of his killing.
• Requesting a Warrant for Trump’s Home Search In his opinion piece for KCRA, Alanna Durkin observes that a checklist of stringent conditions governs the procedure of getting a search warrant. Durkin notes that the court could have only authorized the request if […]
• Conservatism in the Clinton and Obama Administrations Thus, the Clinton and Obama administrations have examples of how the presidents challenged the rise of conservatism and were considered the continuation of it simultaneously.
• Charismatic Rhetoric of Barack Obama’s Acceptance Speech For example, Obama’s rhetoric and custom linguistic strategies allowed him to appeal to the values of the majority of American citizens.
• Biden’s Student Loan Dilemma by Barbaro & Cowley The podcast Biden’s Student Loan Dilemma by Michael Barbaro and Stacy Cowley examines the state of student debt loans in the U.S.
• Joe Biden’s Inaction on the Need to Eliminate Existing Tariffs The main effect of this decision was retaliatory tariffs on US agricultural imports to China, which led to a decrease in the export of soybeans.
• Trump’s Trade Dump: Agreement With China According to detractors, it is the sort of management trade policy that the U.S.has long opposed, particularly about China and its economic control.
• Women in the USA: The Emergence of Political Power The role of factors determining the status of American women in the state and society and the degree of influence of women themselves on the development of state policy in general and concerning the female […]
• George W. Bush’s Inaugural Speech It is rather interesting that, in the text, Bush says that “the best hope for peace in our world is the expansion of freedom in all the world”. This text also helps to think about […]
• Black Lives Matter and Trump’s Use of Secret Police He has tried to hide the truth and the police brutality that took Floyd’s life, just as it endangered the lives of other black Americans.
• Trump Tells Story About Killing Terrorists With Bullets Dipped in Pigs’ Blood The text reflects on Donald Trump’s recollection of the myth that terrorists were killed before the bullets used were dipped in pig blood.
• President Biden’s State of the Union Address in 2022 The measures taken to date will help reduce the share of unresolved problems and give some impetus to the development of the well-being of America and its citizens.
• President Franklin Roosevelt’s Acts and Laws Thus, the president managed not only to engage people to participate in the agricultural spectrum but also promoted improvement of the African American, immigrants, and workers conditions.
• Theodore Roosevelt’s Progressive Ideas The decision to promote progressive ideas was not spontaneous, and he saw the movement as the possibility to protect the real rule of humans.
• George Washington’s Farewell Address He considered the most important element of the success of the state and society to be the preservation and promotion of peaceful coexistence with all forces.
• Rhetorical Analysis: Logos and Pathos in Trump’s Truth In the third chapter, “The Truth Is the Greatest Enemy of the State,” attention is paid to Trump’s speeches and promises.
• 1968: The Turning Point in American Politics and Society Over the years of existence in the modern United States, there have been numerous iterations of the party systems and political structures in the attempts to address the differences between Democrats and Conservatives.
• The Speech About the Assassination of Osama bin Laden by Barack Obama To conclude, we can consider this speech as a good example of weighted but at the same time pompous and threatening speech regarding the issue of national security.
• President Obama’s Inaugural Address in 2009 First, the inclusion of certain phonological elements such as alliteration, consonance, and assonance works to beautify the language, which causes it to resonate with the listener.’Pounded the pavement’ or ‘picked up the phones’ is an […]
• Michelle Obama’s Tuskegee University Commencement Speech The commencement speech of Michelle Obama at the Tuskegee University primarily focused on the continuing and detrimental effects of racism, but even more improtantly on the concept of a post-racial America.
• Progressive Ideology by President Roosevelt In addition, the key role of the progressive lies in addressing the problems of the other, for which reason they are to remain enthusiastic and inspiring under any circumstances.
• Biden’s Push to Increase Tax on the Rich From New York Times The major reason for this news is Biden’s will to increase taxes for the rich to fund his plan of reshaping the economy.
• Biden Ends Workplace Immigration Raids, Reversing Trump Policy Firstly, the announcement will contribute immensely towards the integrity of most employers in the sense that it is going to push employers to pursue only documented immigrants for labor without putting excessive pressure on the […]
• George Washington’s and John Adams’s Policies George Washington is the first popularly elected President of the United States of America, Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, a participant in the War of Independence, and the founder of the American institution of the […]
• The COVID-19 Bill Proposal by President Biden As the standing committees to introduce the bill to, the budget committees of the House and the Senate will be involved.
• The Actions of Roosevelt During the New Deal The period from 1929 to 1941, including the Great Depression and the New Deal, is undoubtedly one of the most important in American history.
• Watergate – American Biggest Political Scandal In an attempt to do so, participants of Nixon’s Committee to Re-Elect the President broke into Watergate headquarters of the Democratic National Committee.
• Academic Reforms of George W. Bush The development and establishment of the Every Student Succeed Act, is an attribute of Bush’s education reforms from his initiative to provide every child with the right to education in his bipartisan act of No […]
• What Explains the Increased Use of Drones Under The Obama Administration in Pakistan The C.I.A.holds the responsibility for the Drone attacks in Pakistan.”The C.I.A.began using drones in Pakistan in 2004, even though the United States was not engaged in a war with that country.
• Washington vs. Texas Court Case No. 649: Issue, Facts, and Summary Still, the court authorities denied him a request to listen and consider the testimony of a witness or an accomplice, because of which the court’s verdict turned in the opposite direction.
• Booker T. Washington’s Position Regarding the Black Problem Washington saw the main goal of education in the social and cultural teaching of African Americans, thanks to the emphasis on the acquisition of technical skills.
• Booker T. Washington’s Atlanta Exposition Speech The appeal to the white population was based on a call to reduce pressure on African Americans to build a socially equal society.
• Du Bois’ and Washington’s Disagreement on the Issue of Education The effects of racial discrimination and the resulting segregation echoed in every area in the late 19th and early 20th century, causing the debate concerning the need for integrated schools to become rather polarizing even […]
• Biden’s Stimulus Package: Impact on Society The new legislation will also provide direct payments to individuals through the US, and this is the second reason why I support it strongly.
• Why Washington Warned Against Political Parties Washington warned against the formation of many regional-based political parties because it would jeopardize the unity of purpose of the country.
• American Wars and American Political Development In his article “Wars and American Politics,” David Mayhew argues that there were at least five major wars faced by the US which determined its fate as a progressive state: the War of 1812, the […]
• Text Analysis of Trump’s Tweets Besides, the Network has a system of comments on the posts of politicians, which can also help to understand the mood of the public.
• American Political Thought in the Pre-Revolutionary Period Hence, the Enlightenment and Great Awakening played a central role in shaping the colonists’ ways of thinking, which significantly changed the way that the residents of North American colonies regarded the authorities.
• President Obama’s and Sen. Cruz’s Hanukkah Greetings The speeches reveal that upholding the celebration is an important event in commemorating the justice of redemption of Jerusalem and rededication of the second temple at the beginning of the Maccabean revolt.
• President Roosevelt’s New Deal in Tennessee The United States was in the middle of the Great Depression when Roosevelt was elected. In conclusion, the election of Roosevelt seemed like a solution to the impacts of the Great Depression.
• The Washington Consensus and 21st-Century Socialism The relation between market trade and the involvement of the state from one of the primary aspects upon which such models are compared. Both policies demonstrate particular differences in the context of the balance between […]
• Barack Obama Policies in Healthcare: Ethical and Unethical Behavior The United State should not have health care reform when members are working but it has to support every child and provide him/her with quality healthcare services.
• Obama’s Health Care Speech to Congress Summary He said that the failing economy was affecting businesses and homeowners and there was a need for decisive action to cut costs and therefore ensure the survival of the Americans by not counting the returns […]
• Franklin Roosevelt and The New Deal The New Deal was initiated by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, he was the 32nd president of the United States. His administration inherited the devastation of the Great Depression.
• Cooper’s “Perfect” Feedback Regarding Trump’s White House Address The segment featured a live Trump’s speech a few days before the election was called and had to be cut off due to the President’s remarks a few minutes into the session.
• Is Political and Racial Equality Possible in American Society? The study of this issue is important to modern American politics as it directly reflects the problems and opportunities of racial and ethnic minorities. It is also important to strive for justice and equality in […]
• Opioid Crisis During Trump, Obama, and Bush Presidency The president is the head of government, meaning that this political figure has the power to solve the existing problems. Trump declared the opioid crisis a national emergency, meaning that sufficient attention was necessary to […]
• Social Media Helped Obama Win The theory of hegemony is instrumental in understanding the relationship that exists between media and power as it can go a long way in reinforcing certain beliefs.
• The Under-Representation of Asian Americans in US Politics The vast disproportion between the percentage of Asian American individuals within the overall US population and the rate of their representation in office might be addressed by improving the likelihood of this community engaging in […]
• Donald Trump as a Global Leader His leadership style seems to be visionary in regards to his managerial skills and the ability to focus on the future rather than focusing on past events.
• “Michelle Obama Calls on You to Serve” Address Michelle pointed out initiatives and actions that were implemented and asked people to join her and the President to serve communities and build the foundation for the state’s future growth with the help of the […]
• Media Influence on Donald Trump’s Career Trump is the focus of this essay as a prominent case of a worldwide discourse regarding the negative effects of media on a politician’s image.
• A Critique of President Obama’s Administration Position on Contraception The paper comes from the premise that after all contraception is widely used in the US but not all the women can afford the contraceptive.
• Constitutional Issues vs. Obama Healthcare Law This is because of government involvement in subsidizing the medical cover costs and putting it mandatory for everyone to have a medical cover or pay a fine.
• Obama’s Health Reform and Weak Points Revealed Consequently, the chief goal of the US administration is to re-focus the benefits promised by the medical care in the USA on citizens but not on medical products manufacturers.
• Clinton Health Policy Formulation Its main components included the formulation of a national health board that was supposed to regulate the health care structure in the United States.
• The Trump Travel Ban The aim of the current paper is to explore the ban and review the implications of its enactment for the affected individuals and the global community as a whole.
• The Role of Interests and Factions in American Politics Thinking about the consequences of unregulated factions politics, the first idea that comes to mind is that the weaker groups will always be outsiders that are unable to promote their interests. Nevertheless, in my opinion, […]
• Stories From the Great Depression: President Roosevelt At the same time, the era of the Great Depression was the time when many Americans resorted to their wit and creativity.
• Political Communication: Donald Trump’s Insult Politics The purpose of this paper is to analyze Donald Trump’s insult politics and the role of racism and religion in it.
• Progressive Policies After Theodore Roosevelt’s Term By centralizing power in the federal government, he diminished the chances of misrepresentation by municipal governments and ensured close monitory of the United States affairs to the fulfillment of the will of the people.
• Donald Trump Note on Waterboarding In addition, as Trump said, waterboarding is a good method to gather information from the enemy and predict national or international threats.
• Success and Mistakes of Barack Obama’s Foreign Policy This paper aims at discussing the achievements and shortcomings of the 44th U.S.president’s foreign policy. The second mistake of Obama’s foreign policy seems to be its expansive nature.
• Barack Obama Made History: The First Black President of the United States In addition to becoming the first black president of the united states, Barack Obama has numerous prominent achievements that will remain the history of the United States.
• President Obama’s Budget Proposal for the United States The budget is also expected to have an expansion of the earned income tax credit for the working poor. Contrary to the above, Republicans argue that raising the tax of the wealthy during a downturn […]
• Roosevelt’s New Deal and Its Influence on the Society The meaning of the policy of “New Deal” was described by Roosevelt in a speech to the voters, as elements of economic planning for a “more equitable distribution of wealth and goods and supplies, the […]
• Franklin Delano Roosevelt His credits as a leader are tied to his successful leadership amidst the alarming economic depression that was a challenge to his administration. These are just a few of the great thing Roosevelt achieved during […]
• The Healthcare Reform Law by Obama: Budget of the Healthcare Reform The proposed healthcare reform has an estimated budget of $828 billion; half of which is scheduled to be acquired from the expansion of Medicaid with an extra $29 billion stipulated to aid in the funding […]
• The American Army: Political Science John wanted to become a warrior, belong to the company of the best soldiers in the world, to see the world, and to have financial stability.
• Satiric Cartoons on American Politics In this cartoon, a stout man in a formal suit is depicted. In this cartoon, there is a snake cut into parts.
• Bush on God: Bushisms From a Satirical Point of View According to the latest news, more and more people believe in the coming of the new Prophet. The witnesses claim, he was receiving a new message from the God at that moment.
• Franklin Roosevelt: The Evolution of an American Idea The following paper is intended to discuss and explain why the first inaugural speech of Franklin Roosevelt, the retirement announcement made by Lou Gehrig, John Kennedy’s inauguration address, and Martin Luther’s “Dream” disclosure are considered […]
• Will Donald Trump Make a Good President? Donald Trump might be a successful businessman and a true patriot, but he lacks the skills and experience to be a good leader of a country and represents opposition to core American values.
• Public Opinion About American Politics All three articles perform in depth analysis of the events, or offer all the necessary information for such an analysis, hence, whether these are discussion of a public opinion, description of the governor’s actions, or […]
• The Debate Over Gay Rights in American Politics Proponents of gay rights vigorously dispute these interpretations, but many people on both sides of the issue do not realize that the Bible has historically been used to argue many things in the past including […]
• Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson in American Presidency Theodore Roosevelt is known as the 26th President of the United States and the first president to have served the full cadence in the 20th century.
• Colonialism Questions: George Washington and Monroe Declaration He believed that the US was in danger if it would entangle itself in the foreign affairs of other nations particularly those from Europe. The convention of 1800 saw an end to all the treaties […]
• Obama’s Health Care Bill: Legaslation`s Changes Review It is imperative to note that the passage of the bill involved wrangling from what appeared as proposition and opposition sides of the Health Care Reform bill.
• President Obama’s Wall Street Reforms The new “bill stipulates that the amount of fees charged by banks to process debit card transactions need to be realistic and relative to the cost of the transaction”.
• George Washington: The First President of the Great Free Country He was recognized not only as the commander in chief but also as one of the leaders who assisted in crafting the new constitution.
• The Jesus Factor in G. W. Bush’s Political Career This time marked the turning point in the life of George Bush as he was able to receive Jesus as his personal savior this was how Bush explained. The friends of Bush were able to […]
• Franklin Delano Roosevelt Office Term The rationale for President Roosevelt running for these additional terms in the office was the perilous times in the early 1940s, as American faced the possibility of war in 1940 and was in the midst […]
• Obama’s Deal: The Problem of Healthcare Reform The main purpose of this paper is to analyze the problem of healthcare reform, which was raised in the documentary Obama’s Deal, and to evaluate the impact of lobbyists’ efforts on the legislative process.
• Barack Obama as an Exceptional Leader According to Huffington, “the first one hundred days of Obama in office has had a lot of achievements and intangible transformational leadership”.
• Barack Obama’s Leadership Skills Between the ages of six and ten, the young Barrack lived in Indonesia before coming back to the US to complete his education which culminated in a degree from Harvard Law School.
• Obama and Sarkozy: Political Views and Personalities Comparing the forty-forth president of the United States of America, Barack Obama, to the twenty-third president of the French Republic, Nicolas Sarkozy, it should be noted that the historical background, economical systems and the foreign […]
• American History: Key Events in Social and Political Life In the beginning of the 18th century, half of the labor was provided by the African slaves while the rest was being provided by the Native Americans with the latter providing the Spanish farms or […]
• Social and Political Theory: American Theocracy Capitalism and the State rely on the exploitation of the majority of humanity. Mobilization of a working class calls on dealing with all the issues affect them.
• Rating of Barack Obama and Economic Problems Most of the respondents attributed the down fall in the economy to the previous regime’s poor economic policies hence, supporting President Barrack Obama.
• How Is Obama Doing: Discussion of Obama’s Presidency The anointment of Barack Obama as the first African American President of the United States has signaled to the world that American democracy has finally matured and that it is truly the land of opportunity […]
• President’s Obama Ability to Address Issues In his capacity as the most senior member of the cabinet, the president needs to work together with other members of the executive including the cabinet to formulate policies for the nation.
• Bush Plan on Immigrants Since the program seeks to vet all aliens entering our country, it will be bound to increase the security in our country considerably. According to the program, all foreigners entering our country will have to […]
• Obama’s Political Ideals and Machiavelli’s Philosophy The problem of power is reduced, in the real world, to the control of specific acts of particular powers. In the first instance, the fundamental abuse is the usurpation of the legal authority itself, the […]
• American Politics and Power Decentralization The investigation done on policymaking for the period of 1947-1998 presented enough information on the subject of national government to decentralize its power to state government.
• President Obama and Congress on Healthcare System The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between Obama and the congress over the health care plan. Using the power of the media, he is appealing to the voters to maintain his […]
• The Barack Obama Presidency in the United States This essay discusses President Obama’s administration policies on foreign and domestic issues, the challenges he faces, the strengths he can utilize, and what he needs to do in order to deliver the promises he made […]
• The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama In the book The Breakthrough, Gwen Ifill addresses the political background and what part the women and men the author calls “the breakthrough politicians” or what the editor of the New Yorker David Remnick refers […]
• President Barack Obama’s Job Performance He has proven to be a president who listens to the logic and needs of his constituents. He has shown the world that as the new image of America, he is not to be feared […]
• The Influence of Evangelical Christianity on American Politics and Culture The others are the belief in the supremacy of the bibles authority and the reiteration of the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
• George W. Bush’s Activities and Forecasts for Barack Obama So far, all he has done to show that he would make a better president, was to overturn a number of decisions made during the Bush administration.
• The Obama Stimulus Plan and Its Effect on Local and State Government The action of the plan is considered to attack the core of the problem of the recession, the reduction in spending that is manifesting in all sectors of the economy, using the Keynesian approach of […]
• Obama: The Rule of Law and the Chrysler Debacle The Rule of law is also well known as Supremacy of law and it establishes the fact that nobody should be considered above the law of a particular nation.
• The Actions of the Roosevelt on Great Depression S president and his efforts to save the country from the effects of the great depression were futile. The deal consisted of recovery programs which were targeted to be initiated into the economy in the […]
• Theodore Roosevelt as the Man and the American I at once announced that I would continue unchanged McKinley’s policies for the honor and prosperity of the country, and I asked all the members of the Cabinet to stay. This emphasizes that he was […]
• Obama’s Tax Relief Plan Analysis The following graph outlines the proposed tax cut relief plan in detail and it would be analyzed in terms of the effect that it has had on the economy and it’s bearing on the American […]
• Political Parties in the Modern America Political parties introduce the political life of the country through the ideas and considerations which are put in the basis of these parties and are the main differential features, which make the opposite.
• Barack Obama and Joe Biden Committing to Domestic Reform
• Barack Obama’s First One Hundred Days in Office
• Obama: Successes and Failures
• The American Political System in California
• Future Peace Situation in the World after Obama’s Reign
• American Political and Economic History of the 20th Century
• President Bush’s Tax Cut Policies
• Obama and Solving the Problem of Racial Inequality
• American History: Presidents Starting From Roosevelt
• Obama or Mccain: President of the United States in 2008
• Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms. American “Civil Religion”
• Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address
• Inauguration of President Barack Obama on 2009
• Barack Obama: The Rhetoric of Political Words
• How the Election of Barack Obama as the U.S. President Will Affect America’s Racial Issues
• Obama’s and McCain’s Election Campaigns
• Global Security Interests of Bush and Clinton
• The Death of George Washington
• Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Great Depression
• Political Campaigns Finance Reform in USA
• Obama, the First US Black President: Is Racism Over?
• Roosevelt’s New Deal and the Great Depression
• Most Influential Politicians in American History
• American Politics: Judges Selection and Appointment
• Obama and McCain’s Taxation Policy
• Comparing Obama and Mccain Plans
• George Bush, Love Him or Hate Him
• B. Obama H. Clinton: Peculiar Individuals in US History
• Presidential Election in USA: Barack Obama
• Barack Obama as the Next President of the USA
• The Gilded Age as an Important Political Turning Point in American History
• Elizabeth Warren as a Figure in American Politics
• President Bush and United States Congress
• F. D. Roosevelt and L. B. Johnson: USA Presidents
• Barrack Obama Is a United States Presidential Candidate
• Vice President in the Political System of the USA
• American Vision and Values of Political Freedom
• 2008 US Elections: Barrack Obama and John McCain
• Barack Obama: The First Black President Ever
• Barrack Obama’s Campaign Review
• Political Function of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
• Donald Trump and American Democracy
• The Reagan-Bush Years: 1981-1993
• Trump and Health Care
• George W. Bush’s Foreign Policies
• Trump’s Contributions to Healthcare Policy
• American History vs. Donald Trump
• Clinton’s Plan and Obamacare: Healthcare Policy
• President Trump’s Impeachment: For and Against
• Fake News and Donald Trump’s Political Career
• American vs. Russian Government & Politics
• Sentimentalism in American Political Culture
• Donald Trump and Joe Biden on Oppression
• Turnover Rate at President Trump’s White House
• Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Definition of Freedom
• Joe Biden’s Program Specifics in Healthcare
• President Trump’s Impact on Economy
• George Bush: President of the USA
• Politics and Justice Challenges in American Society
• American Democratic Political Model as an Innovation
• Barack Obama’s Charisma in Leadership
• Barack Obama’s Presidential Leadership and Charisma
• 2016 Presidential Elections: Hillary Clinton and Marco Rubio
• The Heroic Deeds of George Washington
• Franklin Delano Roosevelt as an Admirable Historical Figure
• Barack Obama’s Second Presidential Term Agenda
• Bill Clinton’s Impeachment From Post-9/11 Perspective
• Roosevelt’s First New Deal and the Second New Deal
• Bush’s Memex Revisited and Kay & Goldberg’s Personal Dynamic Media
• Donald Trump: Leader Profile
• Asian Americans’ Political Involvement
• The Politics of Theorizing African American Families
• Obama Campaign vs. Save the Children Initiative
• Power, Politics, Government in Canada and America
• George Washington: Leader in the United States
• Politics in America Between 1820 and 1850
• Judicial System and Politics in American History
• American History and Politics in the 19th Century
• The American Revolution and Political Legitimacy Evolution
• Ethical Factors in Trump Campaign Funding
• Donald Trump’s Proposal to Ban Muslims From Entering the United States
• Trump’s Trade Restrictions and International Mechanisms
• Franklin Roosevelt’s Presidency and Its Influences
• Political Cartoon: Trump’s Healthcare Amendments
• Bush’s Best Baked Beans: International Expansion
• Is Obama “The Reagan of the Left”?
• Trump Phenomenon: Why Was He Popular?
• Internet in American Politics, Society, Economics
• Roosevelt’s Camapign for Japanese Americans
• American Political Ideology
• Brexit and Trump’s Election in Online News Media
• Popular Politics, Populism, and Donald Trump
• Muslim Ban From Entering the United States Enforced by Donald Trump
• Trump’s Refugee Order: Suppression or Protection
• Donald Trump’s Political Role in the USA
• Racism in Trump’s and Clinton’s Campaigns
• Obama’s Presidency and Racism in the USA
• Anti-Trump Protests for Third Night on CNN
• Hip-Hop and Politics Correlation in the USA
• Hillary Clinton and John Mccain: Media’s Defeat
• Importance of Religion in American Politics
• Why Franklin Delano Roosevelt Was Most Popular Presidents?
• Did President Obama Save the Auto Industry?
• Barack Obama and Race Impact on American Politics
• Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Presidential Era
• George Washington’s Leadership Style and Character
• George Washington and Neo-Classical Imagery
• Hillary Clinton’s View on Religion and Politics
• Intelligence Problem in the Trump Administration
• Hillary Clinton’ Education Policy
• Hillary Clinton’s Presidential Candidate’s Position
• Hilary Clinton and Bernie Sanders’ Debates
• Marcus Garvey: Afro-American Political Leader
• New York Times: Obama Vows to Push Immigration Changes
• Three Problems That Obama Should Fix
• The Life of George Washington Truett
• The Politics of Crime and Punishment in America
• Presidential Elections Analysis: Clinton vs. Cruz
• The Congress by George Bush
• Barrack Obama and Mitt Romney’s Economic Plans
• First Presidential Debate: Mitt Romney and Barack Obama
• Obama’s Policy: Delta and Northwest Airlines’ Case
• George Bush’ National Strategy of War in Iraq
• Political Issues of Marijuana in America
• Presidential Campaign: Barack Obama’s Message and Its Power
• King’s and Obama’s Views on Racism in America
• Press and Politics Relations in America
• Post American Revolution Period: Washington Presidency
• Barack Obama and Mitt Romney Comparison
• The Third Party and Its American Political History
• Historical Event: Barack Obama’s Election
• Political Sciences: American Immigration
• Political Rhetoric: Barack Obama’s March 18 Speech
• Washington, Jefferson and Parker’ Role in the US History
• Political Issues: National Interest in America
• Obama’s Brain Mapping Project
• Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Era
• Roosevelt’s Plan to End the Great Depression
• Donald Trump: His Political Course and Contribution as a President
• President Clinton’s Impeachment
• Obama’s Health Care Reform and Utilitarian Theory
• The Challenges That Being Black Creates for Douglass and Obama
• George W. Bush Role in Foreign Policy of the United States
• American National Politics
• Ronald Reagan Revolution Through Obama
• George Bush Election Campaign
• President Barack Obama’s Healthcare Reforms
• Effects of the Indigenous Movements to the Politics of Modern Latin America
• Obama’s First Election and Racism
• Has President Obama’s Presidency Changed the US?
• The Political Views of Muslim Americans
• Economic, Political, Social, and Racial Concerns Affecting Mexican Americans
• How Obama’s First Election Has Been Affected by Racism?
• The Controversial Health Policy in the USA Initiated by the Obama’s Administration
• Features of Bill Clinton’s Obituary
• US Foreign Policy During Obama Presidency
• President Obama’s Higher Education Agenda
• The Monroe Doctrine and Its Roosevelt Corollary
• Barack Obama’s Family History
• Latin American Government and Politics
• American Government and Politics Today
• Bush Tax Cuts Debate
• President Obama’s National Export Initiative
• Political Leadership: Bill Clinton and John Kennedy
• Republican Presidents Theodore Roosevelt & Taft
• President Obama’s Duties as the American CEO in His Second Term
• President Obama’s Foreign Policy
• President Obama: Manager of the Economy
• Did Obama’s Stimulus Work?
• Sumner, Wilson, Reagan, and Obama
• Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal
• Fiscal Policies of President Bush and President Obama
• Bill Clinton Leadership
• African American Political History
• Political Regimes and Business Environment Comparison Between China and USA
• Clinton Homosexual Discrimination Policy
• Theodore Roosevelt Role in the American History
• Obama’s American Jobs Act
• Analysis of Media Coverage of President Obama’s Activities
• Cultural and Political History in the USA: Flight to Canada by Ishmael Reed and The Making of Americans by Gertrude Stein
• American Political Parties in the Late Nineteenth Century
• General George Washington. Life of the Commander in Chief
• Religion and American Politics
• Lifespan & Personality: Towards Explaining President Barrack Obama’s Personality Traits
• Role of Politics in American Social Microstructures
• Role of Politics in American Society
• Print Media Journalism: Obama Campaign
• Politics in America: President and Congress
• American Political Culture
• Addressing Barack Obama’s Presidency Issues
• Barrack Obama and Race in Politics and Culture
• Political Structure and Process in America
• American Political Culture History
• Obama’s Administration Seeking Peace With Iran
• Obama and Romney’s Plans for Higher Education
• Barrack Obama and Mitt Romney on Health Care
• Eric Rauchway’s Murdering McKinley: The Making of Theodore Roosevelt’s America
• The Views on the Debate of President Obama and Romney on 10/3/12
• American Politics and British Taxation
• Rhetoric in American Politics
• Public Speaking by American Politicians
• The Political Landscape of America
• Bush Doctrine, Explanation of the Administration and War on Terror
• Welfare Expenditure Reduction: Obama’s Federal Worker “Tax”
• Obama’s Wars and the International Relations
• Role of Judicial Review: Bush vs. Gore
• Political Causes of WWII for America and Germany
• President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt
• Evaluating Obama’s Presidency
• Concepts of Bill Clinton
• President Obama’s State of the Union Address on January 1, 2011
• Role of the American Constitution in America’s Political Process
• Barack Obama as President of the United States
• Is Barrack Obama Like Hitler?
• Fiscal Policies by President Barrack Obama
• The Era of Franklin D. Roosevelt
• The Legacy of George W. Bush
• Bill Clinton’s Foreign Policies
• Barack Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy: Partners or Opponents?
• Roles That Political Parties Play and Have Played in American Politics
• T. Roosevelt as a Rough Rider
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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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?
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• 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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460 Excellent Political Topics to Write about in 2024

If you have an assignment in politics, look no further—this article will help you ace your paper. Here, you will find a list of unique political topics to write about compiled by our custom writing team .

Our specialists will write a custom essay specially for you!

But that’s not all of it! Keep reading if you want to:

• See how to tackle political essay topics in your paper;
• Choose a topic that will be interesting for you to research;
• Refresh your knowledge of essential political concepts.

Now, without further ado, let’s get started! Below, you’ll find political topics and questions for your task.

• 🔝 Top 10 Topics
• ✅ Main Political Concepts
• 🇺🇸 American Politics Topics
• 🌐 Global Politics
• 📚 Political Science
• 🏛️ Political Philosophy
• ⚖️ Comparative Politics
• 💵 Political Economy
• 🍴 Food Politics
• 🌱 Environmental Politics
• 📖 Political Case Study Topics
• ✍️ How to Write a Political Essay

🔍 References

🔝 top 10 political topics to write about.

• The political causes of terrorism
• Why do we need political parties?
• Is politics connected to religion?
• Does an ideal political system exist?
• How to prevent ideological conflicts
• Electoral systems around the world
• The role of the UN in the world politics
• Should nuclear weapons be banned?
• The importance of international relations
• Should the government control the internet?

✅ Main Political Concepts to Focus On

Politics is an exciting and versatile subject. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not confined to senates and debate chambers. It also takes place on the streets and in your home. You can even say that everything is political.

Politics has so many areas to study—it may be hard to decide what to choose. Let’s see what interesting concepts you can focus on:

• Government and all that concerns the state. It includes actions that involve state institutions and people serving them. You might want to concentrate on voting, transnational interactions, or acts of politicians.
• We’ve all heard that conflict is a healthy part of every relationship. Do you believe that politics should embrace the differences? Then you may want to study the mechanisms of protests and revolutions.
• Or, you can focus on methods of nonviolent conflict resolution .
• Execution of power . Here the question is: what is power? Study various definitions and choose the ones you like best.
• Maybe you consider politics a social activity . You can also think of it as more of a public activity . Look into these concepts and see where politics takes place.

Does any of these ideas seem particularly interesting to you? Write an essay about it! Or, if you want inspiration, check our extensive list of ideas covering every major branch of politics. Below you will find current political topics as well as historical ones.

Just in 1 hour! We will write you a plagiarism-free paper in hardly more than 1 hour

🇺🇸 American Politics Essay Topics

Inner social and economic tensions have led to drastic changes in America’s political climate. The divide between Democrats and Republicans grows more resonant by the minute. What is your opinion on these developments? Have a closer look at it with one of our engaging topics:

• Discuss gun control measures and crime rates reduction in the US. 
• Analyze Kanye West’s presidential campaign.
• What are the crucial current issues to voters in America? 
• Do national politics in the USA neglect older adults?
• Why isn’t the right to privacy listed in the US constitution?
• The American government has extensive plans concerning the closure of Purdue Pharma. But are they acting in the public’s best interest? 
• Pros and cons of raising the number of justices at the Supreme Court. 
• Write about American neutrality and contribution in the Great War. 
• Discuss the pros and cons of building a fortified border wall between the USA and Mexico. 
• What would happen to California if it became an independent country?
• Who should pay for essential healthcare services in America? 
• Does the two-party-system do more harm than good?

• What did President Trump achieve by pulling out of the Paris Climate Accord? 
• Describe how the American states collaborate in the federal system .
• Is a cap on immigration to the US necessary? 
• How does wealth inadequacy affect American democracy?
• The role of freedom in American politics. 
• How does the Electoral College work? 
• What are the implications of Donald Trump’s revealed tax statements? 
• Political impact of the body positivity movement in America.
• The BLM movement as covered by Fox News vs. CNN. 
• The US-Australian cooperation and its implications. 
• Should the US seek tighter bonds with China? 
• What’s the easiest way to become politically involved in the US?
• Why should you join a political party?
• Effects of the war on drugs. 
• Debate implementing more restrictive gun laws nationwide. 
• America’s role in restoring Europe after World War II. 
• How does social media influence political decisions in America?
• Is capitalism the best system for the US?
• Why don’t LGBT people in America have the same rights as straight people? 
• How did the legalization of dispensaries in California impact consumer behavior ?
• What branches does the American government consist of? 
• How is poverty affecting rural communities in the US?
• Explore law enforcement in the US on local, state, and federal levels.
• Discuss the limits of executive power in New Jersey.
• Should Oregon implement a cap on the price of medicines? 
• What caused healthcare in America to become so expensive? 
• Religious extremism in the US after 9/11. 
• Your position on the American intervention in Syria. 
• What caused many people to lose trust in President Trump’s government?
• Describe the state of affairs that allowed Donald Trump to win the 2016 election. 
• What laws restrict campaign financing in Florida?
• Discuss the budgeting of the US Environmental Protection Agency. 
• Evaluate President Trump’s crisis response.
• Outline the ideas of American politicians from parties on the margin.
• The importance of the Hispanic vote.
• The Patriot Act: facts and controversies. 
• How do stereotypes towards Asian Americans influence their opportunities? 
• The power of line-item vetoes in Wisconsin.

🌐 Global Political Topics to Talk About

Global politics studies basic political ideas on an international scale. This subject combines multiple social sciences to analyze political activity worldwide. Choose between the topics concerning human rights, development, conflict, and international relations.

• Why did Reporters without Borders build a library in Minecraft?
• How influential are NGOs?
• What are the main functions of the UN? 
• Discuss how the 2015 migrant crisis affected European politics.
• What are the drawbacks of being stateless ?
• African socialism in the 1950s and 1960s. 
• Has the US become estranged from its European allies?
• What is the Human Development Index?
• Explain the three waves of democratization .
• Why do some countries suffer from terrorism more than others?
• Discuss methods of conflict resolution used by the African Union.
• At what point does a crisis justify international intervention?
• Trace the events of the 2020 election in Belarus. 
• What caused the Eastern Mediterranean to be war-torn?
• Discuss the role of gender in modern Africa. 
• How did the California Gold Rush in 1848 impact global politics?
• The development of Latin American cities in the past 30 years. 
• Why was Germany hesitant to participate in colonization? What led to the change of heart?
• Israeli-Palestine conflict and the global community.
• How do countries reconcile after being at war with each other?
• What is the Spratly Islands dispute?
• Why does China claim ownership of the South China Sea? What makes it a globally important issue?
• The threats of transnational organized crime. 
• What are the effects of Brexit on the UK and international relations?
• How does a country’s geography shape its politics?
• US foreign policy: criticism and problems. 
• The purpose and importance of global health. 
• Discuss how Sub-Saharan Africa can become independent of foreign aid. 
• Global citizenship: characteristics and responsibilities. 
• How does feminism influence global relations? 
• What does deterrence theory entail?
• Explain how the International Court of Justice works.
• Global war in terrorism: what are its main challenges? 
• What causes interdependence between nations?
• Why do states need to be internationally acknowledged? What happens if they aren’t?
• Structural effects of uneven resource distribution.
• Gender bias in global politics. 
• Explore the history of Cambodian politics.
• Kazakhstan: the proposal to switch the alphabet from Cyrillic to Latin. 
• What factors determine if a country is safe to travel to?
• Discuss Daniel Drezner’s theories of global politics.
• The development of the UK’s global political influence.
• Compare how various countries protect their indigenous cultures. 
• Should the EU be dissolved?
• What is Wilsonianism?
• Characterize America’s foreign affairs in the Middle East. 
• What rights does a stateless person have?
• Amnesty international: criticism and controversies.
• What has the Pan-African movement achieved? 
• How did American government respond to the Arab Spring? 

📚 Political Science Topics to Research

Political science studies collective decisions and their consequences. Part of this process is analyzing the structure and mechanisms of government. Researchers in this field consider psychological, social, and cultural aspects of political activity.

• The rise of Austria’s Freedom Party in 2000.
• What can game theory tell us about society?
• Discuss the concept of nationhood, its benefits, and pitfalls.
• Trace the development of the Nigerian government from the ’60s up to now. 
• The impact of celebrities on political campaigning. 
• Describe the goals of the anti-globalization movement.
• Why did all Germany’s attempts to form a republic fail until after World War II?
• The effects of poverty on Australian indigenous peoples. 
• What type of events affect voting behavior the most? 
• Examine historical examples of anarchist societies.
• Does a president need to represent all of their country’s citizens ?
• What are the advantages of polling? 
• Can monarchies be democratic?
• What influences people’s political beliefs?
• The regulation of water supply in Latin American countries.
• Describe how the media affects cultural globalization .
• Compare right and left-wing terrorist groups. 
• What constitutes tyranny?
• How does the Saudi Arabian government work?

• The relationship between the automobile industry and politics in Japan .
• Crisis theory, its strengths, and its weaknesses.
• What are the goals of the alt-right?
• The historical significance of the treaty of Westphalia.
• Was the Equal Rights Amendment doomed to fail? What is its current status? 
• How does tourism affect Caribbean politics?
• What makes someone a leader?
• Discuss how powerful states influence poorer ones.
• How does the EU make decisions? 
• Examine the success rate of petitions.
• The psychology behind supporting extremist groups. 
• The mechanics of propaganda: when language becomes a political tool. 
• Class 12 political education: preparing students to vote in their first election.
• Analyze the structure of the Chinese Communist Party.
• What does the Lemon test determine?
• Is fear a good instrument of control?
• The political danger of fake news .
• How do civil wars happen? 
• Political culture: why did democracy in Iraq fail? 
• Investigate the conflict between China and Tibet.
• Should institutions benefit society’s poorest members?
• The role of poverty in driving the popularity of Boko Haram in Nigeria.
• Why do some people miss the Soviet Union? 
• What are the differences between the IS and al-Qaeda?
• Organization of the Taliban government in Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. 
• Political radicalization on the internet. 
• The importance of women in governments .
• Balance of power theory and modern world order.
• The dangers of neopatrimonialism in African politics.
• Why was the French Revolution an important event in history?
• What influences outside the government can impact policymaking? 

🏛️ Best Political Philosophy Essay Topics

What type of systems can ensure a happy life for everyone? Political philosophy, or political theory, seeks to answer this question. Its goal is to create a social standard by applying ethics to politics. Get contemplative with our interesting political theory paper topics:

• How ethical is capitalism ?
• Explore the ideological connection between liberalism and feminism.
• How close is your community to Plato’s ideal society?
• What would happen if we leave capitalism behind?
• Discuss the concept of democracy in political theory.
• Ethical issues concerning globalization .
• What would Aristotle say about the world’s current state of affairs?
• Marx’s and Lenin’s imperialism theories.
• Was Jean-Jacques Rousseau right in saying that a civil society began with a fence?
• Is restricting immigration an ethical way to increase wages? 
• How relevant is John Locke’s social contract theory today?
• Explore the problems of democratic transition and consolidation.
• Analyze the shortcomings of positivism.
• Discuss John Rawls’ position on justice.
• What is philosophical anarchism ?
• How does Michel Foucault explain the development of Western penal systems in Discipline and Punish ?
• Discuss grounds on which war is morally permissible or even necessary.
• The influence of existentialism on Western politics.
• What events sparked the foundation of the Paris Commune?
• How can governments and communities cooperate?
• Can religion have a positive influence on lawmaking?
• What does it mean to have authority ?
• Should governments provide stability or freedom of choice?
• The influence of revisionism on the German Social Democratic Party policies.
• Is gerrymandering always unjust? 
• How did the idea of democracy change from ancient Greece to modern times? 
• Is the law always morally right?
• The role of violence in the ideologies of Pyotr Kropotkin and Mikhail Bakunin.
• Police corruption: understanding and prevention.
• Is democracy indeed a rule by the people? 
• What’s the difference between nationalism and patriotism?
• The role of power from the post-structuralist perspective.
• Is there a big divide between Asian and Western political ideology?
• What motivates someone to be politically active?
• Why are students typically engaged in politics?
• Is populism ethical? 
• Provide an advanced perspective of public policy. 
• Should the state be allowed to decide whether an individual can end their life?
• The meaning of the term “liberalism” from its origins to this day. 
• What do feminists mean by saying “the personal is political”?
• How do you define the word “ political ”?
• Discuss dehumanization and its evolution in warfare.
• If you could start a whole culture anew, what would its principles be?
• Analyze how pornography can be political.
• Policymaking: systemic thinking on various levels. 
• Are liberal government models the end of political development? 
• How did the US government morally justify the Vietnam war ?
• According to Thomas Hobbes, why do citizens need a Leviathan ?
• Describe Machiavelli’s position concerning the role of religion in politics. 
• The influence of Ayn Rand’s objectivism on libertarian movements.

⚖️ Comparative Politics Essay Topics

Have you ever wondered how the state influences a nation’s economy? Scholars of comparative politics know the answer. They analyze governments by comparing and contrasting them. Choose a topic in this category to discover the differences between various political systems.

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• What causes nations to transform their governments?
• Define the differences between a nation and a nation-state. 
• Causes of war: comparative politics and peace studies.
• The politics of baby boomers vs. millennials .
• Is the “tyranny of the majority” an unavoidable weakness of democracy? 
• Characteristics of authoritarian vs. totalitarian regimes. 

• What are the differences between laws and executive orders ?
• How does bureaucracy work in Norway vs. Russia?
• Living conditions in South African squatter settlements and Brazilian favelas.
• Compare conservative ideology in the US vs. the Netherlands.
• What is the ideological difference between liberalism and conservatism? 
• Discuss the advantages of a participatory vs. a representative democracy .
• What are the current trends in democratization ?
• Compare the contents of the French vs. the British constitution .
• Describe the differences between federal and unitary governments. 
• The executive’s role in Japan vs. China.
• Political parties in Canada: ideological analysis.
• What does it take to pass a law in Finland as compared to Sweden?
• How does the naturalization process work in Canada vs. the US?
• What factors impact political participation in different countries? 
• How does a country’s education influence its citizens’ political activity?
• Analyze the role of interest groups in the USA and Poland. 
• How do presidential systems work in comparison to parliamentary systems?
• Idealism versus realism in international politics
• Ownership laws in Nigeria vs. Eritrea.
• Compare Saddam Hussein’s regime with societies from Orwell’s 1984 .
• Identify current trends in voter turnout. 
• What constitutes the civil society in India and Pakistan? 
• Contrast the structures and influence of the top five grassroots movements. 
• The role of independent media in political education.
• What factors determine whether a societal change is successful?
• Compare American and Icelandic healthcare systems.
• Protest votes: in which system do they work best?
• Which fundamental ideologies do most of the world’s democracies share?
• The social consequences of corruption in Mexico vs. Venezuela.
• The perception of conservatism in the US vs. other countries.
• Analyze Indian and Brazilian democracies. 
• Revolving door politics in Japan vs. Australia.
• How is gender equality institutionalized in different countries?
• Why are green parties more successful in Europe than in the US?
• Contrast political education across the states of the former Soviet Union .
• The influence of the military on the government in the US vs. New Zealand. 
• Achievements of the LGBT movement in Poland and the Czech Republic.
• What are sustainability measures in South Africa vs. Senegal?
• The evolution of women’s rights in Russia vs. Switzerland. 
• How does federalism in Brazil differ from the one in America? 
• Compare Peru’s and Lesotho’s unitary systems.
• Comparison between Florida and Maryland’s legislative frameworks.
• Contrast various military governments. Can they be beneficial for the public?
• Political socialization in France vs. India.

💵 Political Economy Topics to Write About

Are you interested in how trade relates to a nation’s law and government? Then this section is for you. Scholars in this field study how economic theories influence societies. On top of that, they advise governments on economic policies and proposals. Find a great topic in the list below:

• Economic interdependence theory and future of trade.
• How do oligopolies influence the market?
• What are the economic effects of taxation ?
• Do democratic countries have better economies than autocratic states?
• Did NAFTA overall benefit Mexico’s economy?
• The oil industry in Saudi Arabia: analysis and strategies.
• Globalization and the economy: interrelations and consequences.
• What are the goals of the WTO?
• How did the foundation of OPEC shape oil trade?
• What factors influence the global GMO market?
• Explain the concept of the invisible hand.
• What are the characteristics of public goods?
• Does private ownership necessarily lead to inequality?
• How did mercantilism affect colonized countries?
• Define critical political economy theory.
• What role does mass media play in a nation’s economic decisions?
• The current revival of neoliberalism .
• Why does the exchange rate matter? 
• The role of competition in politics. 
• How did the development of financial systems impact governments? 
• Why did President Trump’s tax reports cause a scandal?
• How did economic troubles lead to political tensions in the EU?
• What policies did countries in South-East Asia implement to drive economic growth? 
• Can guaranteed income prevent socio-economic crises?
• How are pension age policies connected to a country’s economic situation?
• The impact of terrorism on oil prices and production. 
• What were the political pros and cons of the gold standard ?
• Does the trade war between the US and China have the potential to affect global trade? 
• What types of governments are more likely to engage in protectionism? 
• How is America “weaponizing” the dollar?
• Discuss risk management strategies during the financial crisis in the US.
• Utilitarian ethics in political economy.
• What is the minimum wage , and how do you calculate it?
• Do big companies have too much political influence?
• The effects of gender-biased laws on economic systems .
• What are the economic concerns behind sustainable policies?
• Why are European countries struggling to convert to green energies ?
• Does turning away from fossil fuels automatically mean a decrease in economic growth? 
• How do policies create wealth gaps?
• What do wealthy countries do to stay rich?
• Describe the political consequences of outsourcing .
• The connection between political instability and widespread poverty .
• The political economy of financing conflicts in the Middle East.
• Why do countries export weapons to war-torn areas?
• How do political power balances create inequality?
• The politics of free markets vs. planned economies.
• What are the key elements of the political economy, according to Marxism ?
• Explain the 19th-century socialist ideology.
• What effects do a country’s political institutions have on the development of organized crime ?
• Feminism in the political economy .

🍴 Food Politics Essay Topics

Decisions concerning packaging labels and food safety regulations belong in the realm of food politics. This branch also encompasses aspects related to food production, distribution, and consumption. Dive into the world of food politics with one of our popular writing ideas:

• How much should the government influence our food choices ?
• What’s political about our diet?
• How do food politics influence our eating habits ?
• Why do most American food production companies add sugar and syrup to bread?
• The politics of kid-targeted food advertising.
• What are the differences between the major labels of organic food ?
• Should conventional agriculture still be subsidized?
• What are the most dominant conflicts of interest in the agricultural industry today?
• What can governments do to make fresh and healthy foods more accessible? 
• Compare various government-sponsored programs to promote a healthy diet .
• How does the demand regulate the market in terms of food products ?
• Will we ever be able to eradicate hunger globally?
• How can policies and restrictions make the food industry more sustainable?
• Why are food politics crucial to achieving development goals?
• Should governments ban plastic bags and packaging?
• Following the annexation of Crimea, Russia received heavy sanctions. It prompted President Putin to ban the import of food products from Europe and the US. How does this affect the country? 
• Monsanto: the political influence of America’s former biggest GMO seed distributor.
• What issues are associated with eco-friendly food packaging?
• What would be the consequences of outlawing alcohol?

• Should there be a ban on advertisements for unhealthy foods?
• Lobbying tactics in the alcohol industry.
• Discuss the benefits of implementing higher taxes on soft drinks.
• When can a company label their product as “natural”?
• Discuss the problems related to US school cafeterias.
• The danger of alcopops: policies that prevent early alcohol consumption. 
• Challenges of regulating deceptive health claims.
• How does sponsored research influence nutritional guidelines?
• The biopolitics of nutrition and food distribution.
• What should all food labels contain to ensure safe consumption? 
• The vegan movement’s impact on the organic food market.
• How did industrialization change the way we eat?
• Is ethnic food underrepresented in nutritional guidelines? If so, why?
• Discuss the role of price in alcohol consumption.
• Why is cannabis banned in many countries, but cigarettes aren’t?
• Sin tax: what are its unintended social repercussions?
• How do gruesome pictures on cigarette packages influence smoking behavior?
• Consumption of harmful products in states with and without a sin tax.
• Treatment of migrant fruit pickers in Texas. 
• California removed sugary drinks and sweets from its public schools. Did this lead to a decrease in youth obesity? 
• Food safety: a policy issue in agriculture today.
• What would sustainable policies on regulating food waste be?
• Should governments allocate more resources into cloning research to satisfy the meat demand? 
• The political influence of the American meat industry.
• Should animal rights be secured in the constitution?
• The development of whale hunting laws in Japan.
• What type of regulations could ensure sustainable fishing? 
• What’s the problem with “Big food”?
• Examine the food vs. fuel dilemma.
• Discuss the court case in which a Colorado bakery refused to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple.
• Denial of food access as a war weapon.

🌱 Environmental Political Research Topics

Issues like sustainability and climate change need coordinated political decisions. That’s where environmental politics comes into play. This branch analyzes policymaking as well as political theories and ideas concerning the environment. Besides, it investigates what position political parties and social movements have on the matter. If you want to address environmental concerns in your essay, this section is for you.

• How can the global power of the church be used to drive sustainability agendas?
• Why do some arid countries want to tow icebergs? What are the environmental consequences of this practice?
• What are the goals of the carbon tax? 
• Why should cities endorse greenways in their urban planning? 
• How did Nigerian activists react to the environmental consequences of the country’s excessive oil production?
• Political strategies to preserve biodiversity .
• What did the Kyoto protocol achieve? 
• Why didn’t Iran and Turkey sign the Paris Agreement? 
• Explore the environmental positions of various parties across the political spectrum.
• Is sustainability a viable aspiration for a community? 
• Why are liberal governments more likely to address environmental concerns than conservative ones?
• Does it take an authoritarian state to combat global warming effectively? 
• The benefits of environmental education in class 11.
• How do interest groups manipulate political action against environmental problems ?
• Is lobbyism responsible for the hesitation in terms of setting strict sustainability goals?
• The Clean Water Act: achievements and shortcomings.
• Are governments doing enough to tackle environmental issues ?
• The success of market mechanisms in environmental policymaking.
• Discuss the progress made to control air pollution in China.
• What roles do NGOs play in driving policies to protect nature?
• Are environmental politics mostly moving forward in times of a crisis? 
• Geoengineering: should governments rely on changing the weather instead of adjusting regulations? 
• Discuss the correlation between energy crisis and climate change.
• How will Indonesia’s new Omnibus Law impact environmental politics?
• The influence of social movements in making the fishery industry more sustainable. 
• How can governments ensure green conservation without reducing their country’s living standards?
• Is ecoterrorism a good way to bring attention to under-discussed problems?
• Investigate how environmental politics can reconcile its proponents with its adversaries.
• How did Hannah Arendt influence modern political thought about nature?
• What is ecofeminism , and what are its goals?
• Implications of the Gaia hypothesis for environmental politics.
• Provide an outline of an environmental conservation project.
• Al Gore’s influence on environmental decisions during his time as vice president.
• Sustainability initiatives in the US vs. Europe.
• The significance of environmental politics in international relations.
• Discuss the link between social justice movements and the rise of green parties.
• Should the California government promote native fire tending techniques to save the state’s forests?
• An Inconvenient Truth : legacy and criticism.
• Do not let Belgrade d(r)own: environmental activism in the Balkans.
• The role of the military in protecting nature.
• What plans does the New Zealand government have to reduce carbon emissions?
• Responsible mining practices in the Philippines.

• Political cooperation efforts for protecting the Caspian Sea.
• Discuss the benefits and costs of the US acid rain program.
• How did the COVID-19 pandemic impact environmental policymaking? 
• The role of populism in addressing climate change .
• Radioactive waste management policies in the EU.
• Contrast the methods of various climate justice organizations.
• How can we use AI to protect the environment? 
• Combating food waste in Norway: consequences of introducing the phrase “best before, often good after” on food labels.

📖 Political Case Study Topics to Look Into

Case studies are valued among all social sciences. They are an excellent method to learn from real-life examples. What’s even better, you can apply the information you’ve gathered from them to a broader framework. If you prefer a practical approach to politics, check out these compelling ideas:

• The 2011 drought caused the Yangtze River to carry significantly less water. How did this affect Chinese politics?
• The Arctic ice is melting at an unprecedented pace. How do politicians cooperate in combating it?
• Pollution has caused an ecological disaster in Kamchatka. What was the Russian government’s response to the crisis?
• The economic growth of Asian countries has put them on the radar of potential Western allies. What stands in the way of a successful partnership?
• Apartheid in South Africa didn’t end until the 1990s. What events led up to the system’s abolishment?
• Botswana used to be one of the world’s poorest countries. Now, it’s considered a role model for African development. How did it achieve its wealth? 
• Environmental NGOs have positioned themselves against fracking from the very beginning. How do their actions impact congressional decision making? 
• Guinea-Bissau is a haven for the illegal drug trade. Politicians are not able to contain it. How did the situation develop?
• In Nigeria, ethnic minorities and the state claim ownership over the country’s oil reserves. How did this conflict emerge? What has been done to solve it?
• In 2016, military troops attempted to overthrow the Turkish government. Why did they fail?
• In 2020, the military took over the Mali government. How did it happen? What was the international response?
• Kenya remained under British rule until 1963. Describe the consequences colonization had on the country.
• Nornickel is a Russian Nickel and Palladium production company. In 2020, it has caused two major environmental disasters: an oil leakage and a wastewater spill. What were the consequences? What did officials do to cover it up?
• In the 20th century, Latin America was home to many dictatorships. To this day, some countries in the area are struggling with their governments. How did this happen? 
• The Universal Child Allowance is a conditional cash transfer designed to help underage Argentinian children from low-income families. Investigate their impact. 
• Microfinancing has created a debt trap for women in Sri Lanka. As a result, they formed a cooperative movement with better credit conditions. Could such cooperatives be an alternative to microfinancing worldwide? 
• Greece’s refugee camps are notorious for their harsh living conditions. Investigate their access to healthcare. 
• Few countries are as affected by HIV as India. Identify how this phenomenon connects to the nation’s high poverty rate. 
• Civil conflict in Columbia between the far-right, far-left, and the government has been ravaging the country for decades. What strategies could restore peace? 
• Bhutan has recently transitioned from an absolutist monarchy to a democracy. How did religion influence this development? 
• Class identity has been a central topic in post-apartheid South Africa . How are changes in identity perception impacting politics?
• Incarceration rates among black citizens in America are significantly higher than among white people. Discuss how this is linked to racial profiling .
• The Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orbán funds populist propaganda campaigns. How does he instrumentalize the national identity to drive his agenda?
• During the 2020 elections in the United States, there was no clear result on the election night. Yet, Donald Trump has falsely declared himself the winner before the official announcement. What political intentions did he have? 
• In 2014, Scotland tried to gain independence from Great Britain through a referendum. Why did it fail? Would it be more likely to succeed now? 
• Women’s rights in countries under Islamic rule are often underdeveloped. How did the Musawah movement influence lawmaking in these nations?
• Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion is the world’s most secure airport. Explore its history. What makes it unique?
• Ever since its foundation, the US has been a dream destination for many immigrants. How did this situation change since President Trump promised to build the wall?
• The Antarctic has plenty of lands to offer. Currently, governments are engaging in territorial disputes. Who does this land belong to? Why is this debate relevant?
• Since 2019, Hong Kong people have been protesting laws that potentially impose closer legal bonds with mainland China. How did these protests influence the legislature so far? How did the governments in Hong Kong and China react? 
• The Gaza strip has been a center of an ongoing conflict between Palestine and Israel. How did its latest developments influence Israeli security politics?
• Child labor is a significant problem in the Philippines. What does the country do to tackle it? 
• South Ossetia is a Caucasus region fighting for autonomy. It is officially recognized as part of Georgia by most countries. Plans to integrate the de facto state with Russian North Ossetia have failed. What caused the fights? What can be done to solve the conflict?
• Asian countries are developing rapidly. It causes economic competition for the neighboring nations. What factors led China and Japan to emerge as global players? 
• In Vietnam, agriculture has undergone significant changes in the past decades. How have these transformations impacted farmers? 
• The Ottoman Empire used to be an enormous state. It encompassed most of Southeastern Europe and much of Arabia. How did its dissolution lead to modern-day conflicts on the Arabian Peninsula?
• Tokyo is one of the most densely populated cities in the world. How does the government ensure enough housing opportunities?
• The Saudi Arabian crown prince Mohammad bin Salman was celebrated for his liberal economic and social reforms. Why was he suspected of ordering the assassination of journalist and government critic Jamal Khashoggi? 
• Colton is a valuable mineral found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The excessive mining of the resource has led to increased criminal activity and conflict. How is this impacting the local civilians? What solutions have been proposed?
• Sierra Leone was engaged in a war with the Revolutionary United Front for 11 years. How did foreign intervention resolve the conflict? How did this experience impact the current political situation?
• Until its criminalization in 1997, cannabis has been a medicinal staple in Pakistan . Recently, the government approved the industrial production of the drug. What were the reasons for it? How is this going to affect the country’s economy? 
• In Japan, decreasing birth rates have led to a steep decline in the population. What plans does the government have to tackle this problem?
• 4chan is an anonymous forum that caters to all kinds of interests. It is infamous for spreading hate and online radicalization. Some of America’s recent mass shooters were connected with the site, as is QAnon. What led to this development? Should the website be taken down? 
• In 2019, American colleges were at the center of a bribery scandal. Celebrities tried to enroll their children with substandard grades into prestigious schools such as USC and Yale. How can colleges maintain their funding while ensuring equal opportunities for the less wealthy candidates?
• In the Ice Bucket Challenge , people poured a bucket of ice water over their heads. It was supposed to raise awareness for ALS. How did this activity impact disease research funding?
• In 2017 and 2018, Finland studied the consequences of universal basic income. What did the findings suggest? Should other countries adopt this strategy? 
• Tesla electric car company has reinvented the automobile industry with its vehicles. What role did the company play in raising awareness of sustainability issues?
• Facebook is financed by targeted ads and data trade. How is this influencing voter behavior?
• The Interview is a 2014 political satire film in which American journalists plot to kill Kim-Jong Un. The film sparked outrage in North Korea. How did this impact US-North Korean political relations? 
• In the US, advertisements for prescription drugs aren’t illegal. How does this influence consumer behavior in comparison with the countries where such advertisements are banned? 

✍️ How to Write an Essay on Politics

Are you eager to start your paper right away? Check these helpful essay writing tips! Keep them in mind when talking about political issue topics:

Get an originally-written paper according to your instructions!

• Research. Read your notes first, then search the internet. Academic journals and government sites are an excellent place to start. Stay on point; don’t waste your time with sources that are not relevant to your topic.
• The introduction presents all the essential terms and relevant literature. Your thesis statement belongs there.
• Your paper’s body includes your arguments and supporting evidence. Use topic sentences to introduce your point.
• The conclusion contains a summary of the essay’s key points.
• Style and format. Write concisely in a formal manner. Ask your tutor for formatting requirements such as font, size, space, or margin. Don’t forget to include a reference list at the end.
• Editing and proofreading. Check for spelling and grammar mistakes. Make sure all your arguments are directly connected to your topic. Lastly, make sure to cite all your sources properly.

That’s all we’ve got for you. We hope this article was useful and wish you good luck with your assignment!

Further reading:

• 512 Research Topics on HumSS (Humanities & Social Sciences)
• 430 Philosophy Topics & Questions for Your Essay
• 560 Unique Controversial Topics & Tips for a Great Essay
• 240 Controversial Debate Topics and Questions for Discussion
• 625 Excellent Presentation Topics & Tips
• A List of 212 Brilliant Research Proposal Topics to Investigate
• 497 Interesting History Topics to Research
• 435 Literary Analysis Essay Topics and Prompts [Upd]
• 417 Business Research Topics for ABM Students
• What Is Politics?: The Open University
• Political Topics: Pew Research Center
• Politics & Political Systems: Encyclopedia Britannica
• Studying Global Politics: International Baccalaureate
• Global Politics from the View of the Political Economy Trilemma: VOX EU
• Managing 21st Century Political Risk: Harvard Business Review
• US President Donald Trump and His Administration: Statistics & Facts: Statista.com
• The Purposes of Government: US History
• Undergraduate Sample Research Topics: Political Science: Western Michigan University
• US Government and Politics: History.com
• What is Political Science?: University of Washington
• Political Philosophy: Methodology: Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
• Social Science and Comparative Politics: Saylor Academy
• Research Guides: Writing a Case Study: University of Southern California
• Political Economy: Corporate Finance Institute
• Topics in Political Economy: Trinity College Dublin
• Food Politics and Development: Science Direct
• Food Politics: United States: Encyclopedia.com
• Importance of Environmental Ethics: Maryville University
• American Politics Courses: University of California San Diego
• Political Philosophy: Routledge.com
• Overview of Comparative Politics: Oxford Handbooks
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How to Write Election Campaign Speech in 10 Steps

This guide provides essential tips on how to write election campaign speech that will resonate with your audience. Writing an election campaign speech is a critical and complex process that requires careful planning, research, and effective communication skills. A campaign speech can make or break a candidate’s chances of success in an election, and thus it must be crafted with the utmost attention to detail and relevance.

A well-crafted speech can help a candidate to connect with voters, build trust, and win support for their candidacy. However, writing a compelling speech that resonates with the audience can be a daunting task. To write an effective election campaign speech, one needs to understand their audience, have a clear campaign message, and convey that message with passion and conviction.

In this process, it is important to keep in mind the tone and style of the speech, the audience’s values and beliefs, and the specific goals of the campaign. Here are useful tips and strategies to help candidates write a successful election campaign speech. Contact us now to help you conduct a thorough research and create an effective political campaign speech that will convey your values and policies of the political party or candidate and resonate with the audience and stakeholders.

Step 1: Define your audience

Before you start writing your campaign speech, you must first define your audience. Who are you speaking to? What are their concerns, hopes, and aspirations? What are the issues that matter to them? By understanding your audience, you can tailor your speech to their needs and concerns and connect with them on a more personal level.

Step 2: Craft a powerful opening

The opening of your speech is crucial, as it sets the tone and captures the attention of your audience. Start with a strong and compelling statement that immediately grabs their attention. You could use a statistic, a quote, or a personal story to draw them in and make them want to listen to what you have to say.

Don’t Miss:  How to Develop Campaign Manifesto in 8 Steps

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Your campaign speech must have a clear and concise message that reflects your values, beliefs, and vision for the future. Focus on the issues that matter to your audience and demonstrate how your policies and plan of actions will address their concerns. Be specific and provide examples of how you will make a difference if elected as a president, house of representative, senator, governor or even state assembly member.

Step 4: Use persuasive language

The language you use in your speech is essential in persuading your audience to vote for you. Use persuasive language that appeals to their emotions, values, and aspirations. Use simple and easy-to-understand language that everyone can relate to. Avoid using jargon, technical terms, or complex sentences that may confuse or alienate your audience.

Step 5: Be authentic and genuine

Authenticity and genuineness are crucial when delivering a campaign speech. You must be honest and sincere in your message and connect with your audience on a personal level. Share your personal experiences, past records, values, and beliefs that demonstrate your authenticity and inspire trust and confidence in your leadership.

Step 6: Use humor and storytelling

Humor and storytelling are excellent tools for engaging your audience and keeping their attention. Use anecdotes, personal stories, or jokes to add some lightness and humor to your speech. However, be careful not to offend or belittle anyone, as this could harm your credibility and reputation.

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Step 7: use rhetorical devices.

Rhetorical devices, such as repetition, alliteration, and metaphors, can make your speech more memorable and impactful. Use these devices strategically to emphasize your message and create a lasting impression on your audience.

Step 8: Address your opponent’s weaknesses

When writing a campaign speech, it’s essential to address your opponent’s weaknesses without attacking or insulting them. Highlight your opponent’s weaknesses, and demonstrate how your policies and plans are superior to theirs. However, be respectful and avoid personal attacks or mudslinging, as this could harm your reputation and credibility.

Step 9: End with a call to action

The conclusion of your campaign speech should inspire your audience to take action and vote for you. End your political campaign speech with a powerful call to action that encourages people to support your campaign, volunteer, or donate to your cause. Provide specific instructions on how they can get involved in your movement and make a difference.

Read:  The Roles of the Media in Nigerian Elections

Step 10: practice and rehearse.

Finally, practice your speech as much as possible before delivering it to your audience. Rehearse in front of a mirror, record yourself, or practice in front of a friend or family member. This will help you identify areas that need improvement, work on your delivery skills, and build your confidence.

Wrapping up: How to Write Election Campaign Speech

In conclusion, writing an election campaign speech can be a challenging task, but with the right approach and preparation, anyone can deliver a compelling and impactful speech. The first step is to understand the audience and their needs and concerns. This helps to craft a message that resonates with them and addresses their issues.

It is also important to have a clear and concise structure for the speech, with a powerful opening that captures the audience’s attention, a strong middle that reinforces the main points, and a memorable closing that leaves a lasting impression.

Related:  How To Hire A Political Campaign Team

To make the speech more persuasive, using rhetorical devices such as repetition, analogy, and emotional appeal can be effective. However, it is important to ensure that the speech is based on accurate and verifiable facts and not just rhetoric. Rehearsing the speech several times before the actual delivery can help to boost confidence and ensure a smooth delivery.

It is also important to get feedback from others and make necessary adjustments to the speech based on their feedback. By following these tips and putting in the necessary effort and practice, you can write and deliver a winning campaign speech.

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Speech Writing for Political Campaigns

Jun 16, 2020

Writing a political speech is an art form. Not only must you craft words that will captivate and engage an audience, but you must also choose the perfect words to convey your message.

A great speech is essential for any successful political campaign. After all, how else will voters be able to hear what you have to say?

What is Speech Writing for Political Campaigns?

Every successful political campaign is built on words. Whether it’s a debate, stump speech, or acceptance speech, the right words can capture voters’ attention and ultimately win their support.

That’s why all campaigns employ professional speechwriters to craft persuasive, compelling messages that will help them win over supporters. Let’s take a closer look at the role of speechwriting in  political campaigns .

What does a Speech Writer do?

The primary job of a speechwriter is to craft messages that connect with the target audience and persuade them to vote for the candidate they represent.

They need intimate knowledge of current events and politics to create impactful and relevant messages.

Unlike other forms of writing, such as fiction or  journalism , speechwriting requires a deep understanding of how people think and feel to create speeches that connect with listeners.

crafting the Perfect Speech for Political Campaigns

Writing a political campaign speech requires more than combining a few catchy phrases.

It requires thought, research, and a deep understanding of the issues. To craft an effective political speech, you must first consider your audience and decide what topics to discuss and how to deliver your message engagingly.

Let’s look at some tips for providing the perfect political speech.

The Anatomy of a Political Speech

When writing political speeches, several vital elements need to be included.

First and foremost, the introduction should grab the audience’s attention and set the tone for what follows.

This could include introducing yourself or explaining why your platform is essential and relevant.

Avoid using too much jargon or technical terms in the introduction; instead, focus on connecting with your audience emotionally and inspiring them with your words.

The body of the speech should include more details about your platform, such as specific policies or initiatives you plan to implement if elected.

When writing this section, it’s essential to keep it simple and concise so that everyone in attendance can easily understand your points.

Use stories or anecdotes about your topic to illustrate its importance and relevance.

When it comes time for the conclusion, remember that it is not just a summary of everything you’ve said; instead, it should drive home your main points one last time before leaving the stage.

Be sure to thank everyone in attendance for their time and encourage them to vote for you in the upcoming election!

Know Your Audience

The vital thing you should do when crafting a  political speech  is to know your audience.

Think about who will be listening to your address and what their beliefs might be. What type of language will they understand?

What topics do they care about? Once you have identified the targeted audience, you can begin crafting your speech accordingly.

Create an Outline

Once you have identified your targeted audience, it’s time to create an outline for your speech. Think about the main points or arguments you want to make and list them in order of importance.

This will help keep your address focused and organized, ensuring all key points are included in the final draft.

This outline can act as a roadmap when it comes time to write the speech.

Write with Emotion

When writing a political speech, emotion should always come first.

You want your words to connect with people emotionally; that’s how you get them to relate to and support your message.

Use powerful language that evokes strong feelings among those in attendance, such as “united” or “revolutionary,” instead of more mundane words like “big” or “change.”

By utilizing emotionally charged language, you can ensure your message resonates with everyone in attendance—and beyond!

Understand Your Audience

The most important aspect of writing a speech is understanding who will receive it. Who are they? What do they care about?

How much do they know about the issue? Answering these questions should help craft your speech to resonate with your audience and get them excited about your message.

Develop Your Argument

Once you understand your audience, you must decide what topics to discuss and how to present them.

You need to develop a well-researched and logical argument to convince people of your point of view.

Use data points or real-life examples to illustrate your issues so people can relate to them personally.

This will make it easier for them to connect with you emotionally and intellectually.

For example, if you are discussing economic policy, cite statistics showing how many jobs have been created or lost over the past year to demonstrate the impact of current policies on employment rates.

Plan Your Delivery

Once you have developed an argument based on facts and logic, it’s time to think about delivery.

Think carefully about how you want to speak—the tone of voice you wish to use (e.g., severe vs. casual), whether you want pauses or dramatic silences during certain parts of the speech, etc.—

And practice accordingly until you feel comfortable with it all. It’s also essential that any jokes or stories you tell fit within the context of the rest of your speech and don’t detract from its overall message.

Remember: less is more when it comes to addresses! A concise yet meaningful message will be more effective than one filled with long-winded stories or irrelevant anecdotes.

Speech Writing Secrets for Winning Political Campaigns – How to Craft an Unforgettable Speech?

Writing a speech that leaves a lasting impression can make all the difference in a political campaign. Whether you’re running for office yourself or representing another candidate, the ability to craft an unforgettable speech is critical.

But what does it take to accomplish this feat? What speechwriting secrets can help you create a winning political campaign?

First and foremost, it’s essential to understand your audience. Who are the people that you’ll be speaking to, and what are their concerns and interests?

This knowledge will help you tailor your message to resonate with them on a deeper level.

Secondly, begin with a powerful, attention-grabbing introduction that immediately commands your audience’s attention.

This could be an anecdote, a quote, or a statistic, but whatever it is, it should be relevant and emotionally engaging.

Write a Powerful Speech For Your Political Campaign – The Ultimate Speech Writing Guide?

As a political candidate, you must establish a powerful connection with your audience through a dynamic and compelling speech.

A great political speech is about delivering your message and inspiring your audience to rally behind your cause.

To achieve this, you must craft an informative and emotionally charged speech. With the ultimate speech writing guide provided here, you can create that powerful speech that will leave your audience amazed and willing to support you in your political campaign.

Your speech should begin by defining your constituents’ problems and outlining your plan to address them.

Your solutions must be realistic, viable, and achievable; otherwise, you risk losing credibility and support from your audience. Craft a message that emphasizes your commitment to taking effective action to implement these solutions.

Crafting a Winning Political Campaign Speech with Proven Strategies?

Crafting a winning political campaign speech is no easy feat. It requires strategic planning, practical communication skills, and a deep understanding of your audience’s wants and needs.

Political speeches can make or break a campaign. Therefore, effective speechwriting strategies must be implemented to deliver a message that resonates with voters.

A strong opening statement is crucial to a winning political campaign speech. The first few lines of an address are critical to capturing the audience’s attention and setting the tone for the rest of the lesson.

It is essential to craft an opening statement that is impactful, concise, and reflects the overall message of the campaign. An opening that establishes a connection with the audience and emphasizes common goals and aspirations can incredibly impact the candidate’s and voters’ bond.

Learn How to Write an Effective Speech for Your Political Campaign.

As a political candidate , delivering an effective speech is crucial for winning over voters and gaining their support. An effective speech should be persuasive, engaging, memorable, and reflect your political priorities, values, and beliefs.

Therefore, it is essential to master the art of speechwriting to ensure your intended audience’s message is heard and understood.

To write an effective political speech, you must first identify your target audience and understand their expectations and concerns.

You should also research the latest political issues and trends in your area and consider your personal experiences and perspectives on the topic at hand.

This will help you create a relevant and compelling speech for your audience.

Unlock the Art of Writing Speeches for Political Campaigns?

Political campaigns are characterized by the art of persuasion, with a significant emphasis placed on effective communication through speeches. A well-crafted campaign speech can sway voters and change the course of an election.

Therefore, aspiring politicians must learn the art of crafting impactful speeches that resonate with their target audience.

The first step towards unlocking the art of writing speeches for political campaigns is to identify and understand the target audience.

Who do politicians seek to reach with their messages? What issues are relevant to this demographic? Answers to these questions help inform the speech’s content and tone, ensuring its relevance and effectiveness.

Conclusion:

Writing a great political speech takes skill, practice, and dedication, but when done right, it can make all the difference between winning or losing an election .

By understanding the anatomy of a political speech and how each element contributes to conveying ideas effectively, you’ll be well-versed in crafting effective speeches for any situation!

Whether you’re running for office yourself or you’re to help someone else get elected, taking some extra time and effort into polishing up those speeches can go a long way towards making sure they leave a lasting impression on voters!

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Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 55 great debate topics for any project.

General Education

A debate is a formal discussion about a topic where two sides present opposing viewpoints. Debates follow a specific structure: each side is given time to speak either for or against the topic at hand.

Many students study debate in high school to improve their speaking skills. As a debater, you learn how to clearly structure and present an argument. The skills you develop as a debater will help you on everything from a college admissions interview to a job presentation.

Selecting debate topics is one of the most important parts of debating. In this article, we’ll explain how to select a good debate topic and give suggestions for debate topics you can use.

How to Select Good Debate Topics

A good debate topic is one that lets the participants and the audience learn about both sides of an issue. Consider the following factors when selecting a debate topic:

Interest: Are you interested in the topic? Would the topic be interesting to your fellow classmates, as well as to the audience listening to the debate? Selecting a topic that you’re interested in makes the preparation part of the debate more exciting , as well as the debate more lively.

Argument Potential: You want to choose a debate topic that has solid argument potential. If one side is clearly right, or if there isn’t a lot of available information, you’ll have a hard time crafting a solid debate.

Availability of Data: Data points make an argument more robust. You’ll want to select a topic with lots of empirical data that you can pull from to bolster your argument.

Now that we know how to select a debate topic, let’s look at a list of good debate topics.

Debate Topics Master List

If you’re searching for your next debate topic, here are some suggestions.

Social and Political Issues Debate Topics

• All people should have the right to own guns.
• The death penalty should be abolished.
• Human cloning should be legalized.
• All drugs should be legalized.
• Animal testing should be banned.
• Juveniles should be tried and treated as adults.
• Climate change is the greatest threat facing humanity today.
• Violent video games should be banned.
• The minimum wage should be $15 per hour.
• All people should have Universal Basic Income.
• Sex work should be legal.
• Countries should be isolationist.
• Abortion should be banned.
• Every citizen should be mandated to perform national public service.
• Bottled water should be banned.
• Plastic bags should be banned.

Education Debate Topics

• Homework should be banned.
• Public prayer should not be allowed in schools.
• Schools should block sites like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram on their computers.
• School uniforms should be required.
• Standardized testing should be abolished.
• All students should have an after-school job or internship.
• School should be in session year-round.
• All high school athletes should be drug tested.
• Detention should be abolished.
• All student loan debt should be eliminated.
• Homeschooling is better than traditional schooling.
• All schools should have armed security guards.
• Religion should be taught in schools.
• All schools should be private schools.
• All students should go to boarding schools.
• Sexual education should be mandatory in schools.
• Public college should be tuition free.
• All teachers should get tenure.
• All school districts should offer school vouchers.

Health Debate Topics

• Healthcare should be universal.
• Cosmetic procedures should be covered by health insurance.
• All people should be vegetarians.
• Euthanasia should be banned.
• The drinking age should be 18.
• Vaping should be banned.
• Smoking should be banned in all public places.
• People should be legally required to get vaccines.
• Obesity should be labeled a disease.
• Sexual orientation is determined at birth.
• The sale of human organs should be legalized.
• Birth control should be for sale over the counter.

Technology Debate Topics

• Social media has improved human communication.
• The development of artificial intelligence will help humanity.
• Individuals should own their own DNA.
• Humans should invest in technology to explore and colonize other planets.
• Governments should invest in alternative energy sources.
• Net neutrality should be restored.
• Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies should be encouraged or banned.
• Alternative energy can effectively replace fossil fuels.
• Cell phone radiation is dangerous and should be limited.

How to Prepare for a Debate

Once you’ve selected your debate topic, the next step is to prepare for your debate. Follow these steps as you get ready to take the podium.

Read Your Evidence

The most important step to building your debate confidence is to familiarize yourself with the evidence available. You’ll want to select reputable sources and use empirical data effectively.

The more well read on your topic you are, the better you’ll be able to defend your position and anticipate the other side’s arguments.

Anticipate the Other Side’s Arguments

As part of your debate, you’ll need to rebut the other side’s arguments. It’s important to prepare ahead of time to guess what they’ll be talking about. You’ll bolster your own side’s argument if you’re able to effectively dismantle what the other side is saying.

Plan to Fill Your Speech Time

Each speaker at a debate is limited to a certain amount of time. You should plan to use every second of the time that you’re allotted. Make sure you practice your talking points so that you know you’re within the time frame. If you’re short, add in more evidence.

Practice to Build Confidence

It can be scary to take the stage for a debate! Practicing ahead of time will help you build confidence. Remember to speak slowly and clearly. Even if your argument is great, it won’t matter if no one can understand it.

Final Thoughts

Debate is a great way to hone your public speaking skills and get practice crafting and defending an argument. Use these debate topics if you're searching for a focus for your next debate.

What's Next?

Looking for ways to keep the debate going in non-academic life? Then you'll love our list of 101 "this or that" questions to argue over with your friends.

Thinking about how you can use your argumentative skills in a future career? Read up on the five steps to becoming a lawyer to see if that's a path you want to pursue.

Getting ready to take an AP test? Here’s a list of practice tests for every AP exam, including the AP literature exam .

It can be hard to schedule time to study for an AP test on top of your extracurriculars and normal classwork. Check out this article on when you need to start studying for your AP tests to make sure you’re staying on track.

Hayley Milliman is a former teacher turned writer who blogs about education, history, and technology. When she was a teacher, Hayley's students regularly scored in the 99th percentile thanks to her passion for making topics digestible and accessible. In addition to her work for PrepScholar, Hayley is the author of Museum Hack's Guide to History's Fiercest Females.

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Political Speech Writing: How Candidates Can Craft Compelling Messages

Understanding the Power of Political Speeches

Political speeches play a pivotal role in shaping the course of nations and can shape the trajectory of societies. Effective speech writing for elections allows leaders to communicate their vision, values, and policy objectives to the public. These speeches serve as a means of persuasion, providing a platform for leaders to connect with their constituents emotionally. Through carefully tailoring speeches, a political oratory has the potential to inspire, mobilize, and unite people around common goals and ideals.

One key aspect of political speeches is their ability to inform and educate the public. In a democratic society, an informed citizenry is essential for making sound election decisions and understanding government policy implications. A well-done political oratory allows leaders to clarify their positions and present evidence and data. Speechwriting for elections often requires addressing complex issues and helping citizens make informed choices about how they want the country to move. Moreover, political speeches serve as a channel for transparency and accountability.

Beyond their informational role, a well-crafted political oratory fosters unity and social cohesion by containing messages of hope, unity and inclusivity. They can transcend political divides and unite people, transcending differences of opinion and background. In times of crisis or uncertainty, campaign speeches provide reassurance and a sense of purpose. Furthermore, campaign speeches help a nation navigate challenges and emerge stronger.

Well-crafted campaign speeches can be transformative in elections by serving as a dynamic tool for candidates to connect with voters, sway public opinion and ultimately change the outcome of an election. When a candidate speaks passionately about issues that resonate with your audience, it creates a sense of trust and authenticity by tapping into the electorate's hopes, fears, and aspirations.

Speechwriting for elections helps to clarify a candidate's policy positions and goals, providing voters with a clearer understanding of what they stand for, allowing them to set themselves apart from their opponents and creating a sense of confidence in their leadership. A well-crafted political speech can sway undecided voters to the candidate's side.

Rousing persuasive communication can galvanize volunteers and grassroots activists , encouraging them to work harder for the candidate, leading to a higher voter turnout among the candidate's base.

Steps to Effective Political Speechwriting

Here are five tips for crafting an effective political speech:

#1: Make time for research.

Digging deep to find relevant information is crucial when writing a political speech because it adds depth and credibility to the discourse. Great research also ensures that the political speech addresses the complexities of voters' concerns. A speechwriter can write informative and persuasive communication by seeking out comprehensive data.

#2: Consider your audience.

Analyzing a target audience is essential for understanding their demographics, values, beliefs, and concerns. It allows speechwriters to tailor their message to resonate with their intended listeners' specific needs and interests. This analysis enables speechwriters to speak directly to the heart of the issues that matter most to the target audience. It also helps avoid potential pitfalls, such as using language or framing that might alienate or offend specific target audience segments.

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#3: Draw on the elements of storytelling.

Storytelling in politics is essential for political speechwriters because it helps engage and persuade the audience effectively. Furthermore, storytelling in politics captures the audience's attention by connecting them emotionally with the message. The right message provides a relatable and human dimension to the content. Furthermore, storytelling in politics helps create a cohesive speech that flows seamlessly, ensuring listeners understand and retain key points. Whether it is rallying support for a candidate, advocating for a policy change, or fostering a sense of unity, a well-crafted narrative can convey a compelling vision for the future and ignite a sense of purpose among the audience.

#4: Set the right tone.

A campaign speech must set the right mood because the emotional tone and atmosphere it creates can significantly impact how the audience receives and responds to the message. By establishing a positive and receptive attitude, the audience is more likely to be engaged and attentive to the speaker's message, which can inspire hope, rally support, and forge meaningful connections. Crafting a political speech that is positive and relatable makes the audience more receptive to the speaker's arguments, so it is a vital political communication strategy. A speech promoting a mood of unity helps to bridge divides, bringing people together.

#5: Edit and practice ahead of time.

Editing and rehearsing a political speech is essential because it ensures the message is clear, concise and free from ambiguity. A well-edited speech enhances the speaker's credibility by demonstrating that the candidate has thoroughly researched and prepared their remarks. Therefore, giving speeches can be a key political communication strategy.

Practicing a speech allows the speaker to fine-tune their delivery and tone to maintain the audience's engagement. Furthermore, practice enables the speaker to reinforce the critical points of the speech, ensuring that they communicate central ideas in an easily memorable way.

Examples of Memorable Political Speeches

Let's turn our attention to some political speechwriting examples. These political speechwriting examples can serve as a powerful guide for candidates.

#1: Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address

Consider Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, as it is one of American history's most impactful political speeches. Presented during the Civil War at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the speech was concise, lasting just over two minutes, but its impact was profound. Lincoln eloquently emphasized the principles of equality and liberty and redefined the purpose of the American government as a "government of the people, by the people, for the people." This speech solidified the United States' commitment to democracy and freedom. It also marked a turning point in the Civil War, as it galvanized public sentiment and reinvigorated the Union's resolve to preserve the nation.

#2: Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” Speech

Another of the most impactful political speeches was Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, delivered during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. This political speechwriting example was pivotal in the American civil rights movement. King's eloquent articulation of his dream for a racially integrated and just society resonated deeply with millions. The speech helped mobilize support for civil rights legislation and highlighted the urgent need for racial equality. King's call for nonviolent protest and his vision for a future where individuals would be judged by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin inspired generations of activists. It was crucial in advancing civil rights legislation, culminating in the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

#3: Ronald Reagan’s “Tear Down This Wall” Speech

One of the most impactful political speeches ever given was the one delivered at the Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin, during which President Ronald Reagan issued a powerful challenge to the Soviet Union by demanding, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" The Berlin Wall, which had divided East and West Berlin for decades, symbolized the Cold War's division. This political speechwriting example indicated the West's commitment to freedom and democracy. While the immediate impact of the speech was limited, it contributed to the eventual fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War. Reagan's words resonated with people on both sides of the Iron Curtain, serving as a rallying cry for change.

Studying these speeches and tailoring speeches after them and other iconic speeches is a great way to learn public speaking strategies. These American political speeches share the theme of advocating for equality, justice and freedom. They transcended their immediate contexts to become lasting symbols of American ideals and continue inspiring generations of Americans and people worldwide. 

Here are some public speaking strategies to employ based on these inspirational speeches:

Ensure that the central theme of your political campaign communication resonates with the target audience and keep it at the forefront of the speech.

Using metaphors, similes, and emotionally resonant phrases to evoke powerful imagery and emotions in the audience is a critical speech delivery technique that can help your political campaign communications.

Understanding the audience's needs, aspirations, and concerns so that the message connects deeply is a speechwriting best practice you will want to remember.

Incorporating a clear and compelling call to action into the speech is an essential political communication strategy.

Be aware of historical contexts when crafting political persuasions for political campaign communications.

Align messages with the speaker's personality and values.

Employ strategic repetition to emphasize critical political persuasions because it will make them more memorable.

Use speech writing techniques to capture the speaker's authentic voice and beliefs.

Tips for Effective Speech Delivery

Candidates often ask speechwriters to give them speech delivery techniques. They may recommend several public speaking strategies that will help you with effective speech delivery. These include:

Using body gestures and body language to enhance the message's impact is a critical speech delivery technique as it helps convey confidence and credibility so that the audience connects to you better.

Connecting with the audience is paramount because it establishes rapport, fosters voter engagement and ensures the message resonates with the listeners personally. Therefore, it is crucial to remember this idea while focusing on speech delivery techniques as you build your political communication strategy.

Breathing deeply right before giving a speech is a vital speech delivery technique that can help you overcome stage fright as it calms nerves and boosts confidence.

Adapting Your Speech for Different Audiences

Among speech writing best practices is to adapt a speech to different audiences and your audience's demographics. This is essential for ensuring political persuasion as the message is relevant, relatable, and inclusive. Practicing this as you concentrate on other speech writing best practices ensures audience engagement occurs and that they will understand your messaging better.

Another key among speech writing best practices is remembering to be specific during a speech. This is vital as it adds credibility and clarity to the candidate messaging, helping to ensure audience engagement. Therefore, ensure that you use speech writing techniques for persuasive communication that address specific issues and concerns experienced by the audience.

Navigating Ethical Considerations in Political Speechwriting

Honesty is a fundamental pillar of trust and accountability in a democratic society, so when politicians are truthful in their political campaign messaging, they build integrity and foster the public's faith in their leadership. Citizens can make informed decisions when a politician uses truthful political campaign messaging. Therefore, make sure to always practice ethical speech writing.

Ethical speech writing also means avoiding divisive rhetoric because it often deepens existing divisions, polarizes communities, and makes finding common ground on important issues more difficult. Divisive rhetoric hinders constructive dialogue between political opponents. Using speech writing techniques that are inclusive, respectful, and constructive fosters unity, promotes understanding and achieves positive outcomes, which is essential for driving audience engagement in your political campaign messaging.

Leveraging Technology for Speechwriting

Many speech writing resources can help you. Let these speechwriting resources serve as a guide, but do not rely totally on speech writing resources, or you will block out the candidate's personality. Among the most effective speech writing tips is to let speechwriting tools enhance the speech writing process by using them to improve speech writing techniques. Among these speech writing tools, speech writing software is a vital resource that plays a pivotal role in organizing thoughts, structuring arguments, and drafting coherent content while creating political discourse and crafting political messages. Utilizing these effective speech writing tips gives you access to templates, outlines, and organization features that help transform ideas into well-structured political discourses. Even if you usually shy away from technology, try speech writing software.

An easy place to start is Good Party’s AI Campaign Manager , which can help candidates draft launch speeches with ease, saving time and energy. 

Additionally, another favorite among effective speech writing tips is to use research databases. These are invaluable tools for the speech writing process as they allow you to access vast amounts of information, including historical data, statistics, and policy details. Therefore, they are an invaluable speech writing resource, enabling speechwriters to conduct thorough research, fact-check statements, and bolster arguments with credible sources.

Furthermore, grammar and style-checking software is another indispensable software component critical to the speech writing process. This speech writing resource helps to refine language and ensure that the political rhetoric is clear, is grammatically correct, and resonates with the intended audience. These tools help avoid common language pitfalls and enhance the overall quality of the writing.

Another effective speech writing tip is to incorporate digital elements into political discourse, as using them engages a more diverse audience. Integrating visuals, such as infographics and charts, can make complex data more accessible by providing a visual context that aids comprehension. These graphic elements enhance understanding, make the speech more memorable, and help to ensure that crucial candidate messaging resonates with broader demographics.

Speech writing and public relations are intrinsically linked, playing a pivotal role in shaping the perception of individuals. Effective speechmaking in public relations allows for the dissemination of critical messages to target audiences. Through speechwriting and public relations strategies, public figures can build and maintain trust, manage their reputation and foster meaningful connections with voters, underscoring the indispensable synergy between speech writing and public relations in elections.

The Role of Speechwriters in Political Campaigns

Speechwriters often collaborate closely with candidates to help them build political communication skills. These political communication skills include articulating their vision, values and policy positions. Ethical speech writing requires you to lay aside your ideas and write from the candidate's point of view. This effective speech writing tip often begins with in-depth interviews to understand the candidate's personality, goals and key messages. Speechwriters then craft political rhetoric aligning with the candidate's voice and resonating with their intended audience. Regular communication and feedback loops are vital for crafting political messages, allowing for revisions and fine-tuning political communication skills to ensure that inspirational speeches are authentic and compelling. The partnership between speechwriters and candidates when crafting political messages is a dynamic process that must convey the candidate's vision effectively and connect with voters.

However, not all candidates need to hire speechwriters. With Good Party’s AI Campaign Manager , candidates can generate drafts of political speeches, completely for free. Our tools are especially helpful for crafting launch speeches, which candidates can give at campaign launch events and to kick off their campaigns.

Inspirational speeches, meticulously tailored to resonate with diverse audiences and delivered with authenticity, possess the potential to inspire, inform and mobilize voters, encapsulating a candidate's vision and values. Often, the words spoken reverberate in the electorate's hearts and minds. Tailoring speeches in this way gives them the power to shape the outcome of campaigns and the nation's course. Political rhetoric bridges the divide between candidates and voters, uniting diverse communities under a shared vision. Overall, remember that the qualities of a great speech rely on elements of style, elements of substance, and elements of impact.

How To Write A Political Speech

Crafting a compelling political speech holds immense importance for any aspiring politician and successful political campaign. It is a powerful tool for connecting with the audience, influencing opinions, and igniting action. To make speeches truly impactful, harnessing the power of voter engagement and direct sourcing is key. Politicians can gather valuable insights directly from the people they aim to represent by actively engaging with voters and listening to their concerns.

This approach adds significant value to speeches and establishes an authentic connection with voters. This blog post will explore the significance of delivering compelling political speeches and highlight the benefits of incorporating voter engagement and direct sourcing techniques. By the end, you'll gain practical insights into creating lessons that resonate with your audience and make a lasting impact. Revise your political speechwriting skills with valuable tips and actionable strategies!

Writing a compelling political speech that resonates with your audience is vital for any politician. Two key factors are crucial to achieving this: defining your objectives and knowing your target audience.

• Defining the objectives: Your speech should have a clear purpose, whether it is to persuade, inspire, or educate your listeners. You can shape your address by defining your goals to achieve those desired outcomes effectively. ‍
• Knowing your target audience: Understanding your audience's demographics, concerns, and aspirations is fundamental. This knowledge allows you to tailor your message in a way that connects with them on a personal level. You can create a speech that resonates deeply and captures their attention by addressing their needs and desires.

Research and Preparation

Research and preparation are vital steps in writing an impactful political speech. By gathering comprehensive data from various sources, conducting surveys, and analyzing voter demographics, you can enhance the effectiveness of your address. Here are key actions to take:

• Collecting data from various sources: Traditional media such as newspapers, TV, and radio provide insights into current political events and public sentiment. Social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube offer information on trending topics and public discourse. Online forums and communities like Reddit, Quora, and specialized political forums allow you to tap into discussions and understand different perspectives. ‍
• Conducting surveys and opinion polls: ‍ Engaging in surveys and opinion polls helps you gauge your target audience's opinions, preferences, and concerns. This data provides valuable insights to shape your speech accordingly. ‍
• Analyzing voter demographics and specific concerns: ‍ Understanding your audience's demographics, including age, gender, and location, enables you to tailor your speech to resonate with their unique backgrounds and experiences. Additionally, identifying specific concerns and issues that matter to voters allows you to address them directly in your speech, making it more relevant and impactful.

By undertaking thorough research and preparation, you will have a solid foundation for crafting a compelling political speech that speaks directly to your audience's needs and aspirations. In the upcoming sections, we will explore these topics in more detail, providing you with practical strategies to integrate the collected data effectively into your speechwriting process. Get ready to take your political speechwriting skills to the next level!

Crafting a Compelling Political Speech

Crafting a powerful political speech requires careful consideration of the message you want to convey. Here are key steps to help you create a compelling address:

• Identifying key issues and topics: Start by identifying crucial issues such as the economy and jobs, healthcare and social welfare, education and student debt, climate change and environmental policies, and national security and foreign affairs. These topics are often at the forefront of public discourse and resonate with voters. ‍
• Prioritizing topics based on voter feedback and relevance: ‍ Listen to the feedback and concerns of voters through surveys, town hall meetings, and direct engagement. Prioritize the topics that resonate most with your audience, ensuring your speech addresses their pressing issues. ‍
• Developing a compelling narrative: ‍ Structure your speech with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion to provide a cohesive flow. Utilize storytelling techniques to make your message engaging and relatable, capturing your audience's attention. Connect your experiences to policy proposals, humanizing your speech and showing your understanding of real-life impacts. Emphasize empathy and relatability to establish a genuine connection with your audience, showcasing that you understand and share their concerns.

Following these steps, you can craft a persuasive political speech highlighting key issues, resonating with voters, and inspiring action. In the following sections, we will delve deeper into each aspect, providing you with practical tips and techniques to enhance the impact of your speech. Prepare to deliver a memorable and influential address that leaves a lasting impression!

Rehearsing your political speech is a critical step that significantly aids your confidence and overall delivery. Here are some valuable tips to consider when it comes to rehearsing:

• Practice makes perfect: Dedicate ample time to rehearsing your speech before presenting it to an audience. Aim to rehearse your address at least five times to familiarize yourself with the content, structure, and flow. ‍
• Seek feedback from your team: Once you've practiced independently, deliver your speech to your team and invite their constructive criticism. Their feedback can provide valuable insights and help you refine your points, delivery, and overall performance. ‍
• Conduct a full dress rehearsal: Organize a complete dress rehearsal with your team, where they play the roles of a moderator and your competition. This simulation allows you to identify potential weaknesses in your arguments, anticipate challenging questions, and fine-tune your delivery. ‍
• Capture and review your performance: Consider filming yourself giving the speech during rehearsal. Watching the recording afterwards lets you objectively evaluate your performance, body language, and speaking style. Take note of areas where improvements can be made and make adjustments accordingly. ‍
• Ensure accessibility through simplicity: While rehearsing, approach your speech from the perspective of someone unfamiliar with the topics you're addressing. Use simple language and many analogies to make your political speech accessible to many listeners. This approach enhances understanding and enables your message to resonate with the entire electorate.

By incorporating rehearsal into your speechwriting process, you can boost your confidence, identify areas for improvement, and deliver a polished and impactful speech. Remember, rehearsing allows you to refine your points, connect with your audience effectively, and ensure your message is conveyed clearly, concisely, and relatable. ‍

Use Common Language

Using common language in political speech writing is essential to effectively connect with your audience and ensure your message resonates with a wide range of listeners. Here are key considerations when it comes to using common language:

• ‍ Speak in an accessible manner:   Communicate in a way that is easily understandable to all. Avoid excessive jargon, complex terminology, or convoluted sentences that may confuse or alienate your audience. Use clear and concise language that allows anyone to grasp your message. ‍ ‍
• Avoid offensive terms:   Maintaining a respectful and inclusive tone during your speech is important. Steer clear of profane or derogatory language that could offend or marginalize certain groups. Treat your audience with respect, emphasizing unity and understanding. ‍ ‍
• Harness the power of stories and personal accounts:   Stories and first-person narratives profoundly impact your audience. Utilize relatable anecdotes and real-life experiences to illustrate your points, making your arguments more engaging, relatable, and emotionally compelling. ‍ ‍
• Balance simplicity with depth:   While most of your content should be easily understandable by anyone, it is acceptable to incorporate academic research, quotations, or statistics that may require additional explanation. Find a balance between simplicity and depth, ensuring that even complex ideas can be grasped by your listeners with the appropriate context and explanation.

Using common language can effectively bridge the gap between complex ideas and the understanding of your audience. Remember, the goal is to connect with as many people as possible, making your message accessible, relatable, and impactful. So, craft your speech with clarity and simplicity while utilizing stories and personal accounts to create an emotional connection that resonates with your listeners.

How to Construct An Argument

Constructing a compelling argument is crucial to writing a persuasive political speech. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you build a strong and impactful argument:

• Clearly state your thesis: Begin by articulating your main point or thesis statement. This sets the foundation for your argument and provides a clear focus for your speech. ‍
• Gather supporting evidence: Collect relevant facts, statistics, expert opinions, and real-life examples that support your thesis. Strong evidence adds credibility and strengthens your argument. ‍
• Organize your points logically: Structure your argument logically and coherently. Present your facts in a sequence that builds upon each other, leading your audience towards your main thesis. ‍
• Anticipate counterarguments: Consider potential counterarguments to your position and address them proactively. This demonstrates thoroughness and strengthens your overall argument. ‍
• Use persuasive language: Choose words and phrases that are persuasive and compelling. Craft your message to resonate with your audience emotionally and intellectually. ‍
• Appeal to logic and emotions: Blend logical reasoning with emotional appeals to make your argument more persuasive. Use rational evidence to support your claims and evoke emotions to connect with your audience more deeply. ‍
• Use rhetorical devices: Employ rhetorical devices such as repetition, analogy, and rhetorical questions to enhance the impact of your argument and make it more memorable. ‍
• Summarize and restate your main points: Conclude your argument by summarizing your main points and restating your thesis. Leave your audience clearly understanding your position and a compelling call to action.

These steps can construct a strong and persuasive argument in your political speech. Remember to support your claims with evidence, organize your points effectively, and appeal to logic and emotions. With a well-constructed argument, your address will be poised to influence opinions and inspire action.

Voter Engagement for your Speech

Engaging with voters through various tactics is essential to crafting a compelling political speech. Here's why it matters and how you can make the most of it:

importance of voter contact tactics:

• Door-to-door canvassing allows you to connect with voters on a personal level, fostering trust and building rapport.
• Town hall meetings provide a platform for open dialogue, enabling you to directly understand local issues and concerns of the community.
• Phone calls and text messages offer an opportunity to engage voters individually, creating a sense of importance and personal connection.

Benefits of engaging voters directly:

• Building trust and rapport strengthens your relationship with voters, making your message more impactful and memorable.
• Understanding local issues and concerns firsthand helps you address them effectively in your speech, showing your commitment to representing the community's needs.
• Obtaining firsthand stories and anecdotes allows you to humanize your speech, adding authenticity and relatability to your message.

Techniques for effective voter engagement:

• Active listening and showing empathy demonstrate your genuine interest in understanding voters' perspectives and concerns.
• Asking open-ended questions encourages voters to share their thoughts and experiences, providing valuable insights for shaping your speech.
• Encouraging voter participation in the speechwriting process empowers them. It ensures their voices are heard, enhancing the authenticity of your speech.
• Utilizing social media platforms to solicit input and feedback broadens your reach. It allows you to engage with a wider audience, gathering diverse perspectives and ideas.

By actively engaging voters through canvassing and other community outreach , you gain invaluable insights, stories, and anecdotes that can greatly enrich your political speech. In the upcoming sections, we will delve deeper into these techniques, providing you with practical strategies to maximize voter engagement and create lessons that truly resonate with your audience. Get ready to harness the power of direct sourcing and make a meaningful impact with your speech!

Incorporating voter input into your speechwriting process is a powerful way to create speeches that truly resonate with your audience. Here's how you can leverage voter input, with a special emphasis on the significance of canvassing:

• ‍ Analyzing and categorizing voter stories and concerns: By carefully listening to voters' stories and concerns gathered through canvassing, town hall meetings, and other engagement tactics, you can analyze and categorize them to identify common threads and key issues. ‍ ‍
• Identifying common themes and patterns: By recognizing recurring themes and patterns in voter input, you gain insights into your constituency's collective concerns and aspirations. This knowledge allows you to address them effectively in your speech. ‍ ‍
• Integrating voter anecdotes into the speech: Personalizing the message by incorporating specific anecdotes and stories voters share, you personalize your speech, making it relatable and impactful. Highlighting real-life impacts: Sharing how specific policies or decisions affect real people helps create a deeper understanding and empathy among your audience. ‍ ‍
• Acknowledging and addressing dissenting viewpoints: While incorporating voter input, it's important to acknowledge and address dissenting views. By respectfully engaging with opposing perspectives, you demonstrate inclusivity and a willingness to consider all voices.

By actively involving voters in the speechwriting process, you ensure their concerns and experiences are reflected in your message. This adds authenticity and relatability and strengthens your connection with your audience. In the subsequent sections, we will delve deeper into these strategies, providing you with practical tips to seamlessly integrate voter input into your political speeches. Get ready to create addresses that truly resonate and engage your audience profoundly!

The Ten Minutes Beforehand

The ten minutes beforehand hold significant value in maximizing the impact of your political speech. Here's how you can make the most of this crucial time, offering practical strategies to enhance your performance and connect with your audience:

Center yourself through mindfulness techniques:

• Take deep breaths to calm your nerves and center your mind.
• Practice mindfulness or meditation to focus your thoughts and promote a sense of presence.

Review your key talking points:

• Take a moment to mentally review the main points and messages you want to convey.
• Ensure that your speech aligns with your objectives and resonates with your audience.

Visualize success:

• Visualize yourself delivering a powerful and impactful speech with confidence and clarity.
• Envision a positive response from your audience, creating a sense of belief and determination.

Positive self-talk:

• Engage in positive self-talk to boost your confidence and banish self-doubt.
• Remind yourself of your strengths, expertise, and message value.

Establish a connection with your audience:

• Scan the room and make eye contact with individuals in the audience.
• This brief interaction establishes an initial connection and helps you establish rapport.

Review technical aspects:

• Double-check any specialized equipment or visual aids to ensure they are functioning properly.
• Familiarize yourself with the stage setup and microphone placement for seamless delivery.

Warm up your voice and body:

• Perform vocal warm-up exercises to ensure clarity and projection in your speech.
• Engage in gentle stretches or movements to release tension and promote a relaxed body language.

By utilizing these strategies ten minutes beforehand, you can optimize your mindset, refine your delivery, and establish an immediate connection with your audience. Remember that these moments set the stage for a memorable speech, allowing you to effectively convey your message, inspire your audience, and leave a lasting impact.

Engaging voters through direct sourcing, especially through canvassing, holds immense power in creating impactful political speeches. By incorporating voter input, speeches can exude authenticity and relatability, connecting with the concerns and aspirations of the electorate. This approach inspires trust and establishes a strong connection between politicians and the people they aim to represent. Crafting well-articulated speeches that resonate with voters is a transformative way to influence opinions and ignite action. As you refine your speech writing skills, remember the significance of actively engaging voters, listening to their stories, and addressing their concerns. By doing so, you will deliver speeches that make a lasting impact, inspire change, and foster a deeper connection with your audience.

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Cambridge Festival of Ideas debate to examine the changing nature of political speeches.

Martin Luther King could get away with elevated language because his cause was a noble one. You can’t really do that when you are talking about the reform of local government. It just isn’t as big an affront to justice. Phil Collins

All eyes will be on Ed Miliband today and much has been written about the importance of his party conference speech.

But what makes a good political speech? Inevitably, Ed Miliband will be compared with Labour leaders of the past, particularly Tony Blair who was known for his persuasive powers. Phil Collins, who wrote many of Blair's speeches, says that great political speeches need a big event or a rallying cause and there are just less of them than there were in the past.

He will be speaking in a debate on political rhetoric at this year's Cambridge Festival of Ideas next month. Other speakers include David Runciman, reader in political thought at the University of Cambridge, author Piers Brendon, former Keeper of the Churchill Archives Centre and Michael White, the Guardian's political editor. The event will be held at Churchill College, Cambridge on October 20th.

For Collins, great political speeches need three key ingredients: a serious argument which leaves the audience thinking something new or resolved to act; great delivery that stirs the emotions as well as appealing to reason; and a sense of occasion.

He says: “Martin Luther King could get away with elevated language because his cause was a noble one. You can’t really do that when you are talking about the reform of local government. It just isn’t as big an affront to justice. So, there is a very good reason we have fewer remarkable speeches which is that we don’t need them as much as we did.”

Collins also justifies the use of sound bites, although he says he always worked by building a solid argument first and then trying to distil the best possible phrase out of the argument rather than the other way around. He says that not only are soundbites vital in a world where a 24/7 media edits chunks of speeches down to one phrase, but all the great writers are full of them. “We should guard against the derogatory association of the word soundbite,” he says. “All we mean, really, is a pithy way of capturing the essence of the point. To be or not to be – that really was the question. It was a soundbite too.”

He adds that the emphasis on soundbites is likely to increase. “The endless fragmentation that results from the coverage of modern media is the main reason that the soundbite has become such a ubiquitous part of political discourse. Your words are going to be chopped into pieces in any case so you might as well offer up the encapsulation you think is the best one.”

Collins says that one of the potential pitfalls of modern party conference speech is the number of people who vet it. “The big conference speeches have many authors, or at least many contributors,” he says.  “It is inevitable, when there are lots of hands at work, that the integrity of the argument goes missing. The task for a conference speech is always to recuperate the argument. The more a single person can be in overall control, as a sort of editor-in-chief, the better. Writing by committee is rarely a good way to work.”

Nevertheless, a good political speech can make all the difference. David Cameron owes his leadership of the Conservatives to two speeches, he says – one he gave which was well received and one given by his rival David Davis which “bombed”. He adds that it is hard to imagine Barack Obama would have become President without his oratory powers.

The audience is clearly vital for any speech writer and Collins says people's attention spans have declined, as has the breadth of their vocabulary and range of reference. Mass democracy means that references to  high culture divide an audience where they would once have united it, he says. There are also more political speeches than there used to be.

“Gladstone and Disraeli used to speak rarely every year. Each speech was an epic, months in the preparation, but they would not be doing speeches three times a week, as many politicians are now,” he says. “In the process, we have devalued the currency a little. The effective political speech, though, remains what it has always been – a mixture of reasoned argument and emotional passion.”

Other speakers at the Festival of Ideas debate will focus on the historical or wider issues associated with political speech-making. Piers Brendon, for instance, will talk about Churchill's use of political rhetoric, which he likens to the style of a music-hall performer, and contrast it with today's more colloquial, television-orientated and soundbiteish delivery.

• The event, to be held at Wolfson Theatre, Churchill College from 6-7.15pm on Thursday, 20 October, will be chaired by Allen Packwood, Keeper of the Churchill Archives Centre. Arrive at 5.30pm to see an exhibition of documents from the Centre.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence . If you use this content on your site please link back to this page.

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Trump's speeches follow a familiar playlist, featuring greatest hits among new tunes

Stephen Fowler

Former President Donald Trump speaks during a rally on May 1, 2024 at Avflight Saginaw in Freeland, Michigan. Nic Antaya/Getty Images hide caption

Former President Donald Trump speaks during a rally on May 1, 2024 at Avflight Saginaw in Freeland, Michigan.

In 2024, a Donald Trump campaign speech is many things: a forum to air grievances against his opponents and ongoing criminal proceedings, a safe space to test his popularity among supporters and a lengthy stream of consciousness responding to political news of the day.

Like a Phish concert but with more grievance, this is what it's like at a Trump rally

A Trump speech also gives insight on how he would govern in a second term if he wins the election this November.

The former president's campaign events are surreal to experience: all day affairs that are equal parts religious revival and massive pep rallies, powered by an infamous musical playlist that runs for hours before he speaks.

It's an eclectic mix of songs that reflects Trump's personal tastes, ranging from Elton John's "Tiny Dancer" to music from Phantom of the Opera to Village People's "Y.M.C.A.," culminating with Lee Greenwood's country classic "God Bless The U.S.A." as he walks on stage to thunderous applause.

It's also helpful to think of what Trump says at these events as its own curated playlist: never the same topics in the same order, heavy on the greatest hits but with plenty of space left for new tracks that riff on what's popular.

Familiar refrains and one-hit wonders

Plenty of Trump's speech is tied to where he is, who he's talking to and how it fits in the political moment.

Picture this: it's the night before the first presidential primary contest, so Trump's remarks in Indianola, Iowa, feature diss tracks against top rivals Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, plus crowd pleasing mentions of tariffs and increased access to ethanol, both topics important to Iowa's farmers.

But there's also plenty of typical Trumpian fare that could've been delivered anywhere:

"These caucuses are your personal chance to score the ultimate victory over all of the liars, cheaters, thugs, perverts, frauds, crooks, freaks, creeps, and other quite nice people," Trump said. Enlarge this image Donald Trump's campaign speeches feature familiar attacks against opponents like Joe Biden, plus one off riffs on his policy proposals. Scott Olson/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Scott Olson/Getty Images Donald Trump's campaign speeches feature familiar attacks against opponents like Joe Biden, plus one off riffs on his policy proposals. Scott Olson/Getty Images

It can be hard for even seasoned observers to track what's new or notable in his speeches. The run time is often more than an hour and can switch tone and topics at random.

Still, there are common threads, including attacks against the array of criminal charges against him, as prosecutors allege everything from election interference to business fraud to mishandling classified documents.

For example, in 15 major speeches reviewed by NPR from this year, Trump says his indictments far outpace the reputation of a notorious gangster: Al Capone – or, as Trump affectionately refers to him, "Alphonse."

"This was the roughest, meanest gangster in history," Trump said at the Black Conservative Federation's gala in Columbia, S.C., earlier this year. "I've been indicted more than Alphonse Capone, Scarface. If he had dinner with you, and if he didn't like the tone of your voice, he would kill you that night. You would never see your family again. You were dead."

Republicans play cleanup on aisle Trump after former president's NATO comments

At that February event, Trump also mused that his indictments help him appeal to Black voters.

Remixing his favorite tunes

The tone and tenor of Trump's campaign speeches have taken a darker turn in 2024, like in Dayton, Ohio where he warned of a "bloodbath" for the auto industry if he loses the election. Scott Olson/Getty Images hide caption

The tone and tenor of Trump's campaign speeches have taken a darker turn in 2024, like in Dayton, Ohio where he warned of a "bloodbath" for the auto industry if he loses the election.

Trump's 2024 campaign speeches have many commonalities - like verses that mock President Joe Biden's age, appearance, activities and actions as president.

"I mean the guy can't put two sentences together, he can't find the stairs to a platform," Trump said in Richmond, Va.

There's also unique riffs that raise eyebrows and make headlines, like the time in Conway, S.C.. where Trump said he wouldn't defend some NATO allies against Russia .

"If we don't pay and we're attacked by Russia, will you protect us?" Trump said another NATO leader asked him one time. "No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want."

Then, in Dayton, Ohio, Trump warned his defeat could be terrible for the automotive industry.

"If I don't get elected, it's going to be a bloodbath for the whole... that's going to be the least of it," Trump said. "It's going to be a bloodbath for the country. That'll be the least of it."

As the year has progressed, Trump's rallies have taken a darker, more defiant tone, and his "greatest hits" are increasingly hitting back at groups that he feels have wronged him, or aren't on board with the "Make America Great Again" vision.

In North Carolina and Virginia, Pennsylvania and Nevada to hear Trump tell it, there will be no America unless he is in charge and Joe Biden is vanquished.

"He's a demented tyrant who is trying to destroy our democracy," Trump said of the president in Schnecksville, Pa.

In Las Vegas, Trump told a roaring crowd to think of the ten worst presidents in American history.

"They would not have done near the destruction to our country as Crooked Joe Biden and the Biden administration have done," he said.

"He's destroying our country," Trump said, echoing his remarks in Pennsylvania.

The hostile phrasing around the promise to implement hardline policies like mass deportations — and expanding the powers of the presidency to punish opponents — is a feature, not a bug, of Trump's campaign message.

It's a message that says the stakes are too high to ignore.

"We will fight for America like no one has ever fought before," he intoned in Greensboro, N.C., as an instrumental with ties to the QAnon movement played underneath. "2024 is our final battle."

While no two rallies are exactly the same, the final notes of a Trump speech are like a catchy political earworm as he vows to make America powerful, wealthy, strong, proud and safe once more, ending with his signature promise to "Make America great again."

Former President Donald Trump and attorney Susan Necheles attend his trial at the Manhattan Criminal court, Tuesday. Less than a week after a pair of campaign rallies, Trump is mandated to be back in court almost everyday, making the Manhattan courtroom his campaign trail stop of necessity. Win MacNamee/AP hide caption

Former President Donald Trump and attorney Susan Necheles attend his trial at the Manhattan Criminal court, Tuesday. Less than a week after a pair of campaign rallies, Trump is mandated to be back in court almost everyday, making the Manhattan courtroom his campaign trail stop of necessity.

Trump's last two rallies last week were held on the only day of the week his New York trial was not in session. But, in his first stop, he largely avoided talking about that trial that has kept him off the campaign trail .

In front of his biggest fans once again, Trump's verbal playlist in Waukesha, Wis., featured comedic asides, like telling a protestor to "Go home to mom!"

Away from his New York trial, Donald Trump's campaign rallies are business as usual

Between his usual comments about closing the southern border, deporting migrants and claiming global conflict would cease if he was in charge, Trump made inflammatory remarks about Palestinian refugees that garnered little media attention .

"Under no circumstances shall we bring thousands of refugees from Hamas controlled terrorist epicenters like Gaza to America," he said.

Trump reiterated support for a travel ban from Muslim-majority countries, and implied an influx of migrants to the U.S. would lead to a terrorist attack similar to the October 7 attack in Israel.

"We do not need a jihad in the United States of America," he added to cheers from the crowd.

A few hours later, Trump curated a different vibe in Freeland, Mich., making no mention of Gaza. He did, however, give significant airtime to his criminal proceedings and how much they cramped his campaign style.

"As you know, I have come here today from New York City where I'm being forced to sit for days on end in a kangaroo courtroom with a corrupt and conflicted judge enduring a Biden sideshow trial," he said.

And because it's the Trump show, that applause line was soon followed by a familiar refrain.

"Has anyone ever heard of Al Capone? Scarface!," he quipped.

Until the New York hush money trial has wrapped, Trump's main act will be headlining the inside (and outside) of a Manhattan courtroom.

He'll take his show on the road again Saturday in New Jersey, where you can expect familiar tunes, both verbal and musical, like the Sam and Dave song "Hold On, I'm Comin'" that typically ends his rallies.

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The Protesters and the President

Over the past week, thousands of students protesting the war in gaza have been arrested..

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

From “New York Times,” I’m Michael Barbaro. This is “The Daily.”

Free, free, Palestine!

Free, free Palestine!

Free, free, free Palestine!

Over the past week, what had begun as a smattering of pro-Palestinian protests on America’s college campuses exploded into a nationwide movement —

United, we’ll never be defeated!

— as students at dozens of universities held demonstrations, set up encampments, and at times seized academic buildings.

[PROTESTERS CLAMORING]:

response, administrators at many of those colleges decided to crack down —

Do not throw things at our officers. We will use chemical munitions that include gas.

— calling in local police to carry out mass detentions and arrests. From Arizona State —

In the name of the state of Arizona, I declare this gathering to be a violation of —

— to the University of Georgia —

— to City College of New York.

[PROTESTERS CHANTING, “BACK OFF”]:

As of Thursday, police had arrested 2,000 students on more than 40 campuses. A situation so startling that President Biden could no longer ignore it.

Look, it’s basically a matter of fairness. It’s a matter of what’s right. There’s the right to protest, but not the right to cause chaos.

Today, my colleagues Jonathan Wolfe and Peter Baker on a history-making week. It’s Friday, May 3.

Jonathan, as this tumultuous week on college campuses comes to an end, it feels like the most extraordinary scenes played out on the campus of the University of California Los Angeles, where you have been reporting. What is the story of how that protest started and ultimately became so explosive?

So late last week, pro-Palestinian protesters set up an encampment at the University of California, Los Angeles.

From the river to the sea!

Palestine will be free!

Palestine —

It was right in front of Royce Hall, which I don’t know if you are familiar with UCLA, but it’s a very famous, red brick building. It’s on all the brochures. And there was two things that stood out about this encampment. And the first thing was that they barricaded the encampment.

The encampment, complete with tents and barricades, has been set up in the middle of the Westwood campus. The protesters demand —

They have metal grates. They had wooden pallets. And they separated themselves from the campus.

This is kind of interesting. There are controlling access, as we’ve been talking about. They are trying to control who is allowed in, who is allowed out.

They sort of policed the area. So they only would let people that were part of their community, they said, inside.

I’m a UCLA student. I deserve to go here. We paid tuition. This is our school. And they’re not letting me walk in. Why can’t I go? Will you let me go in?

We’re not engaging with that.

Then you can move. Will you move?

And the second thing that stood out about this camp was that it immediately attracted pro-Israel counterprotesters.

And what did the leadership of UCLA say about all of this, the encampment and these counterprotesters?

So the University of California’s approach was pretty unique. They had a really hands-off approach. And they allowed the pro-Palestinian protesters to set up an encampment. They allowed the counterprotesters to happen. I mean, this is a public university, so anyone who wants to can just enter the campus.

So when do things start to escalate?

So there were definitely fights and scuffles through the weekend. But a turning point was really Sunday —

[SINGING IN HEBREW]:

— when this group called the Israeli American Council, they’re a nonprofit organization, organized a rally on campus. The Israeli American Council has really been against these pro-Palestinian protests. They say that they’re antisemitic. So this nonprofit group sets up a stage with a screen really just a few yards from the pro-Palestinian encampment.

We are grateful that this past Friday, the University of California, stated that they will continue to oppose any calls for boycott and divestment from Israel!

[PROTESTERS CHEERING]

And they host speakers and they held prayers.

Jewish students, you’re not alone! Oh, you’re not alone! We are right here with you! And we’re right here with you in until —

[WORDLESS SINGING]:

And then lots of other people start showing up. And the proximity between protesters and counterprotesters and even some agitators, makes it really clear that something was about to happen.

And what was that? What ended up happening?

On Monday night, a group of about 60 counterprotesters tried to breach the encampment there. And the campus police had to break it up. And things escalated again on Tuesday.

They stormed the barricades and it’s a complete riot.

[PROTESTER SHOUTING]:

Put it down! Put it down! Put it down!

I went to report on what happened just a few hours after it ended.

And I spoke to a lot of protesters. And I met one demonstrator, Marie.

Yeah, my first name is Marie. M-A-R-I-E. Last name, Salem.

And Marie described what happened.

So can you just tell me a little bit about what happened last night?

Last night, we were approached by over a hundred counterprotesters who were very mobilized and ready to break into camp. They proceeded to try to breach our barricades extremely violently.

Marie said it started getting out of hand when counterprotesters started setting off fireworks towards the camp.

They had bear spray. They had Mace. They were throwing wood and spears. Throwing water bottles, continuing fireworks.

So she said that they were terrified. It was just all hands on deck. Everyone was guarding the barricades.

Every time someone experienced the bear spray or Mace or was hit and bleeding, we had some medics in the front line. And then we had people —

And they said that they were just trying to take care of people who were injured.

I mean, at any given moment, there was 5 to 10 people being treated.

So what she described to me sounded more like a battlefield than a college campus.

And it was just a complete terror and complete abandonment of the university, as we also watched private security watch this the entire time on the stairs. And some LAPD were stationed about a football field length back from these counterprotesters, and did not make a single arrest, did not attempt to stop any violence, did not attempt to get in between the two groups. No attempt.

I should say, I spoke to a state authorities and eyewitnesses and they confirmed Marie’s account about what happened that night, both in terms of the violence that took place at the encampment and how law enforcement responded. So in the end, people ended up fighting for hours before the police intervened.

[SOMBER MUSIC]

So in her mind, UCLA’s hands-off approach, which seemed to have prevailed throughout this entire period, ends up being way too hands off in a moment when students were in jeopardy.

That’s right. And so at this point, the protesters in the encampment started preparing for two possibilities. One was that this group of counterprotesters would return and attack them. And the second one was that the police would come and try to break up this encampment.

So they started building up the barricades. They start reinforcing them with wood. And during the day, hundreds of people came and brought them supplies. They brought food.

They brought helmets, goggles, earplugs, saline solution, all sorts of things these people could use to defend themselves. And so they’re really getting ready to burrow in. And in the end, it was the police who came.

[PROTESTERS SHOUTING]:

So Wednesday at 7:00 PM, they made an announcement on top of Royce Hall, which overlooks the encampment —

— administrative criminal actions up to and including arrest. Please leave the area immediately.

And they told people in the encampment that they needed to leave or face arrest.

[DRUM BEATING]: [PROTESTERS CHANTING]

And so as night falls, they put on all this gear that they’ve been collecting, the goggles, the masks and the earplugs, and they wait for the police.

[DRUM BEATING]:

And so the police arrive and station themselves right in front of the encampment. And then at a certain point, they storm the back stairs of the encampment.

[PROTESTERS CHANTING]:

And this is the stairs that the protesters have been using to enter and exit the camp. And they set up a line. And the protesters do this really surprising thing.

The people united!

They open up umbrellas. They have these strobe lights. And they’re flashing them at the police, who just slowly back out of the camp.

[PROTESTERS CHEERING]:

And so at this point, they’re feeling really great. They’re like, we did it. We pushed them out of their camp. And when the cops try to push again on those same set of stairs —

[PROTESTER SHOUTS]:

Hold your ground!

— the protesters organized themselves with all these shields that they had built earlier. And they go and confront them. And so there’s this moment where the police are trying to push up the stairs. And the protesters are literally pushing them back.

Push them back! Push them back!

Push them back!

And at a certain point, dozens of the police officers who were there, basically just turn around and leave.

So how does this eventually come to an end?

So at a certain point, the police push in again. Most of the conflict is centered at the front of these barricades. And the police just start tearing them apart.

[METAL CLANGING]

[CLAMORING]

They removed the front barricade. And in its place is this group of protesters who have linked arms and they’re hanging on to each other. And the police are trying to pull protesters one by one away from this group.

He’s just a student! Back off!

But they’re having a really hard time because there’s so many protesters. And they’re all just hanging on to each other.

We’re moving back now.

So at a certain point, one of the police officers started firing something into the crowd. We don’t exactly know what it was. But it really spooked the protesters.

Stop shooting at kids! Fuck you! Fuck them!

They started falling back. Everyone was really scared. The protesters were yelling, don’t shoot us. And at that point, the police just stormed the camp.

Get back. Get back.

Back up now!

And so after about four hours of this, the police pushed the protesters out of the encampment. They had arrested about 200 protesters. And this was finally over.

And I’m just curious, Jonathan, because you’re standing right there, you are bearing witness to this all, what you were thinking, what your impressions of this were.

I mean, I was stunned. These are mostly teenagers. This is a college campus, an institution of higher learning. And what I saw in front of me looked like a war zone.

[TENSE MUSIC]

The massive barricade, the police coming in with riot gear, and all this violence was happening in front of these red brick buildings that are famous for symbolizing a really open college campus. And everything about it was just totally surreal.

Well, Jonathan, thank you very much. We appreciate it.

Thanks, Michael.

We’ll be right back.

Peter, around 10:00 AM on Thursday morning as the smoke is literally still clearing at the University of California Los Angeles, you get word that President Biden is going to speak.

Right, exactly. It wasn’t on his public schedule. He was about to head to Andrews Air Force base in order to take a trip. And then suddenly, we got the notice that he was going to be addressing the cameras in the Roosevelt Room.

They didn’t tell us what he was going to talk about. But it was pretty clear, I think. Everybody understood that it was going to be about these campus protests, about the growing violence and the clashes with police, and the arrests that the entire country had been watching on TV every night for the past week, and I think that we were watching just that morning with UCLA. And it reached the point where he just had to say something.

And why, in his estimation and those of his advisors, was this the moment that Biden had to say something?

Well, it kind of reached a boiling point. It kind of reached the impression of a national crisis. And you expect to hear your president address it in this kind of a moment, particularly because it’s about his own policy. His policy toward Israel is at the heart of these protests. And he was getting a lot of grief. He was getting a lot of grief from Republicans who were chiding him for not speaking out personally. He hadn’t said anything in about 10 days.

He’s getting a lot of pressure from Democrats, too, who wanted him to come out and be more forceful. It wasn’t enough, in their view, to leave it to his spokespeople to say something. Moderate Democrats felt he needed to come out and take some leadership on this.

And so at the appointed moment, Peter, what does Biden actually say in the Roosevelt Room of the White House?

Good morning.

Before I head to North Carolina, I wanted to speak for a few moments about what’s going on, on our college campuses here.

Well, it comes in the Roosevelt Room and he talks to the camera. And he talks about the two clashing imperatives of American principle.

The first is the right to free speech and for people to peacefully assemble and make their voices heard. The second is the rule of law. Both must be upheld.

One is freedom of speech. The other is the rule of law.

In fact, peaceful protest is in the best tradition of how Americans respond to consequential issues. But, but, neither are we a lawless country.

In other words, what he’s saying is, yes, I support the right of these protesters to come out and object to even my own policy, in effect, is what he’s saying. But it shouldn’t trail into violence.

Destroying property is not a peaceful protest. It’s against the law. Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses —

It shouldn’t trail into taking over buildings and obstructing students from going to class or canceling their graduations.

Threatening people, intimidating people, instilling fear in people is not peaceful protest. It’s against the law.

And he leans very heavily into this idea that what he’s seeing these days goes beyond the line.

I understand people have strong feelings and deep convictions. In America, we respect the right and protect the right for them to express that. But it doesn’t mean anything goes.

It has crossed into harassment and expressions of hate in a way that goes against the national character.

As president, I will always defend free speech. And I will always be just as strong and standing up for the rule of law. That’s my responsibility to you, the American people, and my obligation to the Constitution. Thank you very much.

Right, as I watched the speech, I heard his overriding message to basically be, I, the president of the United States, am drawing a line. These protests and counterprotests, the seizing and defacing of campus buildings, class disruption, all of it, name calling, it’s getting out of hand. That there’s a right way to do this. And what I’m seeing is the wrong way to do it and it has to stop.

That’s exactly right. And as he’s wrapping up, reporters, of course, ask questions. And the first question is —

Mr. President, have the protests forced you to reconsider any of the policies with regard to the region?

— will this change your policy toward the war in Gaza? Which, of course, is exactly what the protesters want. That’s the point.

And he basically says —

— no. Just one word, no.

Right. And that felt kind of important, as brief and fleeting as it was, because at the end of the day, what he’s saying to these protesters is, I’m not going to do what you want. And basically, your protests are never going to work. I’m not going to change the US’s involvement in this war.

Yeah, that’s exactly right. He is saying, I’m not going to be swayed by angry people in the streets. I’m going to do what I think is right when it comes to foreign policy. Now, what he thinks is that they’re not giving him enough credit for trying to achieve what they want, which is an end of the war.

He has been pressuring Israel and Hamas to come to a deal for a ceasefire that will, hopefully, in his view, would then lead to a more enduring end of hostilities. But, of course, this deal hasn’t gone anywhere. Hamas, in particular, seems to be resisting it. And so the president is left with a policy of arming Israel without having found a way yet to stop the war.

Right. I wonder, though, Peter, if we’re being honest, don’t these protests, despite what Biden is saying there, inevitably exert a kind of power over him? Becoming one of many pressures, but a pressure nonetheless that does influence how he thinks about these moments. I mean, here he is at the White House devoting an entire conversation to the nation to these campus protests.

Well, look, he knows this feeds into the political environment in which he’s running for re-election, in which he basically has people who otherwise might be his supporters on the left disenchanted with him. And he knows that there’s a cost to be paid. And that certainly, obviously, is in his head as he’s thinking about what to do.

But I think his view of the war is changing by the day for all sorts of reasons. And most of them having to do with realities on the ground. He has decided that Israel has gone far enough, if not too far, in the way it has conducted this operation in Gaza.

He is upset about the humanitarian crisis there. And he’s looking for a way to wrap all this up into a move that would move to peacemaking, beginning to get the region to a different stage, maybe have a deal with the Saudis to normalize relations with Israel in exchange for some sort of a two-state solution that would eventually resolve the Palestinian issue at its core.

So I think it’s probably fair to say that the protests won’t move him in an immediate kind of sense. But they obviously play into the larger zeitgeist of the moment. And I also think it’s important to know who Joe Biden is at heart.

Explain that.

He’s not drawn to activism. He was around in 1968, the last time we saw this major conflagration at Columbia University, for instance. At the time, Joe Biden was a law student in Syracuse, about 250 miles away. And he was an institutionalist even then.

He was just focused on his studies. He was about to graduate. He was thinking about the law career. And he didn’t really have much of an affinity, I think, for his fellow students of that era, for their activist way of looking at things.

He tells a story in his memoir about walking down a street in Syracuse one day to go to the pizza shop with some friends. And they walk by the administration building. And they see people hanging out of the windows. They’re hanging SDS banners. That’s the Students for a Democratic Society, which was one of the big activist groups of the era.

And he says, they were taking over the building. And we looked up and said, look at those assholes. That’s how far apart from the antiwar movement I was. That’s him writing in his memoir.

So to a young Joe Biden, those who devote their time and their energy to protesting the war are, I don’t need to repeat the word twice, but they’re losers. They’re not worth his time.

Well, I think it’s the tactics they’re using more than the goals that he disagreed with. He would tell you he disagreed with the Vietnam War. He was for civil rights. But he thought that taking over a building was performative, was all about getting attention, and that there was a better way, in his view, to do it.

He was somebody who wanted to work inside the system. He said in an interview quite a few years back, he says, look, I was wearing sports coats in that era. He saw himself becoming part of the system, not somebody trying to tear it down.

And so how should we think about that Joe Biden, when we think about this Joe Biden? I mean, the Joe Biden who, as a young man, looked upon antiwar protesters with disdain and the one who is now president and his very own policies have inspired such ferocious campus protests?

Yeah, that Joe Biden, the 1968 Joe Biden, he could just throw on a sports coat, go to the pizza shop with his friends, make fun of the activists and call them names, and then that’s it. They didn’t have to affect his life. But that’s not what 2024 Joe Biden can do.

Now, wherever he goes, he’s dogged by this. He goes to speeches and people are shouting at him, Genocide Joe! Genocide Joe! He is the target of the same kind of a movement that he disdained in 1968. And so as much as he would like to ignore it or move on or focus on other things, I think this has become a defining image of his year and one of the defining images, perhaps, of his presidency. And 2024 Joe Biden can’t simply ignore it.

Well, Peter, thank you very much. We appreciate it.

[UPBEAT MUSIC]

Here’s what else you need to know today. During testimony on Thursday in Donald Trump’s hush money trial, jurors heard a recording secretly made by Trump’s former fixer, Michael Cohen, in which Trump discusses a deal to buy a woman’s silence. In the recording, Trump asks Cohen about how one payment made by Trump to a woman named Karen McDougal would be financed. The recording could complicate efforts by Trump’s lawyers to distance him from the hush money deals at the center of the trial.

A final thing to know, tomorrow morning, we’ll be sending you the latest episode from our colleagues over at “The Interview.” This week, David Marchese talks with comedy star Marlon Wayans about his new stand-up special.

It’s a high that you get when you don’t know if this joke that I’m about to say is going to offend everybody. Are they going to walk out? Are they going to boo me? Are they going to hate this. And then you tell it, and everybody cracks up and you’re like, woo.

Today’s episode was produced by Diana Nguyen, Luke Vander Ploeg, Alexandra Leigh Young, Nina Feldman, and Carlos Prieto. It was edited by Lisa Chow and Michael Benoist. It contains original music by Dan Powell and Marion Lozano, and was engineered by Chris Wood. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly.

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

• May 8, 2024   •   28:28 A Plan to Remake the Middle East
• May 7, 2024   •   27:43 How Changing Ocean Temperatures Could Upend Life on Earth
• May 6, 2024   •   29:23 R.F.K. Jr.’s Battle to Get on the Ballot
• May 3, 2024   •   25:33 The Protesters and the President
• May 2, 2024   •   29:13 Biden Loosens Up on Weed
• May 1, 2024   •   35:16 The New Abortion Fight Before the Supreme Court
• April 30, 2024   •   27:40 The Secret Push That Could Ban TikTok
• April 29, 2024   •   47:53 Trump 2.0: What a Second Trump Presidency Would Bring
• April 26, 2024   •   21:50 Harvey Weinstein Conviction Thrown Out
• April 25, 2024   •   40:33 The Crackdown on Student Protesters
• April 24, 2024   •   32:18 Is $60 Billion Enough to Save Ukraine?
• April 23, 2024   •   30:30 A Salacious Conspiracy or Just 34 Pieces of Paper?

Hosted by Michael Barbaro

Featuring Jonathan Wolfe and Peter Baker

Produced by Diana Nguyen ,  Luke Vander Ploeg ,  Alexandra Leigh Young ,  Nina Feldman and Carlos Prieto

Edited by Lisa Chow and Michael Benoist

Original music by Dan Powell and Marion Lozano

Engineered by Chris Wood

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

Warning: this episode contains strong language.

Over the past week, students at dozens of universities held demonstrations, set up encampments and, at times, seized academic buildings. In response, administrators at many of those colleges decided to crack down and called in the local police to detain and arrest demonstrators.

As of Thursday, the police had arrested 2,000 people across more than 40 campuses, a situation so startling that President Biden could no longer ignore it.

Jonathan Wolfe, who has been covering the student protests for The Times, and Peter Baker, the chief White House correspondent, discuss the history-making week.

On today’s episode

Jonathan Wolfe , a senior staff editor on the newsletters team at The New York Times.

Peter Baker , the chief White House correspondent for The New York Times covering President Biden and his administration.

Background reading

As crews cleared the remnants of an encampment at U.C.L.A., students and faculty members wondered how the university could have handled protests over the war in Gaza so badly .

Biden denounced violence on campus , breaking his silence after a rash of arrests.

There are a lot of ways to listen to The Daily. Here’s how.

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

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Jonathan Wolfe is a senior staff editor on the newsletters team at The Times. More about Jonathan Wolfe

Peter Baker is the chief White House correspondent for The Times. He has covered the last five presidents and sometimes writes analytical pieces that place presidents and their administrations in a larger context and historical framework. More about Peter Baker

Luke Vander Ploeg is a senior producer on “The Daily” and a reporter for the National Desk covering the Midwest. More about Luke Vander Ploeg

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Office of the president menu, office of the president, addressing free speech, safety, and current events.

May 1, 2024

President Scholz delivered the following remarks to the University Senate on May 1, 2024 addressing free speech, safety and current events. This message was also emailed to all faculty, staff, and students.

Dear University of Oregon community,

We are living through an extraordinary moment in which people at universities across the nation—including on our own campus—are expressing their passionate views about the ongoing conflict and devastating loss of human life in the Middle East and particularly in Gaza.

The destruction and suffering we have witnessed in Gaza and Israel over the last seven months—the killing of innocent Israeli and Palestinian people with tens of thousands of lives lost including roughly over 34,000 in Gaza alone—are profoundly disturbing. Many in our community are deeply and personally affected. As has happened here and around the world, the ongoing conflict has sparked discussion, protests, and calls for action.

Universities are communities

We often talk about “the university,” but we are first and foremost a community. And the heart of our community is our people—our joys, grief, distress, celebrations, frustrations, and hope—hope for themselves and for a better world.

I sat with a group of students last week and had the opportunity to hear firsthand some of these hopes and concerns. I appreciated hearing their views, even when I had no immediate answers on deeply difficult issues. Conversations with students, or the University Senate, or other opportunities to meet, listen, and understand are important to building a healthy community.

Centering on the value of people

Some students, staff, faculty, and other community members are making calls or issuing demands for various forms of action. I know these are prompted by a deep concern and care for human life. While viewpoints on the conflict are many, it is helpful to remind ourselves that all members of our community—administration, faculty, staff, students, and those who support us—embrace the value and dignity of humanity. I truly believe this, but sometimes we lose sight of it in the passion of this moment.

Let me say this unequivocally, again: antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism, anti-Palestinian hatred, and other forms of hate and intimidation are an anathema to our shared values. Our opportunity to live our values starts at home, here at the UO, when we commit to creating common space and a culture of respect and compassion.

Safety and university life

This commitment entails a responsibility to value all voices. The loudest voices cannot silence quieter ones—both minority and majority viewpoints must be respectfully heard.

These vital commitments are made stronger through the university’s long-standing policies for peaceful protests and demonstrations, and our community members’ adherence to them. These policies are designed to protect and uphold free speech while maintaining health and safety, limiting disruptions to education while preserving the daily activities required for learning, teaching, living, and working at the university.

But let me be clear: conduct and behavior that disrupt the essential operations of the university—or impede our ability to provide an environment conducive to learning—have no place here. Criminal or illegal activity likewise will not be tolerated.

Response to current events

I want to go one step further and share my thoughts on how our mission informs our response to current events. As I mentioned already, there are calls—as there have been elsewhere—for the UO to take a political stand against Israel through statements and sanctions, or to implement boycotts or to divest. Let me take these one at time.

Academic boycotts are antithetical to the free exchange of ideas and creation of scholarship, which is the core purpose of the university. Boycotts could allow any single viewpoint to unilaterally limit scholarly collaboration and understanding across countries; limit research cooperation and industry partnerships; limit the ability of students to pursue study—either here or abroad—curtailing the development of our students as free, informed global citizens. These are fundamental responsibilities of the university, and I hope we all will remain firm in upholding them.

The ability to sanction sovereign nations, states, or governments does not lie with universities, but with our country’s government. We have many mechanisms by which citizens in this country can register their sentiment on any issue with those who represent them in Washington, DC.

Divestment, like academic boycotts, run counter to our obligations to our students, our state, and to some degree, our country.

The responsibility of stewarding our investments lies with the UO Foundation, who we charge with meeting the needs of the university. The foundation appropriately focuses on long-term investment decisions that ensure the university remains on strong financial footing. That is done through rigorous management of our investments, evaluating opportunities through an environmental, social, and governance framework, a framework that is attentive to environmental, social, and governance considerations. This approach ensures our instruments are ethical, legal, and prudent. The foundation’s work helps finance scholarships and student aid, student housing, teaching facilities, research labs, and the faculty who instruct and support students’ pursuit of their degrees. I support this vital work and will not ask the UO Foundation to deviate from their responsibilities and approach.

Wrestling with ideas

The freedom to express ideas, the freedom to debate and disagree, the freedom to wrestle with complex issues—these are the rare gifts a university environment offers.

Our mission is to advance human understanding, create and disseminate new knowledge, and prepare students for successful lives. To that end, it is profoundly important that we remain an environment founded on the principle that we can express ideas even when it makes us uncomfortable, that we can engage in debate, and that we will allow for dissenting voices even when such voices express ideas we, personally, may find abhorrent. Both the US and our University of Oregon constitutions, and our policies on speech at the university, uphold the right to express viewpoints, including views held by the majority and those that may deviate significantly from that majority.

This is hard, sometimes deeply uncomfortable, work. We sometimes hear about members of our community not feeling safe when the provocation is words or ideas that they or we feel uncomfortable with. But the correct path is not to censor those ideas or speech, but rather to engage, interrogate, and reveal ideas to determine if they are misguided, dangerous, and not worthy of further dissemination

In the end, our ability to explore and confront difficult topics is the most powerful tool we have to help bring about social good. Our ability to bring insights from our past to inform our future, to explore diverse perspectives, to collaborate and question, and to create scholarship and creative work that address shared societal problems—these are our greatest avenues to affect change and improve the world.

The principles of free speech and peaceful dissent and the principles of respectful listening, physical safety, and care for one another go hand in hand. I am grateful to the thousands of students, staff, and faculty who are exercising these principles on our campus today.

Let us continue to do so.

Sincerely, John Karl Scholz President

For more information and resources about free speech and safety at the University of Oregon, visit freespeech.uoregon.edu .

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US has long history of college protests: Here's what happened in the past

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators have taken over parts of college campuses across the U.S., the latest in a decades-long string of protests ignited by political activism — some of which have spiraled into violence amid police crackdowns .

In the past, free speech sit-ins quickly escalated into massive rallies, Vietnam War college demonstrations turned deadly and U.S. civil rights protests ended in mass arrests.

The circumstances of each protest were different, but the story is familiar: Young people demanded changes on their campuses or in the world — and their impassioned demonstrations often escalated amid clashes with authorities.

Columbia , the university at the center of the current wave of protests, has even seen similar protests before, including during the Vietnam War in 1968. Demonstrations led the university to end classified war research and stop military recruitment, among other changes, wrote Rosalind Rosenberg, a professor of history at Barnard College, for Barnard Magazine .

Today's demonstrators also have specific changes in mind, often involving divestment from Israel , citing the deaths of more than 34,000 Palestinian people who died in Gaza amid Israel's bombardment and ground assault. That military campaign was triggered by Hamas' incursion into southern Israel on Oct. 7, when about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and more than 240 people were taken hostage.

But as campus authorities react swiftly, citing safety concerns and calling in police to break up encampents, it's unclear if or how the current protests will influence the Israel-Hamas war.

USA TODAY revisited four monumental campus protests to explain how college protests have become a staple of American life and often influence the outcomes of political strife. Here's a look at how previous campus protests unfolded — and whether they were successful in their causes.

University of California, Berkeley: Free Speech in 1960s

At the University of California Berkeley starting in 1964, students protested the university's limits on political activities and free speech during the civil rights movement and Vietnam-war era.

"In the wake of  McCarthyism’s  anti-Communist sentiments during the 1950s, public universities in California had enacted numerous regulations limiting  students’ political activities ," wrote Karen Aichinger for the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee University. "At the University of California, Berkeley, student groups taking part in any on- or off-campus political activities were banned from campus."

What transpired were "small sit-ins and demonstrations" that "escalated into a series of large-scale rallies and protests demanding full constitutional rights on campus," reads the UC Berkeley website.

Nearly 800 students were arrested by local police as a result.

The students' protest ultimately worked in their favor. The university eventually overturned policies that would restrict the content of speech or advocacy, according to the college.

"Today, the Movement stands as a symbol of the importance of protecting and preserving free speech and academic freedom," reads the UC Berkeley website.

Kent State University in Ohio: Vietnam War in 1970

The most prolific university protest of the Vietnam War happened at Kent State University in Ohio in May 1970. Students started protesting the Vietnam War and the U.S. invasion of Cambodia on their campus on May 2. Two days later, the National Guard opened fire into a sea of antiwar protesters and passerbys. The soldiers killed four young people – Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller, Sandra Scheuer, and William Knox Schroeder – and injured several others with their violence.

"The impact of the shootings was dramatic," wrote Jerry Lewis and Thomas Hensley in an article for Kent State University. "The event triggered a nationwide student strike that forced hundreds of colleges and universities to close."

The shootings also influenced national politics, Lewis and Hensley wrote.

"In The Ends of Power, (H.R.) Haldeman, (a top aide to President Richard Nixon), states that the shootings at Kent State began the slide into Watergate, eventually destroying the Nixon administration," the article reads.

Today, the protest and shootings "certainly come to symbolize the deep political and social divisions that so sharply divided the country during the Vietnam War era," Lewis and Hensley wrote.

Jackson State College in Mississippi: Racial Injustice in 1970

Days after the shootings at Kent State, police opened gunfire at a college dormitory Jackson State College in Mississippi, a school with a predominantly Black student population.

Black students there were protesting racial injustice, including how they were treated by white drivers speeding on campus, according to the university .

Police received a call that Black young people were throwing rocks at white drivers near the campus. Police arrived at the scene and shot hundreds of bullets into Alexander Hall, according to an FBI report, NPR reported . Police killed two students – Phillip Lafayette Gibbs and James Earl Green – and injured 12 others. The college also canceled its graduation due to the killings and unrest.

At a 2021 commencement ceremony, the university honored 74 of the students who were unable to walk the stage in 1970, NBC reported . At the commencement ceremony, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said police “unjustly gunned down two innocent young Black men, terrorized and traumatized a community of Black students and committed one of the gravest sins in our city’s history," NBC reported .

The killings at Jackson State College and Kent State University national sparked outrage. College students across the nation protested on their campuses, according to the Zinn Education Project , a collaboration of historical content from the groups  Rethinking Schools  and  Teaching for Change .

"The spring of 1970 saw the first general student strike in the history of the United States, students from over four hundred colleges and universities calling off classes to protest the invasion of Cambodia, the Kent State affair, the killing of two black students at Jackson State College in Mississippi, and the continuation of the war," wrote Howard Zinn in the book "You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train ."

Angus Johnston, an adjunct assistant professor at Hostos Community College of the City University of New York and a historian of student activism, said after both events: "There was a period of about 30 years or so where it tended to be fairly unlikely that campuses would respond with mass arrests even in the case of admin building occupations."

Nationwide: South Africa anti-Apartheid protests in 1985

Another form of popular college campus protest occurred in the 1980's. Students across the country wanted their colleges to cut ties with groups that supported from the South African apartheid.

"Under apartheid, race restricted every aspect of life for South Africans who were Black, Indian and colored — a multiracial classification created by the government," The New York Times reported . "There were strict limits on where they could live, attend school, work and travel.

Columbia University was at the center of the movement. Students led by the Coalition for a Free South Africa at Columbia University "blockaded Hamilton Hall, the university’s administrative building, leading to the first successful divestiture campaign at the university," reads a summary of the events from the Zinn Education Project .

There was less pushback for protesters during this time, due to a “certain embarrassment among elites in the United States that there was complicity with South Africa’s white government,” said Daniel Farber, a history professor at the University of Kansas who has studied American activism, reports Vox Media .

Columbia University was one of the first colleges to divest from doing business with South Africa and 155 universities followed suit. U.S. Congress also passed the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act in 1986, which aimed to prevent new trade and investment between the nation and South Africa.

What is the future of college protests in America?

Free speech experts told USA TODAY that students should continue to peacefully protest in open campus spaces to avoid conflict.

Alex Morey, the director of campus rights advocacy for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, encourages universities to remain neutral in times of unrest and not to call in authorities unless a demonstration turns violent. The national nonprofit defends Americans rights to free speech and thought.

"Peaceful protest is a hallmark of a healthy speech climate on American college campuses and it has been for decades – whether it's the Berkeley free speech movement, or students protesting the Vietnam War era or civil rights," Morey said. "Generations of students have felt passionately about certain issues and the open air places on campuses are great places to support their views."

Contact Kayla Jimenez at [email protected] .  Follow her on X at @kaylajjimenez.