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150 Good Persuasive Speech Topics for Students in 2024

April 1, 2024

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

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

What is a Good Persuasive Speech?

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

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

Components of a Great Persuasive Speech Topic

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

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

150 Good Persuasive Speech Topics

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

Business and Economy

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

Social Media

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

Education – Persuasive Speech Topics 

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

Social Issues – Persuasive Speech Topics

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

Politics and Government

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

Easy Persuasive Speech Topics

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

Fun Persuasive Speech Topics

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

Interesting Persuasive Speech Topics

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

I’ve Chosen My Topic, Now What?

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

How to Create a Successful Persuasive Speech, Step by Step

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

How to Practice and Deliver a Persuasive Speech

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

Good Persuasive Speech Topics—Final Thoughts

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

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

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

Lauren Green

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

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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!

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Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 105 interesting persuasive speech topics for any project.

General Education

Are you struggling to find good persuasive speech topics? It can be hard to find a topic that interests both you and your audience, but in this guide we've done the hard work and created a list of 105 great persuasive speech ideas. They're organized into ten categories and cover a variety of topics, so you're sure to find one that interests you.

In addition to our list, we also go over which factors make good persuasive speech topics and three tips you should follow when researching and writing your persuasive speech.

What Makes a Good Persuasive Speech Topic?

What makes certain persuasive speech topics better than others? There are numerous reasons, but in this section we discuss three of the most important factors of great topics for a persuasive speech.

It's Something You Know About or Are Interested in Learning About

The most important factor in choosing and creating a great persuasive speech is picking a topic you care about and are interested in. You'll need to do a lot of research on this topic, and if it's something you like learning about, that'll make the process much easier and more enjoyable. It'll also help you sound passionate and informed when you talk, both important factors in giving an excellent persuasive speech.

It's a Topic People Care About

In fourth grade, after being told I could give a persuasive speech on any topic I wanted to , I chose to discuss why the Saguaro cactus should be the United State's national plant. Even though I gave an impassioned talk and drew a life-size Saguaro cactus on butcher paper to hang behind me, I doubt anyone enjoyed the speech much.

I'd recently returned from a family vacation to Arizona where I'd seen Saguaro cacti for the first time and decided they were the coolest thing ever. However, most people don't care that much about Saguaro cacti, and most people don't care what our national plant is or if we even have one (for the record, the US has a national flower, and it's the rose).

Spare yourself the smattering of bored applause my nine-old self got at the end of my speech and choose something you think people will be interested in hearing about. This also ties into knowing your audience, which we discuss more in the final section.

It Isn't Overdone

When I was in high school, nearly every persuasive speech my classmates and I were assigned was the exact same topic: should the drinking age be lowered to 18? I got this prompt in English class, on standardized tests, in speech and debate class, etc. I've written and presented about it so often I could probably still rattle off all the main points of my old speeches word-for-word.

You can imagine that everyone's eyes glazed over whenever classmates gave their speeches on this topic. We'd heard about it so many times that, even if it was a topic we cared about, speeches on it just didn't interest us anymore.

The are many potential topics for a persuasive speech. Be wary of choosing one that's cliche or overdone. Even if you give a great speech, it'll be harder to keep your audience interested if they feel like they already know what you're going to say.

An exception to this rule is that if you feel you have a new viewpoint or facts about the topic that currently aren't common knowledge. Including them can make an overdone topic interesting. If you do this, be sure to make it clear early on in your speech that you have unique info or opinions on the topic so your audience knows to expect something new.

105 Topics for a Persuasive Speech

Here's our list of 105 great persuasive speech ideas. We made sure to choose topics that aren't overdone, yet that many people will have an interest in, and we also made a point of choosing topics with multiple viewpoints rather than simplistic topics that have a more obvious right answer (i.e. Is bullying bad?). The topics are organized into ten categories.

Arts/Culture

• Should art and music therapy be covered by health insurance?
• Should all students be required to learn an instrument in school?
• Should all national museums be free to citizens?
• Should graffiti be considered art?
• Should offensive language be removed from works of classic literature?
• Are paper books better than e-books?
• Should all interns be paid for their work?
• Should employees receive bonuses for walking or biking to work?
• Will Brexit hurt or help the UK's economy?
• Should all people over the age of 65 be able to ride the bus for free?
• Should the federal minimum wage be increased?
• Should tipping in restaurants be mandatory?
• Should Black Friday sales be allowed to start on Thanksgiving?
• Should students who bully others be expelled?
• Should all schools require students wear uniforms?
• Should boys and girls be taught in separate classrooms?
• Should students be allowed to listen to music during study hall?
• Should all elementary schools be required to teach a foreign language?
• Should schools include meditation or relaxation breaks during the day?
• Should grades in gym class affect students' GPAs?
• Should teachers get a bonus when their students score well on standardized tests?
• Should children of undocumented immigrants be allowed to attend public schools?
• Should students get paid for getting a certain GPA?
• Should students be allowed to have their cell phones with them during school?
• Should high school students be allowed to leave school during lunch breaks?
• Should Greek life at colleges be abolished?
• Should high school students be required to volunteer a certain number of hours before they can graduate?
• Should schools still teach cursive handwriting?
• What are the best ways for schools to stop bullying?
• Should prostitution be legalized?
• Should people with more than one DUI lose their driver's license?
• Should people be required to shovel snow from the sidewalks in front of their house?
• Should minors be able to drink alcohol in their home if they have their parent's consent?
• Should guns be allowed on college campuses?
• Should flag burning as a form of protest be illegal?
• Should welfare recipients be required to pass a drug test?
• Should white supremacist groups be allowed to hold rallies in public places?
• Should assault weapons be illegal?
• Should the death penalty be abolished?
• Should beauty pageants for children be banned?
• Is it OK to refuse to serve same-sex couples based on religious beliefs?
• Should transgender people be allowed to serve in the military?
• Is it better to live together before marriage or to wait?
• Should affirmative action be allowed?
• Should prisoners be allowed to vote?
• Should Columbus Day be replaced with Indigenous Peoples' Day?

Government/Politics

• Should the government spend more money on developing high-speed rail lines and less on building new roads?
• Should the government be allowed to censor internet content deemed inappropriate?
• Should Puerto Rico become the 51st state?
• Should Scotland declare independence from the United Kingdom?
• Whose face should be on the next new currency printed by the US?
• Should people convicted of drug possession be sent to recovery programs instead of jail?
• Should voting be made compulsory?
• Who was the best American president?
• Should the military budget be reduced?
• Should the President be allowed to serve more than two terms?
• Should a border fence be built between the United States and Mexico?
• Should countries pay ransom to terrorist groups in order to free hostages?
• Should minors be able to purchase birth control without their parent's consent?
• Should hiding or lying about your HIV status with someone you're sleeping with be illegal?
• Should governments tax soda and other sugary drinks and use the revenue for public health?
• Should high schools provide free condoms to students?
• Should the US switch to single-payer health care?
• Should healthy people be required to regularly donate blood?
• Should assisted suicide be legal?
• Should religious organizations be required to pay taxes?
• Should priests be allowed to get married?
• Should the religious slaughter of animals be banned?
• Should the Church of Scientology be exempt from paying taxes?
• Should women be allowed to be priests?
• Should countries be allowed to only accept refugees with certain religious beliefs?
• Should public prayer be allowed in schools?

Science/Environment

• Should human cloning be allowed?
• Should people be allowed to own exotic animals like tigers and monkeys?
• Should "animal selfies" in tourist locations with well-known animal species (like koalas and tigers) be allowed?
• Should genetically modified foods be sold in grocery stores?
• Should people be allowed to own pit bulls?
• Should parents be allowed to choose the sex of their unborn children?
• Should vaccinations be required for students to attend public school?
• What is the best type of renewable energy?
• Should plastic bags be banned in grocery stores?
• Should the United States rejoin the Paris Agreement?
• Should puppy mills be banned?
• Should fracking be legal?
• Should animal testing be illegal?
• Should offshore drilling be allowed in protected marine areas?
• Should the US government increase NASA's budget?
• Should Pluto still be considered a planet?
• Should college athletes be paid for being on a sports team?
• Should all athletes be required to pass regular drug tests?
• Should professional female athletes be paid the same as male athletes in the same sport?
• Are there any cases when athletes should be allowed to use steroids?
• Should college sports teams receive less funding?
• Should boxing be illegal?
• Should schools be required to teach all students how to swim?
• Should cheerleading be considered a sport?
• Should parents let their children play tackle football?
• Will robots reduce or increase human employment opportunities?
• What age should children be allowed to have a cell phone?
• Should libraries be replaced with unlimited access to e-books?
• Overall, has technology helped connect people or isolate them?
• Should self-driving cars be legal?
• Should all new buildings be energy efficient?
• Is Net Neutrality a good thing or a bad thing?
• Do violent video games encourage players to become violent in real life?

3 Bonus Tips for Crafting Your Persuasive Speech

Of course, giving a great persuasive speech requires more than just choosing a good topic. Follow the three tips below to create an outstanding speech that'll interest and impress your audience.

Do Your Research

For a persuasive speech, there's nothing worse than getting an audience question that shows you misunderstood the issue or left an important piece out. It makes your entire speech look weak and unconvincing.

Before you start writing a single word of your speech, be sure to do lots of research on all sides of the topic. Look at different sources and points of view to be sure you're getting the full picture, and if you know any experts on the topic, be sure to ask their opinion too.

Consider All the Angles

Persuasive speech topics are rarely black and white, which means there will be multiple sides and viewpoints on the topic. For example, for the topic "Should people be allowed to own pit bulls?" there are two obvious viewpoints: everyone should be allowed to own a pit bull if they want to, and no one should be allowed to own a pit bull. But there are other options you should also consider: people should only own a pit bull if they pass a dog training class, people should be able to own pit bulls, but only if it's the only dog they own, people should be able to own pi tbulls but only if they live a certain distance from schools, people should be able to own pit bulls only if the dog passes an obedience class, etc.

Thinking about all these angles and including them in your speech will make you seem well-informed on the topic, and it'll increase the quality of your speech by looking at difference nuances of the issue.

Know Your Audience

Whenever you give a speech, it's important to consider your audience, and this is especially true for persuasive speeches when you're trying to convince people to believe a certain viewpoint. When writing your speech, think about what your audience likely already knows about the topic, what they probably need explained, and what aspects of the topic they care about most. Also consider what the audience will be most concerned about for a certain topic, and be sure to address those concerns.

For example, if you're giving a speech to a Catholic organization on why you think priests should be allowed to marry, you don't need to go over the history of Catholicism or its core beliefs (which they probably already know), but you should mention any research or prominent opinions that support your view (which they likely don't know about). They may be concerned that priests who marry won't be as committed to God or their congregations, so be sure to address those concerns and why they shouldn't worry about them as much as they may think. Discussing your topic with people (ideally those with viewpoints similar to those of your future audience) before you give your speech is a good way to get a better understanding of how your audience thinks.

More Resources for Writing Persuasive Speeches

If you need more guidance or just want to check out some examples of great persuasive writing, consider checking out the following books:

• Lend Me Your Ears: Great Speeches in History by William Safire—This collection of great speeches throughout history will help you decide how to style your own argument.
• The Essentials of Persuasive Public Speaking by Sims Wyeth—For quick direct tips on public speaking, try this all-purpose guide.
• Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World's Top Minds by Carmine Gallo—This popular book breaks down what makes TED talks work and how you can employ those skills in your own presentations.
• We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Make Good Art by Neil Gaiman—These two recent speeches by contemporary writers offer stellar examples of how to craft a compelling (and engaging) argument.

Conclusion: Persuasive Speech Ideas

Good persuasive speech topics can be difficult to think of, but in this guide we've compiled a list of 105 interesting persuasive speech topics for you to look through.

The best persuasive speech ideas will be on a topic you're interested in, aren't overdone, and will be about something your audience cares about.

After you've chosen your topic, keep these three tips in mind when writing your persuasive speech:

• Do your research
• Consider all the angles
• Know your audience

What's Next?

Now that you have persuasive speech topics, it's time to hone your persuasive speech techniques. Find out what ethos, pathos, logos, and kairos are and how to use them here .

Looking to take your persuasive technique from speech to sheets (of paper)? Get our three key tips on how to write an argumentative essay , or learn by reading through our thorough breakdown of how to build an essay, step by step .

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Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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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 .

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• Writing Tips

50 Topics for a Persuasive Speech

5-minute read

• 13th January 2023

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

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

Choosing a Topic

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

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

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

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

Should free speech on the internet be restricted?

At what age should children have access to smartphones?

Does texting hinder interpersonal skills?

Should parents limit their children’s screen time?

Should laws prohibit using devices while driving?

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

Should the number of US Supreme Court Justices be increased?

Should voting be compulsory?

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

Should the electoral college system be abolished?

Should election procedures be standardized in all states?

Should the Senate filibuster be abolished?

Should the death penalty be legal?

Should states be allowed to have different abortion laws?

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

Should the US conduct a voluntary gun buyback program?

Are governments doing enough to address climate change?

Is student loan forgiveness fair?

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

Should plastic bags be banned in grocery stores?

What is the greatest threat to international stability?

What can be done to prevent cyber threats?

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

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

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

Is healthcare a human right?

Should access to abortion be required by healthcare providers?

Do school shooter drills damage students’ mental health?

Should vaccinations be required for students to attend public school?

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

Do school uniforms offer any advantages?

Are school dress codes gender biased?

Are standardized test scores given too much importance in schools?

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

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

Should indigenous languages be taught in schools?

Should immigrants have access to free language classes?

Should books ever be banned in schools?

Should elementary schools be required to teach a foreign language?

Should schools be cellphone free?

Should volunteering before graduation be compulsory?

Should school cafeterias serve more plant-based foods?

Should parents let their children play tackle football?

Should college sports teams receive less money?

Should there be more female priests or pastors of churches?

Should churches and other religious organizations pay taxes?

Should all priests be allowed to marry?

Should prayer be permitted in public schools?

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

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

Persuasion Isn’t All or Nothing

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

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

Step Up with Confidence

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

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April 5, 2024

235+ Ideas for persuasive speech topics

How to choose a great persuasive speech topic, inspiration and ideas, and example presentations for you to get started

Co-founder, CEO

Creating a great persuasive speech starts with picking the right topic. 

Some of these ideas are supposed to be funny, some are “easier” to create a speech around, and all of them offer the ability to take multiple sides or present multiple points of view.

Here are 235 of the best ideas for persuasive speech topics, categorized by topic area.

How to pick a topic for your persuasive speech

To make a great persuasive speech, you should pick a topic that meets the following criteria:

• You’re interested in the subject matter - Life is short! Don’t spend a bunch of time researching something that you don’t want to learn about.
• There are multiple perspectives - If there’s no need to persuade anyone, it’s not going to be a very effective speech.
• It’s relevant - Whether it’s relevant to your friends, classmates, or current events, there’s a reason to bring up this topic.
• You can bring insight - Whether you have a personal experience, unexpected facts, or can debunk some commonly misunderstood beliefs, surprising and educating your audience is one of the best ways to create an effective persuasive speech.

How to write a persuasive speech

The first step to writing your persuasive speech is to do a bit of research to understand the different viewpoints on the topic, form your personal opinion based on the facts, and then create a rough outline of your speech.

Depending on how long your presentation is , you will probably want to have 2 or 3 key points as well as supporting information about each of them.

Once you have the key points written out, you can write your full speech and create an accompanying presentation, if needed.

Create a first draft of your presentation with Plus AI

If you want to get a jump start on a first draft of the speech or presentation, you can also use a tool like Plus AI to quickly create a starting point for you, and edit it from there.

Most popular persuasive speech ideas

Here are some of the most popular ideas for persuasive speeches, based on topics we have seen in the past:

• Is student debt forgiveness a good idea?
• Should students be allowed to use AI ?
• Would universal basic income improve the day-to-day life of everyone?
• Should AI systems always be able to explain their decisions ?
• Are politicians getting too old to be effective?
• Is social media bad for you?
• Can money buy happiness ?
• Should religion be taught in schools?

Here’s an example presentation on whether students should be allowed to use AI .

Easy persuasive speech ideas

Here are some topics that should be easier persuasive speech ideas for students because you may already have a point of view or personal experiences that could enhance the content of your presentation.

• Should students be allowed to use AI tools?
• Should you exercise every day?
• Should we reduce the use of single-use plastics?
• Should voting be mandatory?
• Should schools teach kids a foreign language?
• Should schools teach financial management and other practical skills?
• Are phones and social media affecting how kids grow up?
• Should the government invest more money in space exploration?

Persuasive speech ideas about society

Here are some ideas for speeches about society and how we live where it could be interesting to share different points of view.

• Are romantic movies good for feminism? 
• Would universal basic income improve the day-to-day life of most people?
• How can education reduce social inequality?
• Is there still a stigma when people have mental health issues?
• Do people enjoy the commercialization of holidays?
• How should countries trade off the need for safety vs. privacy?
• How has reality TV changed dating?
• Why is religion becoming less important in modern society?
• Are communities stronger in urban areas or rural areas?
• Should schools encourage students to be politically active?
• Are we headed towards World War 3
• Is cancel culture a bad thing?

Persuasive speech ideas about AI

AI is a hot topic these days, and people have a lot of different opinions on AI. Here are some ideas that can help you find the perfect topic for a persuasive speech about AI.

• Should intelligent AIs have "human rights"?
• Who should be at fault if an AI system makes a bad decision?
• Will AI destroy jobs or lead to new forms of work for people?
• Who is the creator of an AI-generated artwork / book / song?
• Does AI increase inequality?
• How should people handle misinformation in the age of AI?
• Should AI systems always be able to explain their decisions?
• Will AI change the way we interact with other people in social situations?
• Should AI developers be reponsible for making AI behave ethically?
• Should there be a global regulatory framework for AI? 
• If AI performs better than human doctors, should it be allowed to make medical decisions?

Persuasive speech ideas about the environment

Given the media’s polarized coverage of climate change (see what I did there 😄), there are no shortage of opinions on the environment. Here are some interesting speech ideas on the environment.

• Should cities ban items like plastic bags and plastic straws?
• How should corporations be held responsible for climate change?
• Why is investing in renewable energy important?
• Should all endangered species be protected?
• Should farmers be forced to adopt water conservation policies?
• Are electric vehicles a failure?
• Should "fast fashion" be regulated in order to protect the environment?
• How can overfishing be prevented?
• Is nuclear energy a good solution or a threat?
• Is ecotourism good for local economies and ecosystems?
• Who should decide what makes a building "green"?
• Is "organic" a meaningless word today?
• Can technology solve our environmental problems?
• Should we limit the use of pesticides and chemicals in agriculture?
• Should countries limit the import and export of water?

Persuasive speech ideas about arts and culture

If you’re looking to do a persuasive speech on art or culture, there are certainly a lot of different opinions and interesting media assets you could share with your audience.

Here’s an example slide deck created by Plus AI on whether NFTs should be considered “art.”

• Should NFTs like Bored Apes be considered art?
• Has the quality of music gotten worse over time? 
• Should we keep reading literature that is offensive?
• Should people study video games as a form of art?
• Should paparazzi be allowed to invade celebrities' privacy?
• Should the government fund more arts and culture programs?
• When should art be censored?
• When does cultural exchange become cultural appropriation?
• Is AI-generated art really art?
• Is graffiti on public buildings art or vandalism?

Persuasive speech ideas about ethics

Ethics and moral dilemmas are a classic set of topics for persuasive speeches. Here are some of the traditional questions that often come up in this category as well as some newer ones based on the latest trends and news.

• Is political lobbying moral and ethical? 
• Is testing products on animals unethical?
• Should people be allowed to sell their kidneys?
• Should capital punishment exist as a form of justice?
• Should people have the right to euthanasia? 
• Is selecting for or against certain traits in embryos genetic engineering?
• Should governments be allowed to use torture in the name of national security?
• How should AI and robotic systems be used in warfare?
• What moral obligations do humans have towards animals and pets?
• What types of performance-enhancing treatments are ethical in sports?
• How should self-driving cars approach situations like the "trolley problem"?
• Are parents allowed to make decisions in the best interest of their children?
• Should prostitution be legal?

Persuasive speech ideas about health

People generally have a lot of opinions about their bodies and how to take care of them. Many debates come from other people having different opinions. Here are some persuasive speech ideas about healthcare and medicine.

• What should be taught in health education in schools? 
• Should we legalize more drugs and other illicit substances?
• Does the government have the right to declare vaccines mandatory?
• Does social media have positive impacts on mental health? 
• Would universal healthcare be a positive impact on our country?
• Who should be held responsible for the opioid crisis?
• Should the government discourage people from drinking alcohol?
• Are there benefits to cannabis use? 
• Should clinical trials use placebos?
• What is the best way to encourage people to exercise more? 
• Should pharmaceutical companies make drugs cheaper?
• How should organ transplants be allocated?
• Is alternative medicine legitimate?
• Is it ethical to develop life extension technologies?

Persuasive speech ideas about politics

Could there be a topic that needs more persuasive dialogue than politics? Here are some interesting speech ideas on the topics of politics and government.

We used Plus AI to generate this presentation on whether politicians are getting too old to be effective.

• Should we institute a mandatory military service or civil service program?
• Is there too much spending on the miltary?
• Should there always be term limits on elected officials? 
• How should we control the influence of money in politics?
• Should political campaigns be funded by the state?
• Do independent political candidates improve elections?
• How should we change our national immigration policies?
• How should public officials be held accountable for their actions?
• Should social media platforms be allowed to take sides in politics?
• Should our country be more focused on self-sufficiency or globalization?
• Are state-sponsored assassinations acceptable for national security?
• Should prisoners have the right to vote?

Persuasive speech ideas about sports

It might be hard to think about a fun topic like sports in the context of making a speech, but here are a few ideas on topics that can be both academic and relate to your passion in sports.

• Is there too much importance placed on football?
• Is betting in sports ethical? 
• Are athletes paid too much?
• Should athletes be allowed to take performance-enhancing drugs?
• Should physical education be a compulsory subject in school?
• Should female athletes be paid the same as male athletes?
• Do replays and other technologies enhance sports or take away from the experience?
• How important is racial representation in sports?
• Are animal sports like horse racing or bullfighting ethical?
• Are youth sports too commercialized?
• Should high school and college athletes be compensated?
• Should transgender athletes compete in gender-specific competitions?
• Is the celebrity culture of sports stars detrimental to the sport?

Persuasive speech ideas about technology

Technology is becoming one of the most important topics in the stock market, in politics, and in our everyday lives. Here are some ideas on interesting topics to present on in tech.

• Will cryptocurrency lead to stronger financial systems? 
• Should private companies be allowed to use facial recognition technology?
• Will automation hurt the economy and workforce?
• Should we place limits on the development of AI technology?
• Who should pay for space exploration?
• Should AI deepfake technology be banned?
• Can an AI be sentient?
• Should social media companies be allowed to collect so much user data?
• Is it ethical for scientists to develop gene editing technologies?
• Should AI companies be allowed to impersonate well-known public figures?
• How should tech companies handle censorship and content moderation?
• Is it good to pursue technology-driven solutions to immortality? 
• Has technology improved the quality of the average person's life over the last 10 years?
• Is lab-grown meat the future of food? 
• Should cloning be illegal?

Persuasive speech ideas about happiness

If you are going to be doing some research for this persuasive speech, you might as well learn something useful - like how to be happy! Here are some ideas on speeches about happiness:

• Can money buy happiness?
• Is the journey or the destination more important in being happy?
• What are the best ways to pursue happiness?
• Are older people happier?
• Is happiness a better measure of a country's success than economic output?
• Would teaching children mindfulness and mediation make them happier?
• Is volunteering one of the best ways to be happy?
• Does more choice lead to better decisions?
• Would getting rid of technology make people happier?

Persuasive speech ideas about work

Workaholics rejoice! If you want to spend some quality time researching and talking about work, here are some ideas.

• Is work life balance real? 
• Should companies offer unpaid internships?
• Do gig economy companies exploit their workers?
• Should companies be allowed to ask their employees to work after hours?
• Should companies monitor their employees' social media?
• Is the glass ceiling real or outdated?
• Is at-will employment a good thing for the economy?
• Are mandatory retirement ages discriminatory?
• Is remote work temporary or here to stay? 
• Should companies be allowed to use IQ tests and personality tests in hiring?
• Is outsourcing to lower cost locations ethical?
• Should employees be compensated purely on performance?
• Are DEI programs successful?
• Is it ethical for CEOs to get paid 1,000x more than employees?
• Are unions a good thing for workers?
• Should companies be responsible for employees' mental health?
• Would companies be more efficient with a four day workday?

Persuasive speech ideas about religion

Is it okay to talk about religion in a persuasive speech? Depends on the context, but sure! These are all about sharing your opinions and helping other people to understand your views.

Want to get a head start on your presentation? Here’s an example slide deck of whether churches should be classified as non-profits.

• Should churches be classified as non-profit organizations?
• Should religion play a role in the government?
• Is it moral to attempt to convert others to your religious beliefs?
• Can science and religion coexist?
• What happens if religious beliefs conflict with laws?
• How should religions promote interfaith dialogue?
• How should people deal with religious extremism?
• Is the commercialization of religious holidays bad?
• Should religious symbols be displayed in public spaces?
• Were any religious wars like the crusades morally justified?
• Should governments fund religious schools?
• Should religious groups be exempt from medical treatments or military service?

Persuasive speech ideas about animals

Here are some speech ideas if you want to talk about animals and find cute pictures of pets.

• Should animals be used in research instead of humans? 
• Is it ethical to use animals in entertainment and agriculture? 
• Is factory farming an unethical way to raise animals?
• Should pet ownership be regulated?
• Is it okay to hunt animals for sport? for subsistence?
• How should people manage invasive species? 
• Should people be allowed to keep exotic animals as pets?
• Is it moral to breed animals in captivity? If the animals are endangered?
• Should we respect cultural practices that involve the killing of animals?
• Are animals intelligent or self-aware?
• Should puppy mills be banned?

Persuasive speech ideas about mental health

Mental health is a serious topic, and if you want to do a speech on mental health, here are some idea starters.

• How should we destigmatize mental illness?
• Should we teach kids about mental health from an early age?
• How should schools support students dealing with mental health issues?
• Should employers give employees mental health days?
• Why is there a crisis in loneliness and mental health?
• Do conservatives have better mental health than liberals?
• Could we solve homelessness and crime by focusing on mental health?
• Should the government fund more mental health research?
• Is technology a major driver of the decrease in mental health?
• How can mental health be better integrated into primary care?

Funny persuasive speech ideas

If you’re looking for funny topics for a speech, you’re probably a lot more funny than the guy who is writing this blog post, but here are some ideas we came up with.

• What is the best fast food chain?
• What is the best Netflix reality show?
• Are McFlurrys better than Blizzards?
• Does every adult need a nap time? 
• Are cats better than dogs?
• Should you procrastinate?
• Should teenagers run the government?
• Is tea better than coffee?
• Are night owls more intelligent?
• Is chocolate the best food group? 
• Does toilet paper go over or under the roll?
• Should you shower at morning or at night?
• Should you take your shoes off in the house? 
• Is there evidence that the earth is flat?
• Should we get rid of Daylight Savings Time?
• Should dessert be the first course of every meal?

If you’re worried about coming up with an original idea for your persuasive speech, hopefully this list gives you some ideas and inspiration. 

If you’re done and ready to get started, check out Plus AI for Google Slides and Docs as a way to create a first draft of your speech and slide deck!

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The Admissions Strategist

191 best persuasive speech topics: give an amazing speech.

Does the thought of public speaking make you cringe?

While almost everyone experiences some stage fright speaking in front of an audience, there are ways to tame this debilitating fear.

Half the battle of giving a speech is selecting a topic that engages your audience.

For any speech, whether informative or persuasive, your speech idea should meet these criteria:

• Well-researched with solid examples and evidence
• Broad enough to be universal, narrow enough to be original
• Meaningful and customized to your audience

Additionally, you should possess a measure of expertise on your topic.

Understanding the nuances of what you are speaking about is a sure way to ease those jitters. This is how you come up with the best speech idea.

When choosing a persuasive speech topic, all of the above criteria apply, along with a few additional requirements.

Click above to watch a video on Speech Topics.

What Makes a Good Persuasive Speech Topic?

While an informative speech merely presents factual information, a good informative speech topic goes a step further.

• The goal of a persuasive speech is to convince the audience that your perspective is valid.

This does not mean that the audience will agree with every opinion you present, but a good persuasive speech makes the audience think* .

A great persuasive speech makes an audience act.

As transcendentalist writer Ralph Waldo Emerson said: “Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel.”

Therefore, a strong persuasive speaker will:

• Present a clear and sincere perspective. The audience should not be questioning your stance on an issue.
• Exhibit passion that inspires others to think or act.
• Be confident in both your perspective and topic.

Not all persuasive speeches need to be deeply controversial, but there should be some gray area in your chosen topic.

Political , social and ethical issues make compelling persuasive speech topics for this reason.

The persuasive speech should address a burning question that incites intellectual debate:

• Should strict gun control laws be implemented?
• Is it possible to be an animal lover and a carnivore?
• Is the government at fault for the increasing homeless population?

Such questions may seem divisive, but, in a civilized society, they are essential to ask.

Posing such questions directly to your audience during your speech engages a group in the Socratic Method of critical thinking.

Furthermore, if a topic isn’t inherently controversial, then it might not make the most powerful speech.

Your job as a persuasive speaker is to argue your point, which is not necessary to do on topics that most people agree on.

In that vein, here are a handful of topics that would not make for good persuasive speeches.

• Learning a foreign language is important.
• Fighting in overseas wars can be dangerous.
• Social Security income is not sufficient for many retired Americans.
• Technical skills are crucial in the 21st-century job market.
• Cardiovascular fitness improves longevity.

…And you get the picture. So, what does make a good persuasive speech topic? Well, there are at least 191 answers to that question.

Get personalized advice!

191 best persuasive speech topics.

Before we reveal the 191 best persuasive speech topics, let’s preview each of the categories:

• Politics and law : This topic revolves around pressing issues including voting, Supreme Court decisions, political leadership, and criminal justice.
• Environmental activism : Climate change, offshore oil drilling, and green technology are just a few of the hot-button issues you’ll discover in this category.
• Social justice : Covering all issues of equality, social justice topics invite debate – and demand solid supporting facts or powerhouse emotional appeals .
• Ethics : Comprising our basic morals and values that drive our behaviors, the ethics category examines how to deal with issues like animal abuse, abortion, and stem cell research.
• Health : Regarding important issues like our food supply, how should we best protect and promote human health in the 21 st century?
• Potpourri : And now we come to the miscellaneous category of “everything else.” You’ll find engaging or even entertaining ideas related to music, movies, curriculum, and more.

Take a deep breath and read on!

Politics and Law

• Alternative political parties (i.e., Green Party, Libertarian Party, etc.)
• Declaring “Independent” or “No Party Affiliation” on voter registration.
• Should voters with no party affiliation be allowed to vote in primary elections?
• Are newly proposed voter registration laws discriminatory?
• How many terms should politicians be allowed to serve?
• Popular vote vs. Electoral College
• Are women underrepresented in Congress?
• Swing states (i.e., Florida and Ohio)
• Do current proposed abortion laws violate Roe v. Wade?
• Political correctness versus freedom of speech
• Terrorist watch lists – safety precaution or blatant prejudice?
• Corporate lobbyists and campaign contributions
• Are laws too lenient on violent criminals?
• Tax responsibility: income tax, property tax, sales tax.
• Should the voting age be increased or decreased?
• Capital punishment: right or wrong?
• DNA evidence in criminal cases: is it enough?
• Should criminal minors be prosecuted and sentenced as adults?
• How to deal with the issue of illegal immigration
• Should cigarettes be taken off the market and made illegal?
• Legalization of Marijuana
• Should health insurance be mandatory by law?
• Is the death penalty obsolete?
• Private vs. Public Prisons
• Should politicians be allowed to use private donations to campaign?
• Is it right for the government to fund partisan organizations?
• Appointment of Supreme Court Justice
• How can the mass shooting crisis be solved?
• Minimum wage: should it exist or be forgotten?
• Should citizens be required to serve in the military for a period of time?
• Gun rights on school campuses: is it safe?
• Military members and income tax

Environmental Activism

• Hybrid and electric cars on the road
• Oil spills and world wildlife
• Saving rainforests and their indigenous species
• Palm oil: should it be outlawed?
• Make all bills and business correspondence paperless.
• Dangers of drilling for oil
• Replacing plastic with glass and cardboard
• Trophy hunting: should the penalties be harsher?
• Banning disposable diapers in favor of cloth diapers
• Benefits of public transportation, biking, walking, or carpooling
• Conserving water in our everyday lives
• Wildfires on the rise in California
• Greenhouse gas emissions in Asia
• Global climate change and increased severity of storms
• Growing food as a homesteader
• Impact of big box stores on the environment
• Impact of online retailers’ packaging and shipping on the environment
• Turning the practice of recycling into a law punishable by hefty fines
• Overfishing and dwindling populations of marine wildlife
• Factory farms and greenhouse gas emissions
• Controlling E. Coli and other food borne illnesses
• Are is worth it to ban plastic straws?
• Drones and the environment
• Should hunting be outlawed in national parks to protect its wildlife?
• Hair care and air quality
• Better education for at home waste management
• Should it be illegal to flush certain things into the sewage system?
• Is it right to cut down a tree for the holidays?
• How do marijuana farms affect the surrounding area’s environment?
• Water contamination: What preventative measures can be taken?
• How to reduce your carbon footprint
• Should new homes support solar energy only?
• Organic farming practices

Social Justice

• Do you agree with the research on equal pay between men and women?
• Should government employees go without pay during a shutdown?
• Police brutality and shootings (in general or a specific case in the news such as Philando Castile in Minnesota)
• Should all policemen wear body cameras?
• Is racial discrimination on the rise? Why or why not?
• Scholarship opportunities for minority students
• The benefits (or challenges) of a multicultural society
• Should bullies be expelled from school?
• What can be done about anonymous online bullying?
• Unrealistic beauty/body standards and self-image
• How to create a strong community
• Welfare, SNAP, and other social assistance programs
• The 40-hour work week is too long.
• Comparing the work week in Europe to the work week in the United States
• Caring for an aging population: are Social Security and Medicare enough?
• Civil lawsuits should not receive so much attention in the media.
• Racial and ethnic profiling (including FBI criminal profiling)
• Being a foster or adoptive parent
• Buying local builds up the community.
• Refusing to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance
• Battling stereotypes and making them obsolete
• Mandatory community service for all U.S. citizens
• Is common law marriage outdated?
• Should companies be allowed to deny service to anyone?
• Changing gender on a driver’s license
• Affirmative Action today
• DACA DREAMers Movement
• Legalization of gay marriage
• Should individuals be allowed to adopt?
• Re-sentencing for crimes involving marijuana in states where it is now legal
• Unlimited Paid Time Off vs Accrued time off
• License revoking for older drivers: is it against their rights?
• Wearing fur or using fur for any profit
• Mistreatment of farm animals: what is the solution?
• How do we address the increasing problem of homelessness?
• Tithing – how much should each person give?
• Euthanasia for terminally ill individuals
• Was it right for Dr. Kevorkian (assisted suicide physician) to be imprisoned?
• Pet shops and breeders versus shelters
• Returning or rehoming pets: is it right?
• Preselecting the gender and other aspects of an unborn baby
• Abortion: pro-choice or pro-life?
• Product testing on animals in labs
• Stem cell research
• Protecting children from inappropriate websites
• When should a child be allowed to have a smartphone?
• Should children be allowed into an R-rated movie even with a guardian?
• Should violent movies and video games be banned?
• Do zoos and circuses abuse animals?
• Arranged marriage: a cultural tradition or outdated practice?
• Raising children without being married
• How to impart ethical behavior to the next generation
• Ethics as a mandatory high school class
• Do parents deceive children by telling tales of Santa Claus?
• Should pharmaceutical patents be removed so affordable generics can be made?
• 13 Reasons Why: Did it glorify suicide?
• Wrongful termination case study
• Is the borrowing limit for student loans too high?
• Pay for play in college athletics
• Performance enhancing steroids in competitive sports
• Is it right to own a gun for personal protection?
• Mandated reporting (Mandated reporters are individuals who are required to report any information they receive about abuse, suicidal ideation, etc.)
• Can an influencer be held responsible if they promote a harmful product unknowingly?
• Conventional versus organic produce
• Food additives, preservatives, and cancer rates
• Meat consumption and its effects on life expectancy
• Dangers of sitting at a desk all day
• Fast food industry and obesity rates
• Medical marijuana to treat chronic conditions
• GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) in foods: to label or not to label?
• Mandatory CPR and First Aid training for new parents
• School cafeteria food and children’s health
• Alternative uses of oral contraceptives
• Restaurant responsibility with peanut, gluten, and other allergies
• Everyday products that could be dangerous: deodorant, toothpaste, etc.
• Teaching yoga and meditation in public schools
• Moving from the “medical model” to holistic health
• Massages as necessities rather than luxuries
• Which vitamin supplements are worthless and should go off the market?
• The mind-body connection and its influence on health
• Social media and mental health
• The cumulative effects of poor sleep (and how electronics impact our sleep)
• IVF (Invitro fertilization): Should becoming a parent be covered?
• Should there be more physical education in schools?
• Is diabetes reversible?
• Doctors and insurance: should they accept all insurance?
• Do detox diets really work?
• Is binge-watching Netflix bad for our health?
• Keto vs Paleo vs Vegan: which is better?
• Should a patient be allowed to deny medical care?
• Pre-existing conditions and insurance rates
• Employers should offer mental health days without question
• Alternative sex education (not abstinence-only and inclusive of LGBT lifestyle)
• Mind-body fitness versus traditional Western sports
• Best genre and time period of music
• Healthiest world cuisine
• Uneven distribution of wealth: the top 1% versus everyone else
• Cost of living versus average salaries
• What to do about cults, gangs, and similar groups
• How to get accepted into an Ivy League school
• Religion versus spiritualism
• Survival skills should be taught in school.
• Benefits of forest schools for children
• The best U.S. President in history
• The most influential leader or figure in history
• Most effective ways to manage stress
• Obscure movies that people should watch
• Multitasking: fact or fiction?
• Buying a house versus renting an apartment
• Most exciting travel destination
• How to ace any test
• Overcoming social anxiety
• How our phones are hurting our eyes
• Are multi-level marketing companies really pyramid schemes?
• Protests: are they effective?
• Is a wedding reception worth the price tag?
• Should catfishing be a criminal offense?
• Mandatory study abroad semester in college
• Student loan borrowing: should it ever be forgiven?
• Responsible credit card strategies
• Living with parents to save money
• Can someone find true love on The Bachelor?
• Telemarketers and Harassment
• Marvel vs DC

And there you have it – 100+ unique topics to stoke your imagination and help you identify your passion.

Feel free to go beyond these springboard ideas or customize them to your perspective.

Advice from Persuasive Speech Experts

To help you out even more, we asked the experts on the best tips for giving a persuasive speech.

From Melora Kordos, visiting assistant professor of theatre arts at Sweet Briar College:

When selecting a persuasive speech topic, a student should first look to her own interests and passions. If she chooses something that she cares deeply about or has great interest in, then she will be able to more easily identify the best three points that support her argument and focus on those in her speech. If she is not already engaged in the topic, it will be much harder to persuade others to agree with her point of view. She should use both logical and emotional appeals throughout her speech, giving her a better chance of resonating with a larger percentage of her audience.

From Dr. Allison Beltramini, associate professor of communications at Waubonsee Community College:

When doing a persuasive  speech , it’s helpful to choose a topic that you personally believe in or support. It’s much easier to speak on something that you have a connection to. The next tip is to do your homework. This includes exploring the opposite side of the issue. Your audience needs to know that you are well-versed in the topic. Incorporate this research to support the claims you are making. Curate your sources carefully. Know who/what organizations are behind the sources you are using. And please, verbally cite your sources. Using research without the verbal citations in your  speech  is plagiarism. Persuasion is incremental. You can’t just tell someone something and expect they will believe you. You have to set up the issue, show how the problem effect people, talk about what will help or fix the problem and show why the solutions will work. All of these steps are vital. Finally – practice is essential. Your  speech  should be prepared but conversational. Reading to an audience word for word is not a good idea.

From Nate Masterson, HR manager of Maple Holistics :

The key to giving a persuasive  speech  is to engage your audience, and there are several ways to do this. Firstly, make eye contact with different people in the audience, but make sure to scan the whole room and not just focus on one area. Also, research the group of people you will be addressing so that you better know their priorities, cultural norms, inside jokes, etc. To make sure that your speech is sufficiently compelling, stick to just a few main talking points or objectives. This will ensure that your speech stays focused and that you can spend adequate time and energy backing up these main points without boring your audience.

From Jeffrey Davis, executive speech coach at Speak Clear Communications :

First, the best speakers build their argument emotionally as well as logically. Every point has a complelling story attached to it. Second, they make arguments that are novel and innovative. The “how” of the argument is as important as the “why.” Lastly, great speakers do not hold back on hand gestures!  Gesturing is scientifically proven to enhance a speaker’s impression with the audience.

From Bridgett McGowen, CEO of BMcTALKS :

While it’s important your audience has a memorable experience during your presentation and that it learns something new or gains a new perspective on something it already knew, it is equally important to move the audience to actually do something with what you shared … something that will inspire or change their lives, professions, or communities … because you are there to persuade! Remember any time you present, consistently think to yourself “In what difference-making endeavor do I want my audience to join?” or “Now that everyone has heard this, now what?” Give them the answers to those questions to further your persuasive message.

From Martha Krejci, business coaching leader :

Don’t write everything out! The last thing you want to do is look like you’re reading a speech verbatim. You want to illuminate your authority in the field you are speaking about. Reading does not do that….at all. So, here’s what I do. I think about the end goal of what I’m trying to communicate. Then, reverse engineer the points that take us there. Write the points out on a notecard if you need it, or if you’re lucky enough to have a teleprompter, use that. And finally, above all…tell stories! Don’t just have a bunch of dry information that anyone with a wifi signal could google. Tell stories that bring your audience into your problem, but also your solution you propose. If you can master storytelling, you may just be surprised by how good you can get at public speaking.

From Neil Thompson, founder of Teach the Geek :

Telling an easy-to-follow story is crucial in being persuasive. If people have to think too hard to understand what you’re talking about, they’re less likely to listen. If they don’t listen, you won’t have a chance to persuade them. If there are studies, surveys, or other types of data that can vouch for what you’re saying, that’ll also go a long way to persuading others. Lastly, you have to believe what you’re talking about. If you truly believe your message, it’ll shine through and people will be inclined to believe you, too.

From Adam Cole, expert writer and author:

Number one is the invitation to listen. It ensures that the listener has a context in which to understand what you are presenting so that everyone is on the same page when the important information comes. The invitation may contain relevant humorous anecdotes to break the tension and present the speaker as appealing, and it must be accessible enough that the listener will at least know what the topic is and why they should care. Number two is the topic. Depending on the complexity of the topic, it should be structured for maximum clarity. While humor and anecdotes can be used to illustrate the point, they should not distract from it or become the focus (unless the task is to highlight the speaker, rather than the topic, which is ok). Number three is the follow-through. If the listener has learned something, a good summation will help them retain the most important points from the learning so that they can remember it and follow up with more learning (perhaps from the speaker’s books, videos, or other appearances!) Taking the topic and framing it in terms of an action step for the audience may be a powerful way for them to keep the presentation (and the speaker) in their heads.

Conclusion: Best Persuasive Speech Topics

Remember, your passion and expertise on the topic will translate to audience engagement – and hopefully a good grade!

• Delivering a persuasive speech doesn’t have to be a nerve-wracking experience if you’re prepared and passionate.

In the words of Cicero: “A good orator is pointed and impassioned.”

To follow the advice of the great Roman orator, find your passion and then express it through your persuasive speech.

The skills you develop now in this area will benefit you throughout your professional and personal life.

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Persuasive speech ideas

100 good persuasive speech topics for high school students

By:  Susan Dugdale  

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

My goal is to help you do that easily! ☺ 

What you'll find on this page:

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

Notes covering:

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

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

How to pick the right persuasive speech topic

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

What makes a speech topic good?

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

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

Return to Top

Beware! Some persuasive speech topics are tired

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

Most people do not want to listen to another speech:

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

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

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

Remember - local and topical is GOOD

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

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

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

The 'Wellywood' sign saga

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to use this list of speech topic suggestions

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

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

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

Other important factors to consider

Any of these could also influence your choice.

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

100+ good persuasive speech ideas

Animals/birds ...

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

Arts/Culture

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

Business/Economy

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

Social/Community

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

Environment

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

Global/World

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

Government/Law/Politics

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

Science/Technology

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

Getting from compelling topic to persuasive speech

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

Resources for preparation 

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

Image per courtesy Purdue University

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

More persuasive speech topics to choose from

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

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

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How to Write and Structure a Persuasive Speech

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The purpose of a persuasive speech is to convince your audience to agree with an idea or opinion that you present. First, you'll need to choose a side on a controversial topic, then you will write a speech to explain your position, and convince the audience to agree with you.

You can produce an effective persuasive speech if you structure your argument as a solution to a problem. Your first job as a speaker is to convince your audience that a particular problem is important to them, and then you must convince them that you have the solution to make things better.

Note: You don't have to address a real problem. Any need can work as the problem. For example, you could consider the lack of a pet, the need to wash one's hands, or the need to pick a particular sport to play as the "problem."

As an example, let's imagine that you have chosen "Getting Up Early" as your persuasion topic. Your goal will be to persuade classmates to get themselves out of bed an hour earlier every morning. In this instance, the problem could be summed up as "morning chaos."

A standard speech format has an introduction with a great hook statement, three main points, and a summary. Your persuasive speech will be a tailored version of this format.

Before you write the text of your speech, you should sketch an outline that includes your hook statement and three main points.

Writing the Text

The introduction of your speech must be compelling because your audience will make up their minds within a few minutes whether or not they are interested in your topic.

Before you write the full body you should come up with a greeting. Your greeting can be as simple as "Good morning everyone. My name is Frank."

After your greeting, you will offer a hook to capture attention. A hook sentence for the "morning chaos" speech could be a question:

• How many times have you been late for school?
• Does your day begin with shouts and arguments?
• Have you ever missed the bus?

Or your hook could be a statistic or surprising statement:

• More than 50 percent of high school students skip breakfast because they just don't have time to eat.
• Tardy kids drop out of school more often than punctual kids.

Once you have the attention of your audience, follow through to define the topic/problem and introduce your solution. Here's an example of what you might have so far:

Good afternoon, class. Some of you know me, but some of you may not. My name is Frank Godfrey, and I have a question for you. Does your day begin with shouts and arguments? Do you go to school in a bad mood because you've been yelled at, or because you argued with your parent? The chaos you experience in the morning can bring you down and affect your performance at school.

Add the solution:

You can improve your mood and your school performance by adding more time to your morning schedule. You can accomplish this by setting your alarm clock to go off one hour earlier.

Your next task will be to write the body, which will contain the three main points you've come up with to argue your position. Each point will be followed by supporting evidence or anecdotes, and each body paragraph will need to end with a transition statement that leads to the next segment. Here is a sample of three main statements:

• Bad moods caused by morning chaos will affect your workday performance.
• If you skip breakfast to buy time, you're making a harmful health decision.
• (Ending on a cheerful note) You'll enjoy a boost to your self-esteem when you reduce the morning chaos.

After you write three body paragraphs with strong transition statements that make your speech flow, you are ready to work on your summary.

Your summary will re-emphasize your argument and restate your points in slightly different language. This can be a little tricky. You don't want to sound repetitive but will need to repeat what you have said. Find a way to reword the same main points.

Finally, you must make sure to write a clear final sentence or passage to keep yourself from stammering at the end or fading off in an awkward moment. A few examples of graceful exits:

• We all like to sleep. It's hard to get up some mornings, but rest assured that the reward is well worth the effort.
• If you follow these guidelines and make the effort to get up a little bit earlier every day, you'll reap rewards in your home life and on your report card.

Tips for Writing Your Speech

• Don't be confrontational in your argument. You don't need to put down the other side; just convince your audience that your position is correct by using positive assertions.
• Use simple statistics. Don't overwhelm your audience with confusing numbers.
• Don't complicate your speech by going outside the standard "three points" format. While it might seem simplistic, it is a tried and true method for presenting to an audience who is listening as opposed to reading.
• How to Write a Persuasive Essay
• 5 Tips on How to Write a Speech Essay
• Tips on How to Write an Argumentative Essay
• Writing an Opinion Essay
• How To Write an Essay
• 5 Steps to Writing a Position Paper
• How to Structure an Essay
• Ethos, Logos, Pathos for Persuasion
• What Is Expository Writing?
• Audience Analysis in Speech and Composition
• Definition and Examples of Analysis in Composition
• 100 Persuasive Speech Topics for Students
• What an Essay Is and How to Write One
• How to Write a Good Thesis Statement
• 100 Persuasive Essay Topics
• How to Write a Graduation Speech as Valedictorian

125+ Persuasive Speech Topics To Amaze Your Audience

Reviewed by:

Former Admissions Committee Member, Columbia University

Reviewed: 12/15/23

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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Persuasive Speeches — Types, Topics, and Examples

What is a persuasive speech?

In a persuasive speech, the speaker aims to convince the audience to accept a particular perspective on a person, place, object, idea, etc. The speaker strives to cause the audience to accept the point of view presented in the speech.

The success of a persuasive speech often relies on the speaker’s use of ethos, pathos, and logos.

Ethos is the speaker’s credibility. Audiences are more likely to accept an argument if they find the speaker trustworthy. To establish credibility during a persuasive speech, speakers can do the following:

Use familiar language.

Select examples that connect to the specific audience.

Utilize credible and well-known sources.

Logically structure the speech in an audience-friendly way.

Use appropriate eye contact, volume, pacing, and inflection.

Pathos appeals to the audience’s emotions. Speakers who create an emotional bond with their audience are typically more convincing. Tapping into the audience’s emotions can be accomplished through the following:

Select evidence that can elicit an emotional response.

Use emotionally-charged words. (The city has a problem … vs. The city has a disease …)

Incorporate analogies and metaphors that connect to a specific emotion to draw a parallel between the reference and topic.

Utilize vivid imagery and sensory words, allowing the audience to visualize the information.

Employ an appropriate tone, inflection, and pace to reflect the emotion.

Logos appeals to the audience’s logic by offering supporting evidence. Speakers can improve their logical appeal in the following ways:

Use comprehensive evidence the audience can understand.

Confirm the evidence logically supports the argument’s claims and stems from credible sources.

Ensure that evidence is specific and avoid any vague or questionable information.

Types of persuasive speeches

The three main types of persuasive speeches are factual, value, and policy.

A factual persuasive speech focuses solely on factual information to prove the existence or absence of something through substantial proof. This is the only type of persuasive speech that exclusively uses objective information rather than subjective. As such, the argument does not rely on the speaker’s interpretation of the information. Essentially, a factual persuasive speech includes historical controversy, a question of current existence, or a prediction:

Historical controversy concerns whether an event happened or whether an object actually existed.

Questions of current existence involve the knowledge that something is currently happening.

Predictions incorporate the analysis of patterns to convince the audience that an event will happen again.

A value persuasive speech concerns the morality of a certain topic. Speakers incorporate facts within these speeches; however, the speaker’s interpretation of those facts creates the argument. These speeches are highly subjective, so the argument cannot be proven to be absolutely true or false.

A policy persuasive speech centers around the speaker’s support or rejection of a public policy, rule, or law. Much like a value speech, speakers provide evidence supporting their viewpoint; however, they provide subjective conclusions based on the facts they provide.

How to write a persuasive speech

Incorporate the following steps when writing a persuasive speech:

Step 1 – Identify the type of persuasive speech (factual, value, or policy) that will help accomplish the goal of the presentation.

Step 2 – Select a good persuasive speech topic to accomplish the goal and choose a position .

Step 3 – Locate credible and reliable sources and identify evidence in support of the topic/position. Revisit Step 2 if there is a lack of relevant resources.

Step 4 – Identify the audience and understand their baseline attitude about the topic.

Step 5 – When constructing an introduction , keep the following questions in mind:

What’s the topic of the speech?

What’s the occasion?

Who’s the audience?

What’s the purpose of the speech?

Step 6 – Utilize the evidence within the previously identified sources to construct the body of the speech. Keeping the audience in mind, determine which pieces of evidence can best help develop the argument. Discuss each point in detail, allowing the audience to understand how the facts support the perspective.

Step 7 – Addressing counterarguments can help speakers build their credibility, as it highlights their breadth of knowledge.

Step 8 – Conclude the speech with an overview of the central purpose and how the main ideas identified in the body support the overall argument.

Persuasive speech outline

One of the best ways to prepare a great persuasive speech is by using an outline. When structuring an outline, include an introduction, body, and conclusion:

Introduction

Attention Grabbers

Ask a question that allows the audience to respond in a non-verbal way; ask a rhetorical question that makes the audience think of the topic without requiring a response.

Incorporate a well-known quote that introduces the topic. Using the words of a celebrated individual gives credibility and authority to the information in the speech.

Offer a startling statement or information about the topic, typically done using data or statistics.

Provide a brief anecdote or story that relates to the topic.

Starting a speech with a humorous statement often makes the audience more comfortable with the speaker.

Provide information on how the selected topic may impact the audience .

Include any background information pertinent to the topic that the audience needs to know to understand the speech in its entirety.

Give the thesis statement in connection to the main topic and identify the main ideas that will help accomplish the central purpose.

Identify evidence

Summarize its meaning

Explain how it helps prove the support/main claim

Evidence 3 (Continue as needed)

Support 3 (Continue as needed)

Restate thesis

Review main supports

Concluding statement

Give the audience a call to action to do something specific.

Identify the overall importan ce of the topic and position.

Persuasive speech topics

The following table identifies some common or interesting persuasive speech topics for high school and college students:

Persuasive speech examples

The following list identifies some of history’s most famous persuasive speeches:

John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address: “Ask Not What Your Country Can Do for You”

Lyndon B. Johnson: “We Shall Overcome”

Marc Antony: “Friends, Romans, Countrymen…” in William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar

Ronald Reagan: “Tear Down this Wall”

Sojourner Truth: “Ain’t I a Woman?”

237 Easy Persuasive Speech Topics and Guide

A persuasive speech is a speech written and delivered to convince people of the speaker’s viewpoint. It uses words to make the audience ‘see’ the speaker’s point of view and to ‘sway’ them into agreeing with it.

It is not a simple matter of presenting gathered facts and evidence. More than just seeing why the speaker thinks that way, a persuasive speech tries to persuade the audience in accepting that line of thought and make it the way they, too, think.

To jump to the persuasive speech topic section, click here .

This is where it differs from an argument. The difference between an argumentative and persuasive speech is that one tries to prove a point while the other tries to affect the listener’s perspective.

• Informative Speech Topics and Ideas
• Toastmasters Project 9: Persuade With Power

Table of Contents

Satisfaction

Visualization, writing introduction for persuasive speech, persuasive speech videos, persuasive speech topics, persuasive speech topics about animals and pets, persuasive speech topics about automobiles, persuasive speech topics about education, persuasive speech topics about environment, persuasive speech topics about ethical issues, persuasive speech topics about food, persuasive speech topics about health.

Some examples of a persuasive speech are sales pitch, the speech of politicians, the speech of environmentalists, the speech of feminists, the speech of animal activists, etc.

In the above examples, you must have noticed that all these kind of speech has a goal. A sales pitch is to get you to buy something, politicians give speeches to get you to vote for them, and environmentalists, feminists, and animal activists have a cause to advocate. They all want you to ‘do’ something.

Action is a persuasive speech’s end goal. Ultimately, the speaker wants to persuade you to do something. And why would you do that?

Say, an environmentalist wants people to re-cycle because they think or know that it is good for the environment. Now, it is the people who need to know and think recycling is good for the environment. Only then they would recycle.

Therefore, a more complete definition of a persuasive speech would be “Speech that convinces the audience of a certain idea to inspire them into the desired action.”

Art of Persuasion

Persuasive speech is an art form.

Take an example of a man who was begging in the street. He had a hat in front of him and a sign that said “I am blind, please help” He got a few coins. Then, a lady came along, turned the sign around, and wrote something. A lot more people started to give the man money. His hat was filled with coins. What did that lady write? What persuaded people to give?

“Today is a beautiful day and I cannot see it.”

The second line got him more money because it ‘affected’ people, it appealed to their emotions more than the straightforward “I am blind, please help.” This is called pathos.

According to Aristotle, there are three components of or modes to affect people. They are Ethos, Pathos, and Logos.

Ethos in layman’s terms is credibility or authority. The dictionary defines it as “the character or disposition of a community, group, person, etc.” So, you need to have that disposition that makes you a reliable or trustable person.

For example, a woman talking about women’s problems is more likely to have an effect on the audience than a male speaker. The principal comes into the class and tells you ‘Tomorrow is a holiday and no questions will be asked. But if your teacher says so, you will investigate first. You will be more eager to listen to a popular person in the field than to a newbie.

It is having an effect on people by your person so that they would be more receiving of you.

Pathos in Greek means ‘suffering’ or ‘experience’. It is generally defined as an appeal to people’s emotions. Like in the story of the blind boy above, Pathos is to tap into people’s experience of suffering in order to move them towards a certain action.

Of course, those people have not experienced blindness but they can imagine losing the privilege of sight that they now possess. In simple words, it is to evoke feelings of pity, fear, anger, and such.

Logos is the logical appeal. This is to persuade by the means of reasoning. If the speaker makes a claim such as ‘polythene bags should be banned, then he should give a reason as to ‘why’ like ‘polythene bags do not biodegrade and continue to pollute the environment or facts like ‘Thousands of bags are produced every week and are dumped somewhere after use’ or ‘every bag produced since 19_ still exists somewhere on earth today.’

Presentation- Monroe’s motivated sequence

Presentation is very important. It is the backbone. How you perform your speech, how you deliver the words have the maximum effect on people. Therefore, a speech needs to be organized.

Monroe’s motivated sequence is a technique for organizing persuasive speech. It consists of the following steps.

Grab their attention. Start with a startling statement, an intriguing story, a dramatic action, anything that will make the audience take notice of you. This is also the introduction part. Hook them. Build their interest.

Now, convince the people that there is a problem. More than that, convince them that action needs to be taken against the problem, that it will not go away by itself. Tap into their imagination to show how this problem affects them. Use reasons and facts to support your claims and to impress upon them the need for change.

The audience should be looking forward to the ‘solution’ to the problem. They should want to know what they can do. In this step, introduce your solution. Demonstrate or give examples to make the audience understand how it works and how it solves the problem. Use testimonials or statistics to prove the effectiveness of that solution.

Paint a world where nothing was done and how it affected them. Also, paint a world where they did as you suggested and how it changed the situation for the better. Use vivid imagery to make them ‘feel’ the troubles and relief of not doing and doing as you said. Create a viable scenario. It should be relatable and believable.

Call to action. Strike when the iron is hot. It should be something that they can readily do and immediately. More the time passes less they are likely to follow with it as other things in life take precedence and the feeling of urgency is lost. Make it easy too. Do most of the handiwork so they have to put the least effort.

This is a classic technique developed by Alan Monroe in the mid-1930s. It is still the most effective basis for many persuasive speeches.

Some people are born with the skill of persuasion while others can build on it by applying such techniques and practicing. Here are some Persuasive Speech Topics that you can practice with.

Take a look at the video below. It explains how to write an introduction for a persuasive speech.

Below are 6 sample videos of persuasive speeches.

• Why homeschooling is good and should be promoted. (School)

Some students do better in a group with a healthy competition to keep them motivated. Some children are better off studying on their own, continuing at their own fast or slow pace which is hindered when moving along with other children.

• Students should get minimum of 45 minutes tiffin break. (School)

All work and no play make Jack a dull boy. Keeping children cooped up in a room for a long is not good. They need regular refreshing breaks to revitalize, to talk with their friends…

• Is it racism to ban Marijuana when smoking tobacco is legal? (Funny)

Everybody knows cigarettes are harmful and addictive. Yet, there are big industries manufacturing these drugs on a large scale. Then there is Marijuana that is less harmful, less addictive, and has dozens of use; is it not racism to ban it?

• Some juveniles needs to be prosecuted as adults. (School?)

More and more teenagers are committing heinous crimes. They know they will get off easy, that they will not face serious consequences. According to the level of savagery committed, juveniles should at times be prosecuted as adults.

• Are pretty or handsome students really dumber? (School)

This is just a stereotype, just like saying women are less logical and others. Or. That appears to hold true in most cases. As time is limited, people who spend more time on appearance spend less time learning and those who spend time learning fails to look after their appearance.

• Proficiency in academics is not the only measure of intelligence. (School)

Are grades everything? Different people possess different types of intelligence but grades measure only a few kinds. Is it not like judging a fish on its ability to climb a tree?

• What is the right age to start owing a mobile phone? (Parenting)

Most parents believe that the right age to own mobile is when children can pay for it so that they can be aware of their expenditure. Else, they might engage in long, unnecessary conversation and…

• Should children be bought a mobile phone for emergencies? (Parenting)

Mobiles or cell phones are the fastest means of communication. Should children, therefore, be allowed to owe mobiles so that they can contact their guardians in case of emergency?

• Homework should be banned. (School)

Children spend most of their waking hours in school. They have only a few hours at the home to do things other than academics. But homework is the tag along with that…

• Should men pay child support even if pregnancy was a one sided decision? (Feminism)

If a woman decides to bear a child despite her partner’s protest, is he still obligated to provide monetary support upon divorce for the same reason?

• Laws should not be based on religion.

There are many religions. Their ideas vary. But the law should be uniform. Basing laws on certain religions is like forcing the ideas of that religion on every citizen.

• Birth controls should be free and easily available. (Feminism?)

If teen pregnancy is to be avoided, birth controls should be free and easily available with no parental permission required. Imagine asking your parents if you can have sex or parents permitting it. It is the same as unavailability of the contraceptives which takes us back to square one.

• Honking unnecessarily should be punishable.

Honking during a traffic jam is not going to clear it up. It only disturbs and aggravates everyone else. Honking at girls is offensive. Honking to bully is wrong. Honking unnecessarily like this should be considered criminal and punished.

• Divorced and happy parents is better for the children than living in a conflicted home.

Some parents stay together for the sake of their children but fail to get along. This creates a very tense environment and that is not how a home should be.

• Hiding your HIV status in a relationship should be punishable by law.

HIV is a serious disease with no cure available. If a person is aware of his/her HIV positivity, withholding the information and therefore transmitting it to the unsuspecting partner in the process is criminal.

• Legalization of prostitution has more positive effects than negative.

Stopping prostitution is impossible. They will continue to operate underground where they face many problems. Girls get trafficked, tricked, or forced into it. Making it legal will at least ensure safety and justice to the sex workers and will also help control forced labor.

• Schools should take bullying more seriously. / Why bullying is a serious offense. (School)

Bullying is very damaging to the victim and can take a very dangerous turn. But it is dismissed as children’s play in most cases. We don’t realize its seriousness until it is too late…

• Partial Birth Abortion is a sin.

In this method of abortion, a living baby is pulled out from the womb feet first. The base of the skull is punctured and the brain is removed with a powerful suction machine. This is no different from murder. It is usually allowed by law only in order to save the mother’s life but many healthy mothers’ babies are aborted this way every year…

• All institutions like schools, colleges and offices should start only after 10.

When such institutions start early, people need to wake up earlier for preparation. Waking up feeling unrested can make a person inactive, irritable, and unproductive. Scientists say that a person’s mind is not fully awake until 10 in the morning…

• Sexual relationship before marriage is not a crime.

Sex is a biological need and a healthy sex life has a lot of mental and physical benefits. If the partners involved are adults and there is mutual consent…

• School and teachers should stay away from student’s personal life. (School?)

Every institution has some rule. This rule should govern the members within the institution. But some schools like to take this beyond the school grounds and have control over what students do and do not in their personal time.

• Energy drinks should be considered borderline medicines. (Health)

Energy drinks provide added energy. So, it should only be consumed when your body lacks energy, in a weakened state, like medicine. Plus, it contains a lot of caffeine that does more harm than good…

• Parents should properly answer their children’s curiosities. (Parenting)

‘How does a baby come?’ children ask and parents tell them about gods and storks. This raises more questions and does nothing but confuse the child. Try to give an anatomically correct answer without being graphic. Never try to dismiss any of their questions or scold them…

• Euthanasia, is it ethical?

A person should get to choose whether they want to live or die in dire conditions. Or. Euthanasia is no different from suicide. Supporting euthanasia is like supporting suicide.

• Prospective parent(s) should get a psychiatric approval before adoption. (Parenting)

We want to find a home for every orphaned child but we want a happy home. There are many sick people out there who want to adopt a child only to abuse them or for some other kind of personal gain…

• Cigarettes should be illegal.

Cigarettes are like drugs and they should be illegal just like drugs are. It has adverse health effects on the smoker as well as people around him…

• Smoking in public places should be fined.

Cigarettes are very harmful and their harmful smoke does not affect the smoker alone. It affects the surrounding people as well. Not all people are suicidal that way. Why should they suffer? When one’s action harms the other, it is an offense.

• Are uniforms necessary?

Uniform brings uniformity. It eliminates frivolous fashion competition which is not what school is for… Or. Clothes are a form of expression. Students spend most of their time in school. They should be comfortable with what they wear…

• Number of children one can have should be limited and children with previous partner(s) counts.

Four from two, eight from four; population multiplies that way. Already, the earth has become so crowded. If this is to continue, we will rid this world of ourselves.

• Would it be ethical to genetically design babies? (Technology?)

Yes. Why not use science to cure diseases and eradicate the possibility of a child’s suffering? Or. This method can be misused to alter more than just a threat of diseases and that will disturb the diversity in the gene pool…

• ‘Living together’ relationships, good or bad?

Marriage cannot keep together those who want to go their separate ways and those who want to together do not need such a constitution.

• ‘Early to sleep, early to rise’ benefits.

They say ‘Early to sleep and early to rise makes a man healthy and wise.’ This was not said without a reason. Going to bed early and waking up early the next day have many benefits, for both our mind and body.

• Every property should compulsorily have trees. (Environment)

Trees produce oxygen and filters air. We need more trees. But the population is increasing. We are cutting down trees to erect concrete buildings instead…

• Fast foods are overpriced.

Fast foods like French fries, burgers, pizza, etc. cost way more than they actually should. The restaurants are ripping us off. Take fries for example…

• Using animals as test subjects is cruel and unfair. (Animal rights)

For you, it is one animal among many. But for that particular animal, one life is all it has and you have no right to play with it.

• Why Gay Marriage should be legalized. (Gay rights)

Homosexuality is not a disease. It is how people are. They want to marry their partner for the same reasons heterosexual couples do. Not legalizing gay marriage is discrimination…

• Marriage is not about procreation. (Gay rights)

One, almost logical, reason people give against gay marriage is that they cannot bear kids because of which it is definitely not natural/ biological or ‘how god intended’. But marriage is not about procreation. It is about you and your comfort or happiness, about who you want to spend the rest of your life with.

• Electronics are stealing childhood.

These days, children spend a lot of time on mobile phones, computers, or other electronic devices instead of running around, going out, and playing as a child should.

• Teens cannot be good parents. (School/ Parenting)

Some teens decide to start a family when the female partner gets pregnant. While this is seen as an admirable option against abortion, are teen parents really good for the kid?

• Ads should be tested for sexist messages before being aired. (Feminism)

Not only children but everyone learns from what they see and hear. The subliminal sexist messages in ads impart gender roles on their minds, undoing a lot of feminists’ efforts. But mostly, it brainwashes the coming generation and we should not allow that.

• Protection and breeding of white tigers is illogical; why hinder natural selection? (Environment/ Animal rights)

White tigers do not fare well in the wild due to their color. It was a case of mutation that would have naturally been eliminated if humans had not interfered. I am not saying all living white tigers must be killed but why are people breeding it in captivity instead of letting it die out? Just because they’re pretty and we like pretty?

• Exotic pets are not pets. (Animal rights)

Exotic animals belong in the wild. They need to be with their own kind, living in their natural habitat. They should not be isolated in people’s homes where their mobility is limited.

• Feminism should be made a compulsory subject in high school and college. (Feminism)

Feminism is an eye-opener. It is something every man and woman should know of. Thus, it should be a compulsory and common subject instead of being exclusive to Arts or few other faculty.

• Age 16 is not juvenile. (School?)

Are 16-year-olds really kids? Can they not be expected to know the difference between right and wrong? Maybe they do not know it is a crime to download songs and movies but what about rape and murder? If 16 is old enough to drive in most countries, it is old enough to be tried as an adult.

• Playing Video games for few hours does good. (School/ parenting?)

It has been found out that playing a few hours of video game help improve people’s hand-eye coordination and enhances cognitive power. Also, games based on real history or science can impart knowledge…

• Read before agreeing to sites and applications.

We download apps and software and signup on different sites. Each of these requires us to click ‘I agree’. We click this ‘I agree’ without actually reading the agreement. This can later cause problems…

• Is death penalty ethical?

It is not ethical to eliminate people like we try to eliminate diseases. What about human rights? Or. What kind of rights for the person who does not respect others’ rights and freedom? It is a befitting punishment.

• Send drug dealers to prison but addicts for rehabilitation.

Drug Addicts are victims too. They need rehabilitation, not prison. Dealers are the real criminals.

• Parents should cook tastier option instead of making children eat the healthy foods they don’t want.

If not meat then milk and pulses. There is a range of choices for the required nutrition. So why should children have to eat something they don’t like? Just give them a tastier option.

• If girls can wear pants, boys can wear skirts. (Funny?)

Is all equality fighting for girls only? What about boys’ rights? When girls can wear boys’ clothes why can boys not wear that of girls?

• Being slim is not just about looks but health too. (Health?)

Beauties were those who were plum. Now, skinny is the fashion. But to those who want to be ‘comfortable’ in their size, know that a slim body is more than just looks.

• There should be one holiday in the middle of workdays.

Saturday and Sunday’s rest do not keep us charged up to Friday. This makes people less productive by Thursday and Friday. A break in the middle would be wonderfully refreshing…

• Considering the real meaning behind Nursery Rhymes, should they be taught to children? (School)

The fun nursery rhyme “Ring around the Rosie” is actually about the bubonic plague that killed nearly 15% of the country. This is only an example among many. Consider the lyrics of “Three blind mice” that goes “… Who cut off their tails, With a carving knife.” Is it okay to teach these to the children?

• Countries should provide free Wi-Fi in tourist destinations.

Doing this will help tourists as they will be able to contact their people without wandering around confused in a foreign land. This will definitely increase the flow of both national and international tourists. It will be most helpful to students from abroad.

• Know the woes of genetically modified Chickens.

To meet the demand of the growing population, chickens are fed hormones and other drugs to make them grow faster and fat, especially the meat in the breast area. Because of this, the chickens cripple under their own weight. They suffer terribly…

• Children should be allowed to use electronics like mobile, notebooks etc. during breaks. (Students)

Using electronics during class is certainly bad and for a number of reasons. But break times belong to the students. Breaks are for recreation. If students choose to enjoy electronics, what is wrong with that?

• Teachers, too, should keep their mobiles in silent during class.

Class time is for teaching and learning. Students should keep their mobile in silence so as to not disturb the class. But, so should the teacher. They shouldn’t pick up their call during class.

• Humans are consuming way more salt than necessary. (Health)

Sodium is important. But the larger amount of sodium intake has often been associated with an increase in blood pressure that leads to strokes. 1500 to 2300mg is the maximum amount per day.

• Benefits of donating blood.

Donating blood is the right thing to do. It saves lives. There are a few moral reasons as such to donate blood but do you know that you are not losing anything either? Donating blood is good for your own health too…

• Why become an organ donor?

Perfectly healthy people die when trying to donate their organs to their loved ones. Even if they survive, they may have to face complications and they are now, somehow, deficient. If an organ could be got…

• Original organic fruits taste better than the hybrids.

Hybrid fruits are larger and juicer but it lacks in terms of taste. The taste tastes diluted…

• Why people who have should give.

Many people suffer from poverty. They have a hard time meeting basic needs like food, shelter, and clothes.

• Why suicide over ‘love troubles’ is stupid. (Students)

Life moves on. Time heals. Things will happen if you continue to live. But the exaggerated fictional idea of love that the movies market has…

• Why women should earn irrespective of their husband’s economic status. (Feminism)

Be independent. Money is power. Do not let anyone have an upper hand and be vulnerable to possible abuse…

• Recycle e-waste. (Environment)

E-waste contains many recoverable materials such as aluminum, copper, gold, silver etc. Reusing this will take a load off of natural resources. E-waste also contains toxins like mercury, lead, beryllium, and others that will inevitably infuse into soil and water.

• Do not tolerate abuse, speak out. (Feminism)

Certainly, nobody enjoys abuse? Then why do women continue to stay in abusive relationship despite being educated and holding a good job? Why do they tolerate other kinds of abuse as well? There are many reasons for this…

• Every citizen should be required to, at least, pass high school. (School)

Up to high school, the education is basic. Imagine needing to stop ocean pollution. An educated person would be more easily persuaded or would know why ocean pollution is bad. Or. There are good and bad people. Education will teach the good how to be good and may persuade the bad…

• Hostels, is it good or bad for children? (Parenting)

Hostels teach children independence. They learn to do a lot in their own. Or. No one can take better care of children than their parents. Children need parents’ love and support. Away in the hostel, surrounded by children no wiser than themselves…

• Teachers should discuss among themselves to avoid giving too much homework. (School)

After studying for hours in school, spending all the hours in-home doing homework will mentally tire the student. Homework should be very light. But light homework of all the teachers added will take up all of the students’ time. So…

• Importance of clubs in school or colleges. (School)

School and college clubs are the best way to learn different valuable skills in. In school and college-level clubs, the eligibility for membership is less strict and one gets to learn from the more skilled seniors.

• Should plastic surgery be so commercial?

Everyone wants to look good. When accidents or attacks disfigure us, we can turn to plastic surgery to try and gain back our lost selves. But intentionally altering ourselves to…

• Online piracy should be monitored more strictly.

People have a right to their intellectual property. It is so easy to find and download pirated materials that it seems non-criminal…

• Are single-sex schools better than coed? (School)

According to research done in Korea, students from single-sex schools scored better than those from coed and had more chances of pursuing college-level education. However, this is from a general viewpoint. When considering students at an individual level, it really depends on what kind of environment that particular student does better in.

• Spaying or neutering pets is good or bad? (Animal right)

Some say that neutering or spaying pets have a lot of benefits, both for the animal and the owner. Others say that neutering or spaying does not change much but only invites diseases upon the poor animal.

• Are master’s degree or doctorate really necessary? (Students)

High School teaches us the basics and a bachelor is more career-oriented. We can get a good job after bachelor and hone our skills for a better position. Is a master’s and higher degree really important when we can learn more in the field?

• Who is more responsible for poaching? Poachers or buyers? (Animal right)

This may be an ‘egg first or chicken question. Scientists have now found out that chickens come first but the question ‘Poacher or buyers’ remains.

• What kind of food should school or college canteen offer? (Student)

From unhealthy commercial food items to unappetizing bland gibberish; can school or college canteens not offer an in-between option? What would be best for the students?

• What age is proper to talk about the birds and the bees? (Parenting)

From the time a child starts asking about sex is the time from when to start talking about the birds and the bees. Children as young as 4-5 years old are curious about where a baby comes from. Answer them truthfully but avoid being graphic. Also, answer only what they ask.

• Fee for facilities aside, the tuition fee should be fixed by the government. (Student)

Schools and colleges take a ridiculous amount of tuition fees. It is understandable that according to the facilities provided, the fee may be less or more but the tuition fee, at least, should be a fixed amount that greedy schools cannot increase as they wish.

• How long should a drunk driver lose his license for?

Drinking and driving can be fatal to both the driver and an innocent passerby. But people do not take it seriously. They think they can handle their liquor and end up causing accidents. This is absolute carelessness.

• The amount of water one should drink per day. (Health)

About 60% of the human body is water. We continually lose this water through skin and urine. This causes dehydration…

• Aliens exist. (Paranormal)

There have been many UFO sightings and stories of alien abduction. Even in the old age paintings, cave paintings, Sanskrit scrolls, the extraterrestrial life form is evident. Scientists have found other habitable planets. An intelligent life form somewhere other than Earth is no longer an idea of a fantasist…

• White meat over red meat or the other way around? (Health)

White meat is less fatty but red meat contains more vitamins like zinc, iron, and B vitamins…

• Why religion and science should go hand in hand. / Why religion should evolve with scientific discoveries. (Philosophy)

Science explores the universe for answers while religion makes claims about it. Science is open to change, it acknowledges that it can err and backs its claims with evidence. Religion on the other hand is a ‘belief’ system

• Should astrologers, mediums and the likes be arrested for fraud? (Paranormal)

Do heavenly bodies really affect our personality or future? Do dead ones really become spirits and can be contacted through mediums? Or are these all just a big hoax?

• Cats or dogs?

Are you a cat person or a dog person? Say why a dog is better than a cat as a pet or that cat makes a better pet.

• Benefits of eating fruit over drinking its juice. (Health)

There is a whole fruit and we throw away more than half of the substance when choosing to drink its juice even though eating the fruit itself is healthier because of the fiber it contains.

• Women shouldn’t have to change their last name after marriage. (Feminism)

Having to change our last name after marriage is sexist. It confirms the power males hold over the women in our patriarchal society.

• Internet promotes communication, not kill it.

Social networks like Facebook, Twitter, messenger, and others keep us in contact with many friends that we would otherwise have forgotten. It is an easy means of communication…

• Does pressure build or break a person?

Pressure is healthy. It drives us. Or. Yes. Pressure drives us. It drives us nuts.

• Hiring volunteers on zero pay is cruel.

Volunteers are those who want to donate labor. They need not be paid for their work but what about their expenses like transportation and others? These kinds of expenses, at least, should be covered.

• Learning multiple language widens our perception of the world.

There are always those words that cannot be exactly translated to another language. This is because that way of thinking does not exist in that other language. It is like the egg of Cristopher. We discover a new way of expressing ourselves, one we couldn’t think of in the limitation of our own language.

• Oceans are not trash bins. (Environment)

Tons of human waste are thrown into the ocean. This is creating a big problem in the ocean ecosystem…

• Killing for fun is inhuman, hunting is inhuman. (Animal rights)

How to have fun with animals? By playing with them, baby talking to them, watching them in their weird but fun action. Not by chasing them down and killing them.

• Cigarette, alcohol or drugs are not the answer for stress or other problems in life.

People tend to depend on harmful substances like cigarettes, alcohol, or drugs when faced with a problem or when under stress. These substances do not cure stress but could be a self-harming method of coping with problems. People under stress tend to show more unhealthy behaviors such as these…

• Music heals.

On hearing good music, the brain releases dopamine. Dopamine is an essential chemical that plays a number of important roles in the brain and body. Music has also proven effective against stress…

• Why breakfast is the important meal of the day. (Health)

Breakfast is the first meal after a long gap during the night. It provides us with vital nutrients like calcium, vitamins, minerals, and energy…

• Fairytales should be re-written for the next generation children.

Fairytales often star a damsel in distress who not only ‘waits’ for a handsome rescuer but also possesses subjugating qualities like obedience, daintiness, etc. It imparts sexist values in young minds…

• How a time table can help manage our daily lives.

People do not realize how time table can make our day-to-day lives much more manageable and therefore fruitful or efficient. Some find it tedious and some pretentious…

• Everyone should learn swimming.

Swimming is not just for fun like cycling. It could save someone’s life. It is an important survival skill that everyone should know of.

• Good thoughts lead to good actions.

Our actions result from our thoughts. Action is a mind’s reflection…

• Benefits of meditation. (Health)

Meditation has a lot of benefits, both on body and mind. It reduces stress, improves concentration, reduces irritability, increases perseverance, etc…

• Zoos are not big enough for wild animals. (Animal rights)

How large can you make a zoo? And how can it mimic nature when different animals are confined separately. Wild animals belong in the wild.

Some more Persuasive Speech Topics:

• Why is adopting a pet better than buying one?
• How does having a pet better your everyday life?
• Having a snake as a pet is as cool as it sounds
• Should you get rid of a pet that harms another person?
• Is breeding pets for sale unethical?
• Selfies with animals in tourist locations should be made equal
• A dog is the perfect pet
• Why a pet is essential for a growing child
• Owning a pet makes you healthier
• Slaughterhouses are unethical
• Animals are facing extinction, we should do something about it
• Why wild animals should be left in the wild
• Petting exotic animals should be made illegal
• Why dolphin farming is horrific
• The Yulin Dog festival displays one of the worst sides of humans
• Why neutering your pets is wrong
• Advantages of owning a horse(besides looking fantastic)
• People need to stop fueling pug markets.
• Is animal slaughter for religious purposes ethical?
• Manual drivers are unnecessarily aggressive about their cars
• Why you should not drive without a kid seat
• Why sports cars are not worth it
• If you can’t call while driving, then why is there a hands-free mode?
• New ideas for lessons drivers have to take before getting a license
• Should you charge people for driving tests?
• Why cycling is cooler than driving
• Why traffic rules are designed against bike rides
• Driving licenses should need a renewal every 5 years
• Why co-ed education is the best way to teach
• GPA isn’t everything
• 9.30 is too early
• Why teachers need to be recertified
• Listening to music during exams should be allowed
• Should sports and arts be mandatory?
• Does our school curriculum need obligatory life skill classes?
• Phones in classes are beneficial and convenient
• Every student should be encouraged to take a gap year
• Cyber-bullying should be punished the same as bullying
• Why art classes are just as important as science
• School canteens need to serve healthier alternatives
• More institutes should promote nternational exchange programs
• Curriculums should be designed with the job market in mind
• Textbooks are overpriced and should be replaced with digital alternatives
• Should religion be taught in schools?
• Is repeating classes beneficial for underperforming students?
• Students should not have to ask to use the restroom
• Is having a handwriting class beneficial?
• Is there a point to giving homework?
• Education needs to be available in prisons
• We are being overcharged for education
• Online learning should be held to equal importance as schools
• Are teachers paid enough?
• Is there room for commercial advertisement in schools?
• Are study halls still relevant?
• Are our children safe at school?
• School trips are a waste of money
• Educational institutes should be more welcoming to technological changes
• Schools should teach multiple languages
• Public schools are better than private schools
• Why meditation should be included in the daily curriculum
• Are scholarships reaching the right people?
• Current environmental laws are insufficient
• Green energy is the future
• The environmental impact of palm oil
• The environmental impact of single-use bags
• Fishing restrictions need to be stricter
• Oil spills are deadly to marine life
• Leaving fossil fuels behind
• Pollution has reached alarming levels
• Garden owners should be allowed to grow exotic plants
• Switch to hybrid cars to help the environment
• Rainforests are going extinct at an alarming rate
• Why natural resources are quickly going extinct
• Alternative energy sources should be pushed by governments
• Euthanasia should be legalized
• Why eating meat does not make me a bad person
• Can true equality ever really be achieved?
• Is messing with unborn children’s genetics ethical?
• Stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason
• Animal testing is a necessary part of production
• Why we need to stop producing and buying fur
• Prostitution should be legalized
• Doping and it’s place in sports 
• Why workplace relationships should be avoided
• Is religion a cult?
• Should prayers be included in schools?
• Parents should not be able to choose the sex of their unborn child
• Donating to charities is a scam
• Aborting fetuses with birth defects is not immoral
• Wars have positive consequences as well
• Why genital mutilation in infants needs to be stopped
• Conventional beauty standards are misleading
• China’s One-child policy was a good idea for population control
• Animal testing and why it is immoral
• Why banning cigarettes and alcohol from advertisements is not effective
• Sugar is added to everything we eat
• Children should be taught to cook
• Why growing your own food will help both you and the environment
• Peanuts: The secret superfood
• We should be more open to genetically engineered food products
• The proper way to dispose your food waste
• The loopholes in labelling laws
• Keto goes against the natural human evolution
• Artificial chemicals in our food products is harming us
• The legal age for contraceptive treatment should be lowered
• Fast food is slowly killing you
• How positive thinking can change your life
• Breakfast isn’t the most important meal of the day
• Stomach stapling should not be normalized
• If you don’t wear a seat belt, you are putting yourself at great risk
• How diabetes can affect your work
• How daily exercise can change your life
• Stress as the leading cause of teen suicide
• Diet pills are a scam
• Body shaming is putting lives at risk
• Contraceptive education is an effective solution for teen pregnancy
• There is such a thing as too much soda
• Free condom distribution at schools is better than teaching about abstinence
• The toothpick you pick matters
• Surrogacy should be more widely accepted
• Why insomnia should be taken as a more serious health concern
• Helmets and seatbeat save lives
• Restaurants need to be more vigilant about handling allergies
• How Big Pharma is controlling your life
• The medical field is criminally underfunded
• We are eating too much salt
• Organ donation should be an opt-out system
• The dangers of an anti-vaxxers movement
• Why fire drills are ineffective
• Why you need to take that vacation
• Good sleep is underrated
• Why vaping is not a better alternative
• Your stress is killing you
• It is not healthy for children to be vegetarians
• Parents don’t need to be informed about underage abortions
• Donating blood should be encouraged early
• How much do you know about what’s in your food

I hope you find the tips for persuasive speech and persuasive speech topics useful. Let me what you think of them by commenting below.

99 Easy Persuasive Speech Topics

Persuasive speech topics are vast and varied. Whether you’re looking for a light-hearted topic to entertain an audience or something more serious to inspire action, there are plenty of easy persuasive speech topics to choose from. 

Take a look at this list of easy persuasive speech topics and see if any of them pique your interest!

• Importance of Wearing Sunscreen
• Benefits of Meditation and Mindfulness
• The Power of Connection: Why Strong Social Support Is Essential for Well-Being
• Dangers of Social Media Addiction
• The Need for Renewable Energy Sources
• The Benefits of Self-Care: Why It’s Essential for Your Health and Happiness
• The Benefits of Adopting a Plant-Based Diet
• The Importance of Financial Literacy and Budgeting
• Benefits of Learning to Code
• The Need for Stricter Animal Cruelty Laws
• Dangers of Fast Fashion and the Importance of Sustainable Fashion
• Living Life: Traveling and Experiencing Different Cultures
• The Importance of Mental Health Awareness and Seeking Help When Needed
• Benefits of Having a Diverse and Inclusive Society
• Mindfulness and Meditation: Simple Practices for Reducing Stress and Improving Mental Clarity
• The Need for Equal Pay for Equal Work
• Benefits of Getting a Good Night’s Sleep
• Dangers of Substance Abuse
• The Power of Exercise: How Regular Physical Activity Can Improve Your Physical and Mental Health
• Benefits of Using Public Transportation
• The Importance of Water Conservation
• Self-Reflection and Introspection: The Path to Personal Growth
• Learning a Musical Instrument is Beneficial
• Sleep: The Importance of Getting Enough Rest for Your Health and Productivity
• The Need for Better Gun Control Laws
• Dangers of Texting While Driving
• Setting Boundaries and Taking Care of Your Needs
•  Benefits of Reading for Pleasure
• The Importance of Protecting Civil Liberties
• Benefits of Spending Time in Nature
• Nourish Your Body: The Benefits of a Healthy Diet
• The Need for More Affordable Housing Options
• Dangers of Cyberbullying
• Supporting Small Businesses
• Taking Breaks and Giving Yourself Permission to Relax
• The Importance of Protecting Endangered Species
• Benefits of Reducing Screen Time
• The Need for Universal Healthcare Access
• The Importance of Engaging in Things That Bring Fulfillment
• The Benefits of Scheduling and Planning: How to Get More Done in Less Time
• The Power of Time Management for Achieving Work-Life Balance
• The Power of Saying No
• Benefits of Delegating and Asking for Help
• The Importance of Setting Priorities and Managing Time Effectively
• Maximizing Productivity Through Time Management Strategies
• The Benefits of Scheduling and Planning for Success
• The Power of Setting and Achieving Goals
• Benefits of Time Blocking and Focus Time
• Importance of Being Organized and Streamlining Processes
• Equal Education for All: The Importance of Providing Opportunities for Every Student
• The Importance of Homework and Its Impact on Student Learning
• The Benefits of a Later Start Time for High School Students
• Benefits of a Dress Code or Uniform Policy in Schools
• The Importance of Physical Education and Recess in Schools
• Benefits of Offering a Wider Variety of Elective Courses in Schools
• The Importance of Financial Literacy Education in Schools
• The Benefits of Incorporating More Hands-On, Experiential Learning Opportunities in Schools
• Importance of Mental Health Resources and Support in Schools
• Benefits of Implementing Restorative Justice Practices in Schools
• Importance of Providing Equal Educational Opportunities for All Students, Regardless of Their Socio-Economic Background.
• Importance of Spending Quality Time With Family
• Benefits of Regular Family Dinners
• The Benefits of Family Vacations
• Importance of Open and Honest Communication Within Families
• The Benefits of Teaching Children About Financial Responsibility and Budgeting
• The Benefits of Having a Strong Support System Within the Family
• Importance of Setting Boundaries and Establishing Rules Within Families
• The Benefits of Forgiveness and Reconciling Relationships Within Families
• The Importance of Showing Gratitude and Appreciation Towards Family Members
• Benefits of Implementing a “Digital Detox” and Disconnecting From Technology Within the Family
• The Importance of Reading Food Labels and Understanding Ingredients
• Dangers of Excessive Sugar Intake and Strategies for Reducing Sugar Consumption
• Benefits of Home Cooking and Meal Planning
• Environmental Impact of Food Waste and Strategies for Reducing Waste
• The Benefits of Incorporating More Whole Grains, Fruits, and Vegetables Into Your Diet
• Dangers of Fast Food and the Benefits of Eating More Home-Cooked Meals
• The Benefits of Eating Locally-Grown, Seasonal Produce
• Importance of Breakfast for Maintaining a Healthy Weight and Improving Cognitive Function
• Dangers of Dieting and the Importance of Maintaining a Healthy Relationship With Food
• The Importance of Being Punctual and the Consequences of Being Late
• The Importance of Being Honest and the Consequences of Lying
• Benefits of Volunteering and Giving Back to the Community
• The Importance of Being Respectful Towards Others and the Consequences of Being Disrespectful
• Benefits of Taking Responsibility for One’s Actions and the Dangers of Avoiding Responsibility
• Importance of Being Prepared and the Consequences of Being Unprepared
• Benefits of Being Organized and the Consequences of Being Disorganized
• Importance of Maintaining a Healthy Work-Life Balance and the Consequences of Neglecting Personal Relationships
• Importance of Communication in a Healthy Relationship
• Benefits of Forgiveness in a Relationship
• Dangers of Codependency and the Importance of Maintaining a Sense of Self in a Relationship
• The Benefits of Setting Boundaries in a Relationship
• The Importance of Trust in a Relationship and the Consequences of Betrayal
• Benefits of Compromise in a Relationship
• The Importance of Respecting Each Other’s Differences in a Relationship
• Benefits of Regular Date Nights and Keeping the Romance Alive in a Long-Term Relationship
• Importance of Maintaining a Healthy Romantic Life in a Relationship
• Benefits of Seeking Therapy or Counseling to Improve a Struggling Relationship
• Dangers of Smoking and the Need for Stricter Laws on Tobacco Advertising
• Importance of Voting and Civic Engagement

Final Thoughts

Remember, when choosing a topic for a persuasive speech, it’s important to choose something that you are passionate about and that you can argue convincingly. You should also consider your audience and whether the topic will be of interest to them.

Related Posts:

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Public Speaking Tips & Speech Topics

147 Unique Speech Topics [Persuasive, Informative]

Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

Unique speech topics categorized in persuasive (clothes and seniors), kids (picnic party food), also informative (testament and wills), and for after dinner speaking (office and wines).

According to the dictionaries, the word unique means being the only one of its kind or without an equivalent.

Choosing fresh and sparkling unique speech topics for your public speaking class or any other special occasion requires starting with inventing your special experiences.

Read my ideas and select only the unique ideas that interest you the most. Plus the suggestions and hints that make you able to inform, persuade or entertain your public with unusual speech topics they have never heard about.

In this article:

Informative

After dinner, on women’s issues.

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List of Unique Speech Topics

The topics that follow are about aspects that we may relate to in different parts of the world. Topics such as “Children need to believe in magic” could be changed to “Santa” for a more specific topic.

There are some topics, such as polygamy, which are acceptable in some countries and religions. You could use these countries as examples to back up your opinions in the case that things might be seen differently in your country or culture.

• Seniors are too old to adopt children.
• TV adverts are not a work of art.
• Allow social media at school.
• Cash will be discontinued.
• Music has the power to heal.
• Old buildings must be preserved.
• There needs to be a one car per family rule.
• Marriage should only be allowed from age 25.
• Parents home schooling their children should have to pass tests first.
• The Bermuda triangle is fact, not fiction.
• Medication doesn’t help hyper active children.
• It is possible to live without the internet.
• Leadership cannot be taught.
• Married couples should have affairs with each other.
• Businesses should not open on Sundays.
• Countries must have closed borders.
• Teenagers lack survival skills.
• Gadgets have restricted children’s imaginations.
• Virtual relationships will not survive in the real world.
• Modern art only requires ambition.
• Lie detector tests are a waste of time.
• Full moons do affect children’s behaviour.
• In the end opposites don’t actually attract.
• It’s not true forgiveness if it’s not forgotten.
• Technology makes people lonely.
• AIDA formula for advertising is too restrictive.
• Word of mouth will always remain the best form of advertising.
• Businesses social media accounts lack personality.
• Racism will never die out.
• No one is too old to go study.
• Sale leaflets don’t work.
• Whatsapp killed text messages.
• Clothes do influence how people react to you.
• Make 50 the cut out age to adopt.
• Having a will should be law.
• Fair trade isn’t really fair.
• Working for bigger companies is better than working for smaller ones.
• America needs to stop interfering with other countries problems.
• Boarding schools are not beneficial to teens.
• Democracy is the best way to govern a country.
• Farmers should only farm organic foods.
• Reincarnation is real.
• Stress does not cause acne.
• Bottled water is not as safe as you think.
• Wild animals will never be tamed.
• Young teachers are the most enthusiastic teachers.
• Women are the better cooks.
• Adultery leads to happier marriages.
• Retirement age must depend on the industry.
• The death sentence is hypocritical.
• Nobody speaks English correctly.
• The Olympics is a dying sport.
• Environmental factors are the cause of cancer.
• Contact lenses are more effective than glasses.
• Rap is poetry, not music.
• Red wine is not good for your heart.
• Piracy is not stealing.
• Prostitution is never going away.
• Untidy people are more creative.
• Why companies should hire lazy people.
• High heels are bad for women.
• Anti rape nail polish won’t stop rapists.
• Do not rake leaves.
• Polygamy should be a personal choice.
• Guideline to drink 2L of water per day is wrong.
• Artificial Christmas trees are better than real ones.
• Coffee is a healthy food.
• Everyone does have a price.
• Hair dye does not cause cancer.
• If healthy food was cheaper, people would eat healthier.
• Headphones are damaging teenagers hearing.
• Prison doesn’t reform prisoners.
• Casinos should set limits for pensioners.
• Organic food isn’t better.
• Guardian angels are real.
• Humans should walk barefoot.
• Adoption process is too long at animal shelters.
• Depression is not a disease.
• Electric cars are going to harm the environment.
• Extreme premature babies must be saved.
• Coconut oil is unhealthy.
• Masturbation does not cause hair loss.
• Children have the right to know that they are adopted.
• Blood is thicker than water.
• Bumper stickers are dangerous.
• Pregnant teens must stay at school.
• Sons only belong to their families until they get married.
• Never give money to the homeless.
• Smacking children only teaches them violence.
• Children need to believe in magic.
• Brexit is a huge mistake.
• Psychics and mediums shouldn’t charge a fee.
• There is no life after death.
• How fine journalists that write fake news.
• Fake tan products are toxic.
• How colours affect our mood.
• Fine parents with obese children.
• How adult colouring books are good for mental and emotional health.
• Making a will or testament and why it is important for your family.
• What to do to help moms with twins.
• Why Esperanto has not become the international language.
• Moving from place to place learns us about life – that results in lots of themes on adventures.
• Why maintaining and improving highways and roads often takes more time than you think.
• How to organize and prepare picnic party food for in the city park.
• The perfect babysitter profile.
• My special tips for making a great tasty breakfast in bed for mom and dad.
• Making jigsaw puzzles of our family photos.
• My wish list and requirements for the community play ground.
• Conspiracy theories are nonsense – conspiracies always are exciting and thus nice after dinner unique speech topics.
• My five tips to bring this dinner party to life.
• The do’s and especially the don’ts for bosses at office parties.
• My review of our dessert this evening.
• Traveling around the world in seven wines 🙂

See this page for a full list of After Dinner Speech Topics .

• Positively discriminate women in the navy.
• Women are better bosses – but not under all circumstances.
• Beauty contests degrade women to a level they do not deserve.
• Working mothers harm their children – it is close to neglecting kids.
• Hysteria is caused by fear of women.
• Every woman needs a man to succeed in life.
• Surrogate mothers may help infertile couples.
• Violence in video games is directly correlated to youth violence.
• Vegetarianism is bad for your skin and on the long term you total health condition.
• Terrorists are not prisoners of war.
• Living in university dormitories is effective for your study.
• The UN should be the government of the world.
• We need strong unions in times of economic depression.
• Trade barriers serve higher goals.
• Torturing terrorists is justified when thousands of lives are at stake.
• Toughness with flexibility works better than zero tolerance to crime.
• X-Mas has nothing to do with peace on earth – it is eating and drinking and nothing more.
• I don’t like teachers do all the talking.
• Don’t trust all wikis – it is said that there is bias in it.
• Television sex is harmful to our children.
• Why complaint about a nipple on screen but not on murders on tv?
• Being lucky has nothing to do with success over a long period.
• Be proud of your different behavior in a world everyone behaves like zombie lemmings!
• Books are definitely out and e-education books and supplies are in.
• Cell phones are more dangerous for your brains than you think.
• Do your emotions control you or do you control them most of the time?
• Every graduation student should obtain foreign experience in a far away culture.
• Journalists earn money with the misery of other people.
• People pleasers are desperate people.
• People who live in big cities will die sooner.
• Southeast Asia is the place to be!
• Subtle forms of age discrimination.
• A lie is sometimes a justifiable instrument for a rebel with a good cause.
• Lawyers rule the world.

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10 thoughts on “147 Unique Speech Topics [Persuasive, Informative]”

Great website, very helpful to society

How terrorism helps our economy

guys add this What language do deaf people think in i got a 4+ on it!

spaghetti is better than rice

Two’s a company Three’s a crowd

A rather conspicuous bias in some of these assertions, but an interesting list all the same.

intersting topics

Im looking for topics that one can present in such a way that it leaves their audience thinking. More thought provoking, deep topics that touch on cotreversial and unspoken issues.

Why sign language should be taught in school

Women issues 4) and 6) what is wrong with you?

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50 Easy Persuasive Speech Topics

What is it that makes these EASY persuasive speech topics?

I have several pages on this site devoted to persuasive speeches, but this one is all about crafting your statement as efficiently as possible.

An EASY topic is one that...

• You already know well.  If you know your subject thoroughly - and you don't need to spend hours researching the topic - then you'll instantly and significantly reduce your workload! Bringing your personal experiences to your speech makes it easier to write, and makes your presentation more engaging for your listeners. Try making a list of subjects you're interested in, and a topic idea may even jump out at you! 
• You feel strongly about. There's nothing harder than trying to persuade someone they should feel a certain way about something if you're 'wishy-washy' on how you feel about it yourself! Real passion comes across in your words, which are more forceful and credible as a result.

Technically, then, an easy persuasive speech topic for one individual may not be so easy for another.

The list I have put together for you here, however, is of topics with broad appeal, subjects about which most of us have a strong opinion and PLENTY to say!

In each case, I have stated merely the topic itself - it is up to you to decide whether you will try to persuade your audience to be FOR or AGAINST the claimed idea.

Easy Persuasive Speech Topics - 1-12 Related to Schools

• All school children should wear a uniform
• Exams give little indication of a student's real ability
• Advertising in schools should be banned
• Homeschooling is better than traditional education
• Schools should ban soda
• Schools should not serve French fries
• Single-sex schools are better than mixed/co-ed
• School is not the place for sex education
• Students should be allowed to leave school at 14 to learn a trade
• Going to college is not the key to a prosperous future
• All students should master a 2nd language
• History textbooks do not tell the truth (discuss how the perception of historical events may vary around the world)

Easy Persuasive Speech Topics - 13-27 Related to Family Life

• Breastfeeding is better than bottle (formula) feeding
• Parents should be held legally responsible for the things their children do
• Under 18s should be allowed to drink alcohol at home with parental consent
• Every workplace should provide child-care
• Encouraging women to work is destroying the traditional family
• Punish parents who fail to give children a healthy diet
• We are over-scheduling our kids
• Parents should never pry into their teens' rooms/belongings
• Today's kids have it easier than their parents/grandparents
• Dads are more fun than moms! (Keep this light-hearted)
• Eating together as a family is important
• A woman's place is in the home! (This is a provocative title, so be funny or surprising in your speech)
• Older teenagers should contribute to household expenses
• We should value our old people rather than cast them aside
• It takes a village to raise a child

Easy Persuasive Speech Topics - 28-36 Funny/Light Hearted Ideas

• A Mac is better than a PC!
• Why [fill in the blank] is the best movie ever!
• Why everyone should visit [fill in the blank] (talk about somewhere you love)
• Mustaches should be banned
• Google is taking over the world
• Santa Claus is real!
• Games like Candy Crush are making us stupid
• Batman is cooler than Spiderman
• McDonald's is better than Burger King

Easy Persuasive Speech Topics - 37-50 Miscellaneous Ideas

• Plus size people should pay for two seats on public transport
• The government should not censor information given online
• Love is more powerful than hate
• Immigrants should be required to speak the language of the country to which they're moving
• We need more female construction workers!
• You should buy local produce whenever possible
• What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
• Money can't buy happiness
• A dog is man's best friend
• All hospitals should allow pets to be brought in to see their owners
• Criminals should be forced to make restitution to their victims, rather than to society in general
• Lying isn't always wrong
• Base discipline on rewards rather than punishment
• Facebook has improved life for many people

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Example persuasive speeches for inspiration:

Gender Selection

Energy Medicine

The Role of Marriage in Society

Fun Speech about Luck

Second-Hand Smoke

Using a Cell Phone Whilst Driving

School Uniform Policies

Become an Activist

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