Lincoln-Douglas Topic Briefs: NSDA Lincoln-Douglas Resolutions

2026-27 topics

November/December

September/October

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NationalsResolved: Democracies ought to prioritize the protection of civil liberties over national security.
March/AprilResolved: The United States military ought to abide by the principle of non-intervention.
January/FebruaryResolved: The possession of nuclear weapons is immoral.
November/DecemberResolved: The United States ought to rewild substantial tracts of land.
September/OctoberResolved: In the United States criminal justice system, plea bargaining is just.

NationalsResolved: Violent revolution is a just response to political oppression.
March/AprilResolved: The development of Artificial General Intelligence is immoral.
January/FebruaryResolved: The United States ought to become party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and/or the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
November/DecemberResolved: The United States ought to adopt a wealth tax.
September/OctoberResolved: The United States ought to require that workers receive a living wage.

NationalsResolved: In a democracy, a people ought to have the right to secede from their government.
March/AprilResolved: The primary objective of the United States criminal justice system ought to be rehabilitation.
January/FebruaryResolved: The United States ought to substantially reduce its military presence in the West Asia-North Africa region.
November/DecemberResolved: The United States ought to prohibit the extraction of fossil fuels from federal public lands and waters.
September/OctoberResolved: The United States ought to guarantee the right to housing.

NationalsResolved: Government employees have a moral obligation to leak classified information to address injustice.
March/AprilResolved: The justices of the Supreme Court of the United States ought to be term-limited.
January/FebruaryResolved: Justice requires open borders for human migration.
November/DecemberResolved: The People's Republic of China ought to prioritize environmental protection over economic growth.
September/OctoberResolved: The United States ought to implement a single-payer universal healthcare system.

NationalsResolved: Radicalism is preferable to incrementalism to achieve social justice.
March/AprilResolved: In a democracy, a free press ought to prioritize objectivity over advocacy.
January/FebruaryResolved: The appropriation of outer space by private entities is unjust.
November/DecemberResolved: A just government ought to recognize an unconditional right of workers to strike.
September/OctoberResolved: The member nations of the World Trade Organization ought to reduce intellectual property protections for medicines.

NationalsResolved: A public health emergency justifies limiting civil liberties.
March/AprilResolved: The United States ought to guarantee universal child care.
January/FebruaryResolved: States ought to ban lethal autonomous weapons.
November/DecemberResolved: The United States ought to provide a federal jobs guarantee.
September/OctoberResolved: In a democracy, voting ought to be compulsory.

Looking for older topics? See every NSDA topic by season. Resolutions are set by the National Speech & Debate Association; briefs are written by the Debatery Editing Team.