September/OctoberEthics and Philosophy
NSDA by season
Lincoln-Douglas
One-on-one debate built around values: each side defends a value and a criterion for weighing it. The resolution changes every two months. How Lincoln-Douglas works
November/DecemberCrime and Justice
Resolved: affirmative action programs to remedy the effects of discrimination are justified.
January/FebruaryEducation
Resolved: limitations upon the content of student publications by secondary school administrators are justified.
March/AprilEthics and Philosophy
Resolved: the public's right to know ought to be valued above U.S. national security interests.
NationalsCrime and Justice
Resolved: the American criminal justice system ought to place a higher priority on retribution than on rehabilitation.
Policy
Two-on-two debate on one resolution for the whole season. The affirmative proposes a plan and both sides use a lot of evidence. How Policy works
Whole seasonPolitics and Government
That the federal government should implement a comprehensive program to guarantee retirement security for United States...
Shortened here. The full wording is on NSDA's topic page.
About NSDA topics
The National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA) is the largest high school speech and debate organization in the United States. It publishes the resolutions that US tournaments use each season: a new Public Forum topic every month or two, a Lincoln-Douglas topic every two months, and one Policy topic for the whole year. Its National Tournament in June has its own topics.
Resolutions from NSDA's topic page, credited to the National Speech & Debate Association. NCFL Nationals topics are from the National Catholic Forensic League tournament, as listed by NSDA.