September/OctoberCrime and Justice
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/DecemberEconomy and Work
Resolved: when they are in conflict, a business' responsibility to itself ought to be valued above its responsibility to society.
January/FebruaryEthics and Philosophy
Resolved: in United States policy, the principle of universal human rights ought to take precedence over conflicting national interest.
March/AprilEthics and Philosophy
Resolved: on balance, individuals ought to have a greater obligation to themselves than to their community.
NationalsScience and Technology
Resolved: the public's right to know is of greater value than the individual's right to privacy.
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 seasonCrime and Justice
That the federal government should establish a program to substantially reduce juvenile crime in the United States.
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.