September/OctoberEducation
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/DecemberEducation
Resolved: establishing a safe educational environment in grades K-12 justifies infringement of students' civil liberties.
January/FebruaryInternational Relations
Resolved: the possession of nuclear weapons is immoral.
March/AprilScience and Technology
Resolved: the public's right to know ought to be valued above the right to privacy of candidates for public office.
NCFL NationalsPolitics and Government
Resolved: providing for basic human needs of citizens in a society ought to be valued above individual property rights.
NationalsPolitics and Government
Resolved: on balance, violent revolution is a just response to oppression.
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 seasonScience and Technology
That the United States federal government should significantly increase protection of privacy in the United States in...
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.