SeptemberPolitics and Government
NSDA by season
Public Forum
Two-on-two debate on a current-events resolution that changes every month or two. Each speech is short and the round is meant to be followed by any listener. How Public Forum works
OctoberPolitics and Government
Resolved: In the United States, public opinion polls positively affect the election process.
NovemberCrime and Justice
Resolved: The United States government should allow Americans to purchase prescription drugs from other countries.
DecemberEconomy and Work
Resolved: Corporate offshoring aids in the economic development of the United States.
JanuaryCrime and Justice
Resolved: The United States Constitution should be amended to establish a mandatory retirement age for Supreme Court Justices.
FebruaryEconomy and Work
Resolved: In the United States, the current system of federal income taxation should be replaced by a flat rate income tax.
MarchEducation
Resolved: Student aptitude should be assessed through standardized testing.
Resolved: The United States should issue guest worker visas to illegal aliens.
NationalsEducation
Resolved: That, when a choice is required for public high schools in the United States, government funding should prioritize vocational education over college preparatory education.
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
September/OctoberScience and Technology
Resolved: individual claims of privacy ought to be valued above competing claims of societal welfare.
November/DecemberInternational Relations
Resolved: the United States has a moral obligation to promote democratic ideals in other nations.
January/FebruaryPolitics and Government
Resolved: democracy is best served by strict separation of church and state.
March/AprilEthics and Philosophy
Resolved: to better protect civil liberties, community standards ought to take precedence over conflicting national standards.
NCFL NationalsEducation
Resolved: the primary purpose of formal education ought to be to impart knowledge.
NationalsEthics and Philosophy
Resolved: the pursuit of scientific knowledge ought to be constrained by concern for societal good.
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 seasonInternational Relations
Resolved: That the United States federal government should establish a foreign policy substantially increasing its support of...
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.