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
OctoberEnvironment and Animals
Resolved: Developed countries have a moral obligation to mitigate the effects of climate change.
NovemberInternational Relations
Resolved: Current U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East undermines our national security.
DecemberEconomy and Work
Resolved: The United States should prioritize tax increases over spending cuts.
JanuaryCrime and Justice
Resolved: On balance, the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission harms the election process.
FebruaryInternational Relations
Resolved: On balance, the rise of China is beneficial to the interests of the United States.
MarchHealth and Medicine
Resolved: The U.S. government should not require its citizens to have health insurance.
AprilCrime and Justice
Resolved: The continuation of current U.S. anti-drug policies in Latin America will do more harm than good.
NationalsInternational Relations
Resolved: The benefits of American drone strikes against foreign targets outweigh the harms.
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/OctoberInternational Relations
Resolved: The United States ought to extend to non-citizens accused of terrorism the same constitutional due process protections it grants to citizens.
November/DecemberHealth and Medicine
Resolved: The United States ought to guarantee universal health care for its citizens.
January/FebruaryCrime and Justice
Resolved: Rehabilitation ought to be valued above retribution in the United States criminal justice system.
March/AprilPolitics and Government
Resolved: The United States is justified in intervening in the internal political processes of other countries to attempt to stop human rights abuses.
NationalsPolitics and Government
Resolved: Oppressive government is more desirable than no government.
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 seasonSports
Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its transportation infrastructure investment 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.