September/OctoberSports
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
NovemberScience and Technology
Resolved: On balance, the benefits of genetically modified foods outweigh the harms.
DecemberCrime and Justice
Resolved: For-profit prisons in the United States should be banned.
JanuaryInternational Relations
Resolved: United Nations peacekeepers should have the power to engage in offensive operations.
FebruaryEconomy and Work
Resolved: On balance, economic globalization benefits worldwide poverty reduction.
MarchEducation
Resolved: In the United States, students should be guaranteed two years of free tuition to a community or technical college.
Resolved: Committing United States ground combat troops to fight ISIL is in the best interest of the United States.
NationalsPolitics and Government
Resolved: The benefits of First Amendment protection of anonymous speech 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/OctoberHealth and Medicine
Resolved: A just society ought to presume consent for organ procurement from the deceased.
November/DecemberScience and Technology
Resolved: The 'right to be forgotten' from Internet searches ought to be a civil right.
January/FebruaryEconomy and Work
Resolved: Just governments ought to require that employers pay a living wage.
March/AprilPolitics and Government
Resolved: Just governments ought to ensure food security for their citizens.
NationalsEthics and Philosophy
Resolved: Inaction in the face of injustice makes individuals morally culpable.
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: The United States federal government should substantially increase its non-military exploration...
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.