September/OctoberInternational Relations
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
NovemberCrime and Justice
Resolved: The United States should require universal background checks for all gun sales and transfers of ownership.
DecemberSports
Resolved: NCAA student athletes ought to be recognized as employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
JanuaryPolitics and Government
Resolved: Spain should grant Catalonia its independence.
FebruaryEconomy and Work
Resolved: The United States should abolish the capital gains tax.
Resolved: On balance, the current Authorization for Use of Military Force gives too much power to the president.
Resolved: The United States federal government should increase its quota of H-1B visas.
NationalsEconomy and Work
Resolved: On balance, the benefits of United States participation in the North American Free Trade Agreement outweigh the consequences.
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/OctoberEthics and Philosophy
Resolved: In the United States, national service ought to be compulsory.
November/DecemberInternational Relations
Resolved: Wealthy nations have an obligation to provide development assistance to other nations.
January/FebruaryCrime and Justice
Resolved: Plea bargaining ought to be abolished in the United States criminal justice system.
March/AprilEconomy and Work
Resolved: The United States ought to provide a universal basic income.
NationalsInternational Relations
Resolved: The United States' use of targeted killing in foreign countries is unjust.
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 seasonPolitics and Government
Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its funding and/or regulation of elementary...
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.