We all love watching others debate various issues affecting society, don’t we? When elections time comes, we are glued to our TV sets to watch candidates as they argue and tear into each other. Controversial debate topics are interesting because they test the intellectual capabilities of politicians and excite viewers regardless of whether they have reached voting age. Winning a debate demands a lot, especially having exceptional public speaking skills.
What happens when your professor asks you to participate in a debate or write a paper proving that you are a good debater? Many college students fret and suffer from anxiety when asked to come up with political debate topics. Even when required to create funny debate topics, most college students still feel stuck and lost. If you find yourself in this situation, you need not worry. The article you are about to read contains all the answers to the questions you might have regarding debates and interesting discussion topics for college students, particularly all the popular debate topics college students may be asked to write about.
First, let’s start with political debate topics because they are always controversial and are inevitable in college education. Here now are some examples of political debate topics you will find yourself addressing sooner than you think. We have organized the debate topics in different categories, with each part followed by a brief explanation.
In middle school, the debate topics you are likely to have are not complicated, although you could still struggle to come up with one. If your teacher asks you to write about funny debate topics or any other category, rush here and select any of the following.
Let’s now go through the debate topics and see how you could select any of them and the best approach to writing them.
You may need to consider a few factors when writing for middle school students. Firstly, you must ensure that your language is not complicated. At the middle school level, many students are unfamiliar with complex words that writers often use when writing about debate topics. Secondly, select the most interesting debate topic for your audience. You might have exceptional debate writing skills, but if your intended readers do not find your topic exciting, there is a possibility they will not read it or listen to your presentation. Therefore, always consider the two factors when writing about any of the debate topics mentioned above.
Debates can also be arranged according to subjects or areas they address, such as political debates, medical debates, environmental, social debates, or even work-related debates. In the following section, we will list some of the most interesting and controversial debate topics in various categories.
There is no doubt that political debate topics are the most captivating because we all want to hear how politicians will solve the challenges we face as a society. You can choose to write about any of the following political debate topics.
Before proceeding to other classes of debates, let’s pause for a moment and see what makes these examples interesting. One, you can see that the political debate topics are controversial. Viewers always want to hear leaders address controversial debate topics because such discussions result in public policy or the enactment of new laws.
You will sometimes want to write about social debate topics. The process of choosing the best debate topic can be daunting when you do not know where to start. We have, therefore, compiled a short list of social debate topics that you can choose if your professor asks you to write a debate.
Like the rest of the debate topics, this list contains some of the most controversial debate topics in society today. When choosing any of the topics, consider society’s attitudes toward the subject. A debate is only exciting if it divides people’s opinions. If you look carefully at the debate topics shared above, you will notice that people disagree on each of them. For example, there is one group that attributes aggressive behaviors among college students to violent video games. In a rebuttal, another faction argues that violent video games have nothing to do with aggression. When you choose a controversial debate topic, you are able to understand and argue each of the opposing views.
We can also focus on technology debate topics because you will still encounter them when pursuing a college education. Here are some of the most interesting debate topics related to technology.
As you can see from the examples above, each topic is likely to attract varied views. Also, every debate topic is related to technology. So, the main consideration you should make when writing technology debate topics is the technological aspect in it. Most college students confuse social debate topics with technology debate topics. To avoid this confusion, ask yourself this question: is there a technological element in this subject? By posing this question, you ensure that your debate topic will be relevant to the issue being addressed.
You may also find yourself writing about health debates. Some college students worry that they do not have the necessary writing skills to handle a health-related paper or debate. If you feel stuck about the debate topic to write about, choose from any of the following.
The provided examples are all related to health. We have to admit that writing medical debate topics is not always easy for some college students. However, you do not have to fear that handling a medical debate topic is going to be arduous. All you need to do is go through the internet and look for research papers that address your debate topic. Moreover, ensure you write about an important subject that motivates readers to follow your debate.
You may also write more about health debates by focusing on the recent events about Covid-19. In fact, you are likely to find your tutor asking you to write more about this outbreak. In case you are required to write about Covid-19, select a topic from this list.
You can expand your scope of Covid-19 by thinking of new debate topics. Many college students find it easy to come up with other debate ideas when they get a hint. Do not limit your debates to the topics listed above. Instead, think of what else to write about Covid-19. Nonetheless, do not waste a lot of time trying to create your topic if at all you can get it from the list provided above.
When you are not writing about medical debate topics, political debate topics, or technology debate topics, you will most likely find yourself handling a debate topic related to the environment. You could find yourself stuck or lost and not sure where to start. The good thing about environmental debate topics is that they are not hard to find. Besides relying on this list, you can search for research papers online and select the debate topic that you consider the most interesting. Meanwhile, these are some of the environmental debate topics you can choose.
While the debate topics above appear more direct, they would still elicit opposing views from people who believe that environmental issues are exaggerated. Remember that there are people who consider climate change a hoax. As a result, any of the debate topics highlighted above would raise a contrary viewpoint. Guess what? That is the beauty of a debate. Listeners like it when debaters offer two perspectives on a topic.
Sometimes, you will not be asked to choose from any category. Instead, your professor may want you to write for a specific group. These could be private school students, people in a particular organization such as the European Union, or young girls in developing countries. In such a case, you just have to argue your case with the relevant facts and provide a bit of opposing views to ensure your debate paper is balanced. Let’s now look at some of the other common debate topics you will encounter in your college education.
In this exhaustive list, you can see that the debate topics are not organized in any order. From time to time, your teacher will ask you to choose any subject and argue about it. If that happens, you can be sure that any of the debate topics highlighted above can help you. The time you would have spent looking for a good debate topic will be saved, and you will have enough time to rest and do other duties.
You may also like to write about debate topics for kids. If you choose to do this, you have to remember that your audience is somewhat younger. Although parents might read your debate, the primary audiences are the children. We have listed several debate topics for kids, which we hope will help you write a good paper if asked to do that. Go through these debate topics for kids and write about any of them.
Besides discussing serious matters related to politics, society, healthy, and law, you might also be required to focus on sports. College students who dislike sports find it strange to come up with exciting sports debate topics, but this challenge is now solved. Sample some of the sports debate topics you could write about.
With the above list, you can now handle any of the sports debate topics with ease. Almost all of the debate topics shared above are easy to write about because many research papers address them exhaustively. Try writing about any of the topics and see how easy it becomes. You will become a real pro when you keep writing about these and the other debate topics shared in this article.
You could also want to write about debates that relate to ESL writers. We have developed a list of ESL debate topics to help you choose from and write your work meticulously. Many times, ESL debate topics are simple and direct. Go through the samples and choose whichever you want.
The examples provided here will make it possible for you to write for ESL readers if that is your target audience. Keep the language simple and be precise in your arguments.
Besides organizing the debate topics as per their subjects, you may find that others will be in the type of essays you are expected to write. For example, your teacher might ask you to write a narrative essay, argumentative paper, or any other. In that case, we have listed several debate topics as per their categories. In the section below, you will find some narrative essay topics, argumentative essay topics, and descriptive essay topics. The list for each category is long to ensure that you do not run out of ideas. Go through each of them depending on your needs. If you want an argumentative paper, you are welcome to sample some of the debate topics shared below.
The above list is not exhaustive, but you can see that it addresses various areas of study, including technology, health, business, and society. You are free to choose a topic from the list and write a debate topic that interests you. Meanwhile, you can sample descriptive essay topics from the list shared below.
With the above list, you could think of other areas to focus your writing on when you choose to write a descriptive essay. Sometimes, you will find that a teacher will pose a question as part of your essay, while some might give you a prompt. Remember that descriptive essays require you to explain, not to argue. Therefore, spend time educating or informing the reader. Do not try to convince or persuade the readers in a descriptive essay since the objective is to make them learn something new. If you are interested in writing persuasive essays but do not know where to start, sample the following list and choose a topic.
Persuasive essays are almost identical to argumentative papers, but they differ slightly. In persuasive essays, the objective is to convince the reader to adopt your position. You try to make the readers believe that your argument makes more sense than the one posted by another opposing side. However, do not forget to mention the argumentative views posed by people you do disagree with in your topic. Choose from the list above and write perfectly. In the other list below, the focus is on narrative essays.
The good thing with research topics is that you are free to explore many sources, unlike in essays. In an essay, you may not exhaust your ideas because the number of sources is limited. Moreover, an essay forces you to argue a particular point instead of investigating it in depth. Nonetheless, we have expository essays, which allow you to explain a topic instead of trying to persuade the readers. Here is a list of expository essay topics from which you could choose.
When in college, you will find yourself writing compare and contrast papers. This type of writing involves taking two items and identifying their similarities and differences. There is no limit as to what you can write about. Your professor can ask you to compare two countries, generations, cars, or even colleges. Read the following topics just in case you are asked to write about them.
Sometimes, you will not be asked to argue, explain, or narrate. Rather, your professor will require you to identify why something happened. In college life, these types of writing are called cause and effect essays. They show the relationship between the elements. You can go through this list to see some of the examples of cause and effect essays.
You will find your professor asking you to write about a process. This type of an essay involves telling your readers how a certain process takes place. It is not limited, and you could write about anything, including how to cook a nice meal. Go through the list below to see if your topic is included.
Although all the debate topics shared in the preceding sections are controversial, you may sometimes want to know the ideas that elicit the fiercest reactions from different groups. Typically, controversial debate topics are good to write about because they allow you to explore different perspectives. Also, controversial debate topics do not restrict you to one way of writing since you can write about any position you feel is. Before we offer a brief explanation of how to write such debate topics, let us highlight some of them here. Below is a list of some of the most controversial debate topics you will encounter in college writing.
As you can see, each of the topics shared above elicits some reactions. For example, if you were to write about banning the sale of tobacco in the US, you can rest assured that tobacco companies would be interested in reading your essay. After reading the paper, the companies would most likely respond since they would feel threatened, especially if you argue in support of banning the substance. The other thing you need to note is that the topic gives you two perspectives from which you can argue. One, you could choose to oppose the ban on tobacco. Two, you may decide to support the ban. Well, one thing you must always remember about debates is that no opinion is wrong or right. The purpose of debate is to provide different perspectives, not to prove that you are right and the other side is wrong. Take time and write an essay with great topic sentences on each of the topics above, and you will see your work improving.
Now that we have kept our promise to give you the top 100 best controversial debate topics, let’s see how you should select your debate topic.
Whether you are writing a political, social, sports, or any other debate topic, always look for the most interesting. By interesting debate topic, we mean that you choose a subject that is likely to attract the readers. For example, if you are asked to write about an environmental debate topic, you should look for any that addresses global warming, climate change, pollution, or waste management. You will often find that environmental debate topics are not controversial but elicit interest from readers. Therefore, choose the most interesting topic.
To get a controversial debate topic, you may need to choose from the political, social, or educational categories. Political debate topics are the most controversial because they tend to divide opinions among leaders and citizens alike. For example, the issue of illegal immigrants is always a heated subject that never results in consensus. You can write about such a topic because its readership is high.
While controversial debate topics are exciting, they can also prove hard to write due to the amount of evidence needed to convince the readers that your argument is the most compelling. If you are given a choice to select your debate topic, go for the easy ones. Choose something to do with the environment, sports, or kids.
The other critical step is to select your target audience. Interesting debate topics are only exciting if they are directed at the right groups. For example, if you are writing to lawmakers, you should focus on a subject related to the death penalty. In contrast, if you want to argue that college students should not wear school uniforms, your target audience is the teaching staff. Still, funny debate topics should be directed at children. A serious debate, such as one touching on whether the Paris Agreement is relevant anymore, should be written for environmentalists and political leaders. While one might argue that the intended audience will not read the debate, topics for college students often influence policy changes. In fact, some laws have come after debate topics for college students were covered by the media.
Let’s now assume that you have selected several interesting debates and want to write one or more. How do you go about writing the best from among many debate topics for college learners? Once you choose your topic, adhere to the following format.
You can have all the most interesting debate topics, but no one will find them exciting if you start your work on a low note. Let your introduction catch the reader’s attention. For example, if you are writing about school uniforms for college students, ensure the first line is as follows: “School uniforms are not for college students.” Such an introduction attracts the readers.
Highlighting opposing views portrays you as impartial. If you are writing against animal testing, mention why those who support animal testing do so. Likewise, if you have a problem with human cloning, mention one advantage. The same principle should apply when you write about the electoral college, sex education, and all the other topics for college.
You could be asked to defend one or several debate topics for college. Therefore, master your public speaking skills.
Some education debate topics may elicit emotional responses but remain balanced. Selecting engaging debate topics can be challenging but take time. Debate topics for students are easy to pick because they are always straightforward.