Debate Topics — All Formats, One Place

Current and recent resolutions across Public Forum, Lincoln-Douglas, Policy, Big Questions, World Schools, and Congress. Each topic links to a guide with framing, common arguments, and a CTA to practice with an AI opponent that already knows the format.

Public Forum
PF Monthly Topics
Current NSDA Public Forum resolution + last 6 months of topics. Strategy, evidence framing, common contention chains.
Lincoln-Douglas
LD Bi-Monthly Topics
Current LD resolution. Value/criterion frameworks, philosophical literature, common turns.
Policy / CX
Policy Annual Topic
Yearly policy resolution. Cards, plans, K's, T-violations, and case lists for the season.
Big Questions
BQ Annual Topic
NSDA Big Questions resolution. Philosophy of mind, science vs. religion, ethics framings.
World Schools
WSDC + Asian Parli
International circuit motions. Prepared and impromptu. Three-on-three structure with reply speeches.
Student Congress
Active Bills & Resolutions
NSDA Congress docket. Authorship speeches, parlipro, sponsorship strategy, refutation chains.

Why these pages exist. Most "AI debate" tools give you a generic chatbot that doesn't know your format. These pages link the current topic to an AI opponent that runs on the actual format conventions — speech times, judging paradigms, terminology, structure.

The AI opponent isn't a search engine; it argues. It baits you, drops weak points, weighs the round, and writes an RFD when it's done. Try a round →

How topics are picked

Public Forum and Lincoln-Douglas rotate on the NSDA calendar — PF is monthly, LD is bi-monthly. Policy uses one resolution for the entire September-to-June season, set by a coach committee vote. Big Questions runs an annual NSDA-selected topic. World Schools mixes prepared motions with impromptu motions released hours before each round. Congress uses a "docket" of bills/resolutions specific to each tournament.

Practice mode

Every topic page includes a "spar with AI" button that pre-loads the topic into the AI debate trainer. You pick a side, the AI takes the other, and you debate timed rounds with judge feedback at the end. Open the trainer →

Spar with an AI →