Persuasive Paper Topics:

Choose your top three topics by 10/30 – You can email Mrs. Rigdon or wait until your English class that day. After a topic has been chosen by two people, it is not able to be used.

  1. Do schools have the right to search students’ lockers?
  2. Should children be given sex education in schools, or should it be the responsibility of the parents?
  3. Should schools require their students to wear a school uniform?
  4. Are beauty contests harmful?
  5. Should parents be held morally and legally responsible for the actions/needs of their children?
  6. Should young people be subjected to curfews as a way to reduce crime?
  7. Is physical force a justifiable method of punishing children?
  8. Should governments negotiate with terrorists?
  9. Do the benefits of genetically modified foods outweigh the harms?
  10. Does television have a negative influence on society?
  11. Hip-hop music lyrics (are they dangerous? Are they innocent? Do they cause harm? Are they just free speech?
  12. Violent video games (Do they cause violent kids, school shootings, etc.?)
  13. Should flag burning as a form of protesting be prohibited?
  14. Is it morally acceptable to experiment on non-human animals to develop products and medicines that benefit human beings?
  15. Should we be trying to prevent species becoming extinct? If so, why?
  16. Should we ban the keeping of animals in zoos?
  17. Should we ban the keeping of animals in circuses?
  18. Should schools be allowed to teach creationism alongside evolution as part of their science curriculum?
  19. Should school students face mandatory drug-tests?
  20. Should continued office for public officials be dependent on (successfully) taking a drug test?
  21. Should HIV positive workers have to tell their employees their status?
  22. Should sex offenders be named and shamed?
  23. Can assassination of a dictator be justifiable?
  24. Should assisted suicide be legalized?
  25. Should we legalize the sale of human organs?
  26. Should mothers stay at home to raise their children?
  27. Should cell phone use in cars be banned?
  28. Should the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sports be legalized?
  29. Disney films (Are they harmful to young boys and girls? Why?
  30. Images of women in the media (Does the media cause eating disorders in young girls?
  31. Images of minorities in the media (Are Hispanics of African Americans stereotyped in the media?)
  32. Illegal music downloading
  33. Television, movie, music, or video game ratings
  34. Sexual imagery in the media (Does it cause teen pregnancy?)
  35. MySpace and Facebook as a cultural phenomenon (Are they good for society or bad for society?)
  36. The effects of cell phones on society (Good for us? Bad fir us?)
  37. The amount of television and other media used by children (Do hours of TV watching negatively effect children?)
  38. Advertising that targets children
  39. Alcohol or cigarette advertising
  40. Celebrity gossip and the paparazzi (Should there be rules about paparazzi/celebrities rights, etc?)
  41. Is the expansion of nuclear energy harmful or beneficial to our environment?
  42. Should our second amendment rights be withdrawn due to recent fatal events in schools and other public areas? (Gun control)
  43. Is China’s rise to power beneficial or hurtful to America?
  44. Meat consumption and health
  45. The dangers of disposable diapers
  46. Plastic surgery for cosmetic reasons (cosmetic surgery). Is it rising to a level that exceeds good sense?
  47. Is the fast-food industry legally accountable for obesity? (The McLawsuit)
  48. Intelligence depends more on the environment than genetic factors.
  49. Should there be stronger limits on immigration?
  50. Importance of safety harnesses.
  51. Should schools switch from traditional books to eBooks?
  52. Teenage pregnancy affects the future of both the child and mother.
  53. There should be special privileges for working women.
  54. Health insurance should be mandatory for all citizens.
  55. Financial education is important in today’s world.
  56. The use of surveillance cameras in public areas, such as parking lots. Good idea or violation of privacy?
  57. Tell people to vote! Individual votes matter.
  58. Does Internet mean the death of newspapers and the profession of journalism?
  59. Should the death penalty be abolished?
  60. Does home-schooling result in children missing the social interaction and growth necessary at that age?
  61. Should elders over the age of 65 be allowed to drive?
  62. There should be cap on sports salaries.
  63. Juveniles should be sentenced as adults.
  64. IQ tests are valid measurements of human intelligence.
  65. Should students be allowed to have cell phones in elementary and high school?
  66. Should college athletes be paid for playing sports?
  67. Should state colleges be free to attend?
  68. Should all American citizens complete a year of community service?
  69. Should students be required to take Spanish classes?
  70. Should girls be allowed to play on boys sports teams?