Topic: Topic selection and discussion. Select a topic of moral controversy, debate, disagreement and dispute.
Topic: Topic selection and discussion. Select a topic of moral controversy, debate, disagreement and dispute.
College and controversial topics go hand in hand, making it a great time to sharpen your debate skills and determine your stance on today’s most controversial issues.
By the time you graduate, you’ll likely have been involved in spirited classroom discussions, lively political disagreements, or even full-fledged protests.
At some point, you may also have to write about something controversial, such as capital punishment, abortion, or gun control. Exploring topics like these can challenge your worldview, personal ethics, and emotional instincts and make you a more clear-headed thinker.
The first step to writing any position paper is to take a stance between two main arguments, which requires you to understand both perspectives — and to back up your arguments with cold, hard facts.
To help, we’ve compiled a list of the top 25 most controversial topics. It is by no means an exhaustive exploration of each position; instead, consider this a starting point to familiarize you with the broader issues before you dive deep into research.
The gun control debate largely hinges on interpretations of the Second Amendment. It reads: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
Advocates for gun rights argue the “right of the people to keep and bear arms” means that the government cannot control the possession of firearms. Thus, they oppose any laws that impact their ability to buy, carry, or accessorize guns.
By contrast, gun control advocates focus on the part of the Second Amendment that says gun rights are meant to be “well regulated” by local, state, and federal legislative bodies. They push for stricter gun control laws, including more extensive background checks, regulations on assault weapons, and banning high-capacity magazines.
Today, the debate has escalated due to the high rate of gun violence and the rising frequency of mass shootings. In 2019, there were 417 mass shootings in the U.S., according to data from the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive (GVA). The increasing prevalence of mass shootings has sparked fierce debates about the sale of assault rifles, background checks for gun buyers, and the connection between gun violence and mental illness.
Abortion became legal in every state following the landmark 1973 Supreme Court case of Roe v. Wade. Every state has at least one abortion clinic, and in 2017, 18% of pregnancies ended in abortion.
The debate typically splits into two common viewpoints — pro-choice and pro-life — which both wrangle with religious, moral, and philosophical beliefs.
The pro-life perspective argues that life begins at the moment of conception, and therefore abortion is equivalent to murder. It is seen as an act of violence that can have physical, emotional, and psychological repercussions, even if the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest. Pro-life supporters believe that government intervention to prevent abortions is justified.
On the other side, pro-choice argues that people have the right to choose to have an abortion because they have bodily autonomy — complete control over their own bodies. They believe that it is immoral for the government to make medical decisions on behalf of pregnant people. Thus, the pro-choice perspective opposes federal, state, or local laws that restrict access, impede funding, or create legal obstacles for getting an abortion.
Check out what you can do with a law degree to actively participate in this debate.
Yet, religious liberty continues to be controversial in its execution. Discussions about religion and politics are often polarizing because they dig deep into how people view the world. As the adage says, “don’t mix religion and politics.”
The First Amendment compels the government not to show preference to a specific religion or take away an individual’s ability to exercise faith. It also ensures that neither the state nor the church has the power to rule over each other. Under the First Amendment, Americans have the right to practice any faith or to have no faith. Legally, they can do so without fear of government coercion, even in public.
In practice, the fiery disagreements over how freedom of religion can and should be expressed have led to clashes over God’s mention in the Pledge of Allegiance, displaying the Ten Commandments in public spaces, and businesses denying service based on religious belief. The issue is particularly prevalent around Christianity, which appears in many aspects of public life in the United States, despite not being the official religion.
Many people with pro-religious views argue that religious freedom means they have a right to make choices about who they serve or employ and what they display or do based on their religious values. Others argue that religious freedom means not having to follow the trappings of a specific religion in public spaces or required pledges, and also not being denied access to goods, services, or jobs based on their religious beliefs.