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Are you struggling to find good persuasive speech topics? It can be hard to find a topic that interests both you and your audience, but in this guide we've done the hard work and created a list of 105 great persuasive speech ideas. They're organized into ten categories and cover a variety of topics, so you're sure to find one that interests you.

In addition to our list, we also go over which factors make good persuasive speech topics and three tips you should follow when researching and writing your persuasive speech.

What Makes a Good Persuasive Speech Topic?

What makes certain persuasive speech topics better than others? There are numerous reasons, but in this section we discuss three of the most important factors of great topics for a persuasive speech.

It's Something You Know About or Are Interested in Learning About

The most important factor in choosing and creating a great persuasive speech is picking a topic you care about and are interested in. You'll need to do a lot of research on this topic, and if it's something you like learning about, that'll make the process much easier and more enjoyable. It'll also help you sound passionate and informed when you talk, both important factors in giving an excellent persuasive speech.

It's a Topic People Care About

In fourth grade, after being told I could give a persuasive speech on any topic I wanted to , I chose to discuss why the Saguaro cactus should be the United State's national plant. Even though I gave an impassioned talk and drew a life-size Saguaro cactus on butcher paper to hang behind me, I doubt anyone enjoyed the speech much.

I'd recently returned from a family vacation to Arizona where I'd seen Saguaro cacti for the first time and decided they were the coolest thing ever. However, most people don't care that much about Saguaro cacti, and most people don't care what our national plant is or if we even have one (for the record, the US has a national flower, and it's the rose).

Spare yourself the smattering of bored applause my nine-old self got at the end of my speech and choose something you think people will be interested in hearing about. This also ties into knowing your audience, which we discuss more in the final section.

It Isn't Overdone

When I was in high school, nearly every persuasive speech my classmates and I were assigned was the exact same topic: should the drinking age be lowered to 18? I got this prompt in English class, on standardized tests, in speech and debate class, etc. I've written and presented about it so often I could probably still rattle off all the main points of my old speeches word-for-word.

You can imagine that everyone's eyes glazed over whenever classmates gave their speeches on this topic. We'd heard about it so many times that, even if it was a topic we cared about, speeches on it just didn't interest us anymore.

The are many potential topics for a persuasive speech. Be wary of choosing one that's cliche or overdone. Even if you give a great speech, it'll be harder to keep your audience interested if they feel like they already know what you're going to say.

An exception to this rule is that if you feel you have a new viewpoint or facts about the topic that currently aren't common knowledge. Including them can make an overdone topic interesting. If you do this, be sure to make it clear early on in your speech that you have unique info or opinions on the topic so your audience knows to expect something new.

105 Topics for a Persuasive Speech

Here's our list of 105 great persuasive speech ideas. We made sure to choose topics that aren't overdone, yet that many people will have an interest in, and we also made a point of choosing topics with multiple viewpoints rather than simplistic topics that have a more obvious right answer (i.e. Is bullying bad?). The topics are organized into ten categories.

Arts/Culture

• Should art and music therapy be covered by health insurance?
• Should all students be required to learn an instrument in school?
• Should all national museums be free to citizens?
• Should graffiti be considered art?
• Should offensive language be removed from works of classic literature?
• Are paper books better than e-books?
• Should all interns be paid for their work?
• Should employees receive bonuses for walking or biking to work?
• Will Brexit hurt or help the UK's economy?
• Should all people over the age of 65 be able to ride the bus for free?
• Should the federal minimum wage be increased?
• Should tipping in restaurants be mandatory?
• Should Black Friday sales be allowed to start on Thanksgiving?
• Should students who bully others be expelled?
• Should all schools require students wear uniforms?
• Should boys and girls be taught in separate classrooms?
• Should students be allowed to listen to music during study hall?
• Should all elementary schools be required to teach a foreign language?
• Should schools include meditation or relaxation breaks during the day?
• Should grades in gym class affect students' GPAs?
• Should teachers get a bonus when their students score well on standardized tests?
• Should children of undocumented immigrants be allowed to attend public schools?
• Should students get paid for getting a certain GPA?
• Should students be allowed to have their cell phones with them during school?
• Should high school students be allowed to leave school during lunch breaks?
• Should Greek life at colleges be abolished?
• Should high school students be required to volunteer a certain number of hours before they can graduate?
• Should schools still teach cursive handwriting?
• What are the best ways for schools to stop bullying?
• Should prostitution be legalized?
• Should people with more than one DUI lose their driver's license?
• Should people be required to shovel snow from the sidewalks in front of their house?
• Should minors be able to drink alcohol in their home if they have their parent's consent?
• Should guns be allowed on college campuses?
• Should flag burning as a form of protest be illegal?
• Should welfare recipients be required to pass a drug test?
• Should white supremacist groups be allowed to hold rallies in public places?
• Should assault weapons be illegal?
• Should the death penalty be abolished?
• Should beauty pageants for children be banned?
• Is it OK to refuse to serve same-sex couples based on religious beliefs?
• Should transgender people be allowed to serve in the military?
• Is it better to live together before marriage or to wait?
• Should affirmative action be allowed?
• Should prisoners be allowed to vote?
• Should Columbus Day be replaced with Indigenous Peoples' Day?

Government/Politics

• Should the government spend more money on developing high-speed rail lines and less on building new roads?
• Should the government be allowed to censor internet content deemed inappropriate?
• Should Puerto Rico become the 51st state?
• Should Scotland declare independence from the United Kingdom?
• Whose face should be on the next new currency printed by the US?
• Should people convicted of drug possession be sent to recovery programs instead of jail?
• Should voting be made compulsory?
• Who was the best American president?
• Should the military budget be reduced?
• Should the President be allowed to serve more than two terms?
• Should a border fence be built between the United States and Mexico?
• Should countries pay ransom to terrorist groups in order to free hostages?
• Should minors be able to purchase birth control without their parent's consent?
• Should hiding or lying about your HIV status with someone you're sleeping with be illegal?
• Should governments tax soda and other sugary drinks and use the revenue for public health?
• Should high schools provide free condoms to students?
• Should the US switch to single-payer health care?
• Should healthy people be required to regularly donate blood?
• Should assisted suicide be legal?
• Should religious organizations be required to pay taxes?
• Should priests be allowed to get married?
• Should the religious slaughter of animals be banned?
• Should the Church of Scientology be exempt from paying taxes?
• Should women be allowed to be priests?
• Should countries be allowed to only accept refugees with certain religious beliefs?
• Should public prayer be allowed in schools?

Science/Environment

• Should human cloning be allowed?
• Should people be allowed to own exotic animals like tigers and monkeys?
• Should "animal selfies" in tourist locations with well-known animal species (like koalas and tigers) be allowed?
• Should genetically modified foods be sold in grocery stores?
• Should people be allowed to own pit bulls?
• Should parents be allowed to choose the sex of their unborn children?
• Should vaccinations be required for students to attend public school?
• What is the best type of renewable energy?
• Should plastic bags be banned in grocery stores?
• Should the United States rejoin the Paris Agreement?
• Should puppy mills be banned?
• Should fracking be legal?
• Should animal testing be illegal?
• Should offshore drilling be allowed in protected marine areas?
• Should the US government increase NASA's budget?
• Should Pluto still be considered a planet?
• Should college athletes be paid for being on a sports team?
• Should all athletes be required to pass regular drug tests?
• Should professional female athletes be paid the same as male athletes in the same sport?
• Are there any cases when athletes should be allowed to use steroids?
• Should college sports teams receive less funding?
• Should boxing be illegal?
• Should schools be required to teach all students how to swim?
• Should cheerleading be considered a sport?
• Should parents let their children play tackle football?
• Will robots reduce or increase human employment opportunities?
• What age should children be allowed to have a cell phone?
• Should libraries be replaced with unlimited access to e-books?
• Overall, has technology helped connect people or isolate them?
• Should self-driving cars be legal?
• Should all new buildings be energy efficient?
• Is Net Neutrality a good thing or a bad thing?
• Do violent video games encourage players to become violent in real life?

3 Bonus Tips for Crafting Your Persuasive Speech

Of course, giving a great persuasive speech requires more than just choosing a good topic. Follow the three tips below to create an outstanding speech that'll interest and impress your audience.

Do Your Research

For a persuasive speech, there's nothing worse than getting an audience question that shows you misunderstood the issue or left an important piece out. It makes your entire speech look weak and unconvincing.

Before you start writing a single word of your speech, be sure to do lots of research on all sides of the topic. Look at different sources and points of view to be sure you're getting the full picture, and if you know any experts on the topic, be sure to ask their opinion too.

Consider All the Angles

Persuasive speech topics are rarely black and white, which means there will be multiple sides and viewpoints on the topic. For example, for the topic "Should people be allowed to own pit bulls?" there are two obvious viewpoints: everyone should be allowed to own a pit bull if they want to, and no one should be allowed to own a pit bull. But there are other options you should also consider: people should only own a pit bull if they pass a dog training class, people should be able to own pit bulls, but only if it's the only dog they own, people should be able to own pi tbulls but only if they live a certain distance from schools, people should be able to own pit bulls only if the dog passes an obedience class, etc.

Thinking about all these angles and including them in your speech will make you seem well-informed on the topic, and it'll increase the quality of your speech by looking at difference nuances of the issue.

Know Your Audience

Whenever you give a speech, it's important to consider your audience, and this is especially true for persuasive speeches when you're trying to convince people to believe a certain viewpoint. When writing your speech, think about what your audience likely already knows about the topic, what they probably need explained, and what aspects of the topic they care about most. Also consider what the audience will be most concerned about for a certain topic, and be sure to address those concerns.

For example, if you're giving a speech to a Catholic organization on why you think priests should be allowed to marry, you don't need to go over the history of Catholicism or its core beliefs (which they probably already know), but you should mention any research or prominent opinions that support your view (which they likely don't know about). They may be concerned that priests who marry won't be as committed to God or their congregations, so be sure to address those concerns and why they shouldn't worry about them as much as they may think. Discussing your topic with people (ideally those with viewpoints similar to those of your future audience) before you give your speech is a good way to get a better understanding of how your audience thinks.

More Resources for Writing Persuasive Speeches

If you need more guidance or just want to check out some examples of great persuasive writing, consider checking out the following books:

• Lend Me Your Ears: Great Speeches in History by William Safire—This collection of great speeches throughout history will help you decide how to style your own argument.
• The Essentials of Persuasive Public Speaking by Sims Wyeth—For quick direct tips on public speaking, try this all-purpose guide.
• Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World's Top Minds by Carmine Gallo—This popular book breaks down what makes TED talks work and how you can employ those skills in your own presentations.
• We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Make Good Art by Neil Gaiman—These two recent speeches by contemporary writers offer stellar examples of how to craft a compelling (and engaging) argument.

Conclusion: Persuasive Speech Ideas

Good persuasive speech topics can be difficult to think of, but in this guide we've compiled a list of 105 interesting persuasive speech topics for you to look through.

The best persuasive speech ideas will be on a topic you're interested in, aren't overdone, and will be about something your audience cares about.

After you've chosen your topic, keep these three tips in mind when writing your persuasive speech:

• Do your research
• Consider all the angles
• Know your audience

What's Next?

Now that you have persuasive speech topics, it's time to hone your persuasive speech techniques. Find out what ethos, pathos, logos, and kairos are and how to use them here .

Looking to take your persuasive technique from speech to sheets (of paper)? Get our three key tips on how to write an argumentative essay , or learn by reading through our thorough breakdown of how to build an essay, step by step .

Want a great GPA? Check out our step-by-step guide to getting good grades in high school so you can have a stellar transcript.

Interested in learning about other great extracurricular opportunities? Learn more about job shadowing , community service , and volunteer abroad programs.

Still trying to figure out your courses? Check out our expert guide on which classes you should take in high school.

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These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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112 Persuasive Speech Topics That Are Actually Engaging

What’s covered:, how to pick an awesome persuasive speech topic, 112 engaging persuasive speech topics, tips for preparing your persuasive speech.

Writing a stellar persuasive speech requires a carefully crafted argument that will resonate with your audience to sway them to your side. This feat can be challenging to accomplish, but an engaging, thought-provoking speech topic is an excellent place to start.

When it comes time to select a topic for your persuasive speech, you may feel overwhelmed by all the options to choose from—or your brain may be drawing a completely blank slate. If you’re having trouble thinking of the perfect topic, don’t worry. We’re here to help!

In this post, we’re sharing how to choose the perfect persuasive speech topic and tips to prepare for your speech. Plus, you’ll find 112 persuasive speech topics that you can take directly from us or use as creative inspiration for your own ideas!

Choose Something You’re Passionate About

It’s much easier to write, research, and deliver a speech about a cause you care about. Even if it’s challenging to find a topic that completely sparks your interest, try to choose a topic that aligns with your passions.

However, keep in mind that not everyone has the same interests as you. Try to choose a general topic to grab the attention of the majority of your audience, but one that’s specific enough to keep them engaged.

For example, suppose you’re giving a persuasive speech about book censorship. In that case, it’s probably too niche to talk about why “To Kill a Mockingbird” shouldn’t be censored (even if it’s your favorite book), and it’s too broad to talk about media censorship in general.

Steer Clear of Cliches

Have you already heard a persuasive speech topic presented dozens of times? If so, it’s probably not an excellent choice for your speech—even if it’s an issue you’re incredibly passionate about.

Although polarizing topics like abortion and climate control are important to discuss, they aren’t great persuasive speech topics. Most people have already formed an opinion on these topics, which will either cause them to tune out or have a negative impression of your speech.

Instead, choose topics that are fresh, unique, and new. If your audience has never heard your idea presented before, they will be more open to your argument and engaged in your speech.

Have a Clear Side of Opposition

For a persuasive speech to be engaging, there must be a clear side of opposition. To help determine the arguability of your topic, ask yourself: “If I presented my viewpoint on this topic to a group of peers, would someone disagree with me?” If the answer is yes, then you’ve chosen a great topic!

Now that we’ve laid the groundwork for what it takes to choose a great persuasive speech topic, here are over one hundred options for you to choose from.

• Should high school athletes get tested for steroids?
• Should schools be required to have physical education courses?
• Should sports grades in school depend on things like athletic ability?
• What sport should be added to or removed from the Olympics?
• Should college athletes be able to make money off of their merchandise?
• Should sports teams be able to recruit young athletes without a college degree?
• Should we consider video gamers as professional athletes?
• Is cheerleading considered a sport?
• Should parents allow their kids to play contact sports?
• Should professional female athletes be paid the same as professional male athletes?
• Should college be free at the undergraduate level?
• Is the traditional college experience obsolete?
• Should you choose a major based on your interests or your potential salary?
• Should high school students have to meet a required number of service hours before graduating?
• Should teachers earn more or less based on how their students perform on standardized tests?
• Are private high schools more effective than public high schools?
• Should there be a minimum number of attendance days required to graduate?
• Are GPAs harmful or helpful?
• Should schools be required to teach about standardized testing?
• Should Greek Life be banned in the United States?
• Should schools offer science classes explicitly about mental health?
• Should students be able to bring their cell phones to school?
• Should all public restrooms be all-gender?
• Should undocumented immigrants have the same employment and education opportunities as citizens?
• Should everyone be paid a living wage regardless of their employment status?
• Should supremacist groups be able to hold public events?
• Should guns be allowed in public places?
• Should the national drinking age be lowered?
• Should prisoners be allowed to vote?
• Should the government raise or lower the retirement age?
• Should the government be able to control the population?
• Is the death penalty ethical?

Environment

• Should stores charge customers for plastic bags?
• Should breeding animals (dogs, cats, etc.) be illegal?
• Is it okay to have exotic animals as pets?
• Should people be fined for not recycling?
• Should compost bins become mandatory for restaurants?
• Should electric vehicles have their own transportation infrastructure?
• Would heavier fining policies reduce corporations’ emissions?
• Should hunting be encouraged or illegal?
• Should reusable diapers replace disposable diapers?

Science & Technology

• Is paper media more reliable than digital news sources?
• Should automated/self-driving cars be legalized?
• Should schools be required to provide laptops to all students?
• Should software companies be able to have pre-downloaded programs and applications on devices?
• Should drones be allowed in military warfare?
• Should scientists invest more or less money into cancer research?
• Should cloning be illegal?
• Should societies colonize other planets?
• Should there be legal oversight over the development of technology?

Social Media

• Should there be an age limit on social media?
• Should cyberbullying have the same repercussions as in-person bullying?
• Are online relationships as valuable as in-person relationships?
• Does “cancel culture” have a positive or negative impact on societies?
• Are social media platforms reliable information or news sources?
• Should social media be censored?
• Does social media create an unrealistic standard of beauty?
• Is regular social media usage damaging to real-life interactions?
• Is social media distorting democracy?
• How many branches of government should there be?
• Who is the best/worst president of all time?
• How long should judges serve in the U.S. Supreme Court?
• Should a more significant portion of the U.S. budget be contributed towards education?
• Should the government invest in rapid transcontinental transportation infrastructure?
• Should airport screening be more or less stringent?
• Should the electoral college be dismantled?
• Should the U.S. have open borders?
• Should the government spend more or less money on space exploration?
• Should students sing Christmas carols, say the pledge of allegiance, or perform other tangentially religious activities?
• Should nuns and priests become genderless roles?
• Should schools and other public buildings have prayer rooms?
• Should animal sacrifice be legal if it occurs in a religious context?
• Should countries be allowed to impose a national religion on their citizens?
• Should the church be separated from the state?
• Does freedom of religion positively or negatively affect societies?

Parenting & Family

• Is it better to have children at a younger or older age?
• Is it better for children to go to daycare or stay home with their parents?
• Does birth order affect personality?
• Should parents or the school system teach their kids about sex?
• Are family traditions important?
• Should parents smoke or drink around young children?
• Should “spanking” children be illegal?
• Should parents use swear words in front of their children?
• Should parents allow their children to play violent video games?

Entertainment

• Should all actors be paid the same regardless of gender or ethnicity?
• Should all award shows be based on popular vote?
• Who should be responsible for paying taxes on prize money, the game show staff or the contestants?
• Should movies and television shows have ethnicity and gender quotas?
• Should newspapers and magazines move to a completely online format?
• Should streaming services like Netflix and Hulu be free for students?
• Is the movie rating system still effective?
• Should celebrities have more privacy rights?

Arts & Humanities

• Are libraries becoming obsolete?
• Should all schools have mandatory art or music courses in their curriculum?
• Should offensive language be censored from classic literary works?
• Is it ethical for museums to keep indigenous artifacts?
• Should digital designs be considered an art form? 
• Should abstract art be considered an art form?
• Is music therapy effective?
• Should tattoos be regarded as “professional dress” for work?
• Should schools place greater emphasis on the arts programs?
• Should euthanasia be allowed in hospitals and other clinical settings?
• Should the government support and implement universal healthcare?
• Would obesity rates lower if the government intervened to make healthy foods more affordable?
• Should teenagers be given access to birth control pills without parental consent?
• Should food allergies be considered a disease?
• Should health insurance cover homeopathic medicine?
• Is using painkillers healthy?
• Should genetically modified foods be banned?
• Should there be a tax on unhealthy foods?
• Should tobacco products be banned from the country?
• Should the birth control pill be free for everyone?

If you need more help brainstorming topics, especially those that are personalized to your interests, you can  use CollegeVine’s free AI tutor, Ivy . Ivy can help you come up with original persuasive speech ideas, and she can also help with the rest of your homework, from math to languages.

Do Your Research

A great persuasive speech is supported with plenty of well-researched facts and evidence. So before you begin the writing process, research both sides of the topic you’re presenting in-depth to gain a well-rounded perspective of the topic.

Understand Your Audience

It’s critical to understand your audience to deliver a great persuasive speech. After all, you are trying to convince them that your viewpoint is correct. Before writing your speech, consider the facts and information that your audience may already know, and think about the beliefs and concerns they may have about your topic. Then, address these concerns in your speech, and be mindful to include fresh, new information.

Have Someone Read Your Speech

Once you have finished writing your speech, have someone read it to check for areas of strength and improvement. You can use CollegeVine’s free essay review tool to get feedback on your speech from a peer!

Practice Makes Perfect

After completing your final draft, the key to success is to practice. Present your speech out loud in front of a mirror, your family, friends, and basically, anyone who will listen. Not only will the feedback of others help you to make your speech better, but you’ll become more confident in your presentation skills and may even be able to commit your speech to memory.

Hopefully, these ideas have inspired you to write a powerful, unique persuasive speech. With the perfect topic, plenty of practice, and a boost of self-confidence, we know you’ll impress your audience with a remarkable speech!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

150 Good Persuasive Speech Topics for Students in 2024

April 1, 2024

Do you know that moment in your favorite film, when the soundtrack begins to swell and the main character stands up and delivers a speech so rousing, so impassioned, it has the entire room either weeping or cheering by the time it concludes? What distinguishes the effectiveness of such a speech is not only the protagonist’s stellar delivery but also the compelling nature of the subject matter at hand. Choosing an effective persuasive speech topic is essential for guaranteeing that your future speech or essay is as moving as these . If this sounds like a tall order, have no fear. Below you’ll find a list of some of the best and most interesting persuasive speech topics for high school students to tackle, from the playful (“Pets for President”) to the serious (“Should We Stop AI from Replacing Human Workers?”).

And if you’re craving more inspiration, feel free to check out this list of Great Debate Topics , which can be used to generate further ideas.

What is a Good Persuasive Speech?

Before we get to the list, we must address the question on everyone’s minds: what is a persuasive speech, and what the heck makes for a good persuasive speech topic? A persuasive speech is a speech that aims to convince its listeners of a particular point of view . At the heart of each persuasive speech is a central conflict . Note: The persuasive speech stands in contrast to a simple informative speech, which is intended purely to convey information. (I.e., an informative speech topic might read: “The History of Making One’s Bed,” while a persuasive speech topic would be: “Why Making One’s Bed is a Waste of Time”—understand?)

And lest you think that persuasive speeches are simply assigned by your teachers as a particularly cruel form of torture, remember that practicing your oratory skills will benefit you in all areas of life—from job interviews, to business negotiations, to your future college career in public policy or international relations . Knowing how to use your voice to enact meaningful change is a valuable skill that can empower you to make a difference in the world.

Components of a Great Persuasive Speech Topic

The ideal persuasive speech topic will inspire the audience to action via both logical arguments and emotional appeals. As such, we can summarize the question “what makes a good persuasive speech topic?” by saying that the topic must possess the following qualities:

• Timeliness and Relevance . Great persuasive speech topics grapple with a contemporary issue that is meaningful to the listener at hand. The topic might be a current news item, or it might be a long-standing social issue. In either case, the topic should be one with real-world implications.
• Complexity . A fruitful persuasive speech topic will have many facets. Topics that are controversial, with some gray area, lend themselves to a high degree of critical thinking. They also offer the speaker an opportunity to consider and refute all counterarguments before making a compelling case for his or her own position.
• Evidence . You want to be able to back up your argument with clear evidence from reputable sources (i.e., not your best friend or dog). The more evidence and data you can gather, the more sound your position will be. In addition, your audience will be more inclined to trust you.
• Personal Connection. Do you feel passionately about the topic you’ve chosen? If not, it may be time to go back to the drawing board. This does not mean you have to support the side you choose; sometimes, arguing for the opposing side of what you personally believe can be an effective exercise in building empathy and perspective. Either way, though, the key is to select a topic that you care deeply about. Your passion will be infectious to the audience.

150 Good Persuasive Speech Topics

• Should tech companies regulate the development of AI systems and automation to protect humans’ jobs?
• Should we limit screen time for children?
• Is it ethical for AI models like Dall-E to train themselves on artists’ work without the artists’ permission?
• Should the government regulate the use of personal drones?
• Is mass surveillance ethical? Does its threat to civil liberties outweigh its benefits?
• Are virtual reality experiences a valuable educational tool?
• Do the positive effects of powerful AI systems outweigh the risks?
• Do voice assistants like Siri and Alexa invade individuals’ privacy?
• Are cell phone bans in the classroom effective for improving student learning?
• Does the use of facial recognition technology in public violate individuals’ privacy?
• Should students be allowed to use ChatGPT and other AI tools for writing assignments?
• Should AI-generated art be allowed in art shows or contests?
• Who holds responsibility for accidents caused by self-driving cars: the driver or the car company?

Business and Economy

• Should we do away with the minimum wage? Why or why not?
• Is it ethical for companies to use unpaid internships as a source of labor?
• Does the gig economy benefit or harm workers?
• Is capitalism the best economic system?
• Is it ethical for companies to use sweatshops in developing countries?
• Should the government provide free healthcare for all citizens?
• Should the government regulate prices on pharmaceutical drugs?
• Should the government enact a universal base income?
• Should customers be required to tip a minimum amount in order to ensure food service workers make a living wage?
• Should someone’s tattoos or personal appearance factor into the hiring process?
• Should US workers have more vacation time?
• Is big game hunting beneficial for local communities?
• Should we legalize euthanasia?
• Is it ethical to use animals for medical research?
• Is it ethical to allow access to experimental treatments for terminally ill patients?
• Should we allow genetic engineering in humans?
• Is the death penalty obsolete?
• Should we allow the cloning of humans?
• Is it ethical to allow performance-enhancing drugs in sports?
• Should embryonic stem cell collection be allowed?
• Do frozen IVF embryos have rights?
• Should state and federal investigators be allowed to use DNA from genealogy databases?
• Should the government limit how many children a couple can have?
• Is spanking children an acceptable form of discipline?
• Should we allow parents to choose their children’s physical attributes through genetic engineering?
• Should we require parents to vaccinate their children?
• Should we require companies to give mandatory paternal and maternal leave?
• Should children be allowed to watch violent movies and video games?
• Should parents allow their teenagers to drink before they turn 21?
• Should the government provide childcare?
• Should telling your children about Santa Claus be considered lying?
• Should one parent stay home?
• Should parental consent be required for minors to receive birth control?
• Is it an invasion of privacy for parents to post photographs of their children on social media?

Social Media

• Should social media platforms ban political ads?
• Do the benefits of social media outweigh the downsides?
• Should the government hold social media companies responsible for hate speech on their platforms?
• Is social media making us more or less social?
• Do platforms like TikTok exacerbate mental health issues in teens?
• Should the government regulate social media to protect citizens’ privacy?
• Is it right for parents to monitor their children’s social media accounts?
• Should social media companies enact a minimum user age restriction?
• Should we require social media companies to protect user data?
• Should we hold social media companies responsible for cyberbullying?
• Should schools ban the use of social media from their networks?
• Should we be allowed to record others without their consent?
• Do online crime sleuths help or hurt criminal investigations?

Education – Persuasive Speech Topics 

• Would trade schools and other forms of vocational training benefit a greater number of students than traditional institutions of higher education?
• Should colleges use standardized testing in their admissions processes?
• Is forcing students to say the Pledge a violation of their right to freedom of speech?
• Should school districts offer bilingual education programs for non-native speakers?
• Should schools do away with their physical education requirements?
• Should schools incorporate a remote learning option into their curriculum?
• Should we allow school libraries to ban certain books?
• Should we remove historical figures who owned slaves from school textbooks and other educational materials?
• Should we have mixed-level classrooms or divide students according to ability?
• Should grading on a curve be allowed?
• Should graphic novels be considered literature?
• Should all students have to take financial literacy classes before graduating?
• Should colleges pay student athletes?
• Should we ban violent contact sports like boxing and MMA?
• Should sports leagues require professional athletes to stand during the national anthem?
• Should sports teams ban players like Kyrie Irving when they spread misinformation or hate speech?
• Should high schools require their athletes to maintain a certain GPA?
• Should the Olympic committee allow transgender athletes to compete?
• Should high schools ban football due to its safety risks to players?
• Should all high school students be required to play a team sport?
• Should sports teams be mixed instead of single-gender?
• Should there be different athletic standards for men and women?
• In which renewable energy option would the US do best to invest?
• Should the US prioritize space exploration over domestic initiatives?
• Should companies with a high carbon footprint be punished?
• Should the FDA ban GMOs?
• Would the world be a safer place without nuclear weapons?
• Does AI pose a greater threat to humanity than it does the potential for advancement?
• Who holds the most responsibility for mitigating climate change: individuals or corporations?
• Should we be allowed to resurrect extinct species?
• Are cancer screening programs ethical?

Social Issues – Persuasive Speech Topics

• College education: should the government make it free for all?
• Should we provide free healthcare for undocumented immigrants?
• Is physician-assisted suicide morally justifiable?
• Does social media have a negative impact on democracy?
• Does cancel culture impede free speech?
• Does affirmative action help or hinder minority groups in the workplace?
• Should we hold public figures and celebrities to a higher standard of morality?
• Should abortion be an issue that is decided at the federal or state level?
• Should the sex offender registry be available to the public?
• Should undocumented immigrants have a path to amnesty?
• Do syringe services programs reduce or increase harmful behaviors?
• Should there be a statute of limitations?
• Should those who are convicted of a crime be required to report their criminal history on job and housing applications?

Politics and Government

• Is the Electoral College still an effective way to elect the President of the US?
• Should we allow judges to serve on the Supreme Court indefinitely?
• Should the US establish a national gun registry?
• Countries like Israel and China require all citizens to serve in the military. Is this a good or bad policy?
• Should the police force require all its officers to wear body cameras while on duty?
• Should the US invest in the development of clean meat as a sustainable protein source?
• Should the US adopt ranked-choice voting?
• Should institutions that profited from slavery provide reparations?
• Should the government return land to Native American tribes?
• Should there be term limits for representatives and senators?
• Should there be an age limit for presidential candidates?
• Should women be allowed in special forces units?

Easy Persuasive Speech Topics

• Should schools have uniforms?
• Can video games improve problem-solving skills?
• Are online classes as effective as in-person classes?
• Should companies implement a four-day work week?
• Co-ed learning versus single-sex: which is more effective?
• Should the school day start later?
• Is homework an effective teaching tool?
• Are electric cars really better for the environment?
• Should schools require all students to study a foreign language?
• Do professional athletes get paid too much money?

Fun Persuasive Speech Topics

• Should we allow pets to run for public office?
• Does pineapple belong on pizza?
• Would students benefit from schools swapping out desks with more comfortable seating arrangements (i.e., bean bag chairs and couches)?
• Is procrastination the key to success?
• Should Americans adopt British accents to sound more intelligent?
• The age-old dilemma: cats or dogs?
• Should meme creators receive royalties when their memes go viral?
• Should there be a minimum drinking age for coffee?
• Are people who make their beds every day more successful than those who don’t?

Interesting Persuasive Speech Topics

• Is the movie ranking system an effective way to evaluate the appropriateness of films?
• Should the government place a “health tax” on junk food?
• Is it ethical to create artificial life forms that are capable of complex emotions?
• Should parents let children choose their own names?
• Creating clones of ourselves to serve as organ donors: ethical or not?
• Is it ethical to engineer humans to be better and more optimized than nature intended?
• Should we adopt a universal language to communicate with people from all countries?
• Should there be a penalty for people who don’t vote?
• Should calories be printed on menus?
• Does tourism positively or negatively impact local communities?
• When used by non-Natives, are dreamcatchers cultural appropriation?
• Should companies require their employees to specify pronouns in their signature line?
• Should commercial fishing be banned?
• Are cemeteries sustainable?
• Is it okay to change the race, culture, and/or gender of historical figures in movies or TV shows?

I’ve Chosen My Topic, Now What?

Once you’ve selected your topic, it’s time to get to work crafting your argument. Preparation for a persuasive speech or essay involves some key steps, which we’ve outlined for you below.

How to Create a Successful Persuasive Speech, Step by Step

• Research your topic. Read widely and smartly. Stick to credible sources, such as peer-reviewed articles, published books, government reports, textbooks, and news articles. The right sources and data will be necessary to help you establish your authority. As you go, take notes on the details and nuances of your topic as well as potential counterarguments. Research the counterarguments, too.
• Choose an angle. For example, if you chose the topic “Should we limit screen time for children?” your speech should come down firmly on one side of that debate. If your topic is frequently debated, such as abortion, capital punishment, gun control, social media, etc. try to find a niche angle or new research. For example, instead of “Should abortion be legal?” you might consider “Should you be able to order abortion pills online?” Another example: “Should the death penalty be banned?” might become “How long is it ethical for someone to stay on death row?” If you do some digging, even the most cliche topics have incredibly interesting and relatively unexplored sub-topics.
• Create an outline. Your outline should include an introduction with a thesis statement, a body that uses evidence to elaborate and support your position while refuting any counterarguments, and a conclusion. The conclusion will both summarize the points made earlier and serve as your final chance to persuade your audience.
• Write your speech. Use your outline to help you as well as the data you’ve collected. Remember: this is not dry writing; this writing has a point of view, and that point of view is yours . Accordingly, use anecdotes and examples to back up your argument. The essential components of this speech are logos (logic), ethos (credibility), and pathos (emotion) . The ideal speech will use all three of these functions to engage the audience.

How to Practice and Deliver a Persuasive Speech

• Talk to yourself in the mirror, record yourself, and/or hold a practice speech for family or friends. If you’ll be using visual cues, a slide deck, or notecards, practice incorporating them seamlessly into your speech. You should practice until your speech feels very familiar, at least 5-10 times.
• Practice body language. Are you making eye contact with your audience, or looking at the ground? Crossing your arms over your chest or walking back and forth across the room? Playing with your hair, cracking your knuckles, or picking at your clothes? Practicing what to do with your body, face, and hands will help you feel more confident on speech day.
• Take it slow. It’s common to talk quickly while delivering a speech—most of us want to get it over with! However, your audience will be able to connect with you much more effectively if you speak at a moderate pace, breathe, and pause when appropriate.
• Give yourself grace. How you recover from a mistake is much more important than the mistake itself. Typically, the best approach is to good-naturedly shrug off a blip and move on. 99% of the time, your audience won’t even notice!

Good Persuasive Speech Topics—Final Thoughts

The art of persuasive speaking is a tricky one, but the tips and tricks laid out here will help you craft a compelling argument that will sway even the most dubious audience to your side. Mastering this art takes both time and practice, so don’t fret if it doesn’t come to you right away. Remember to draw upon your sources, speak with authority, and have fun. Once you have the skill of persuasive speaking down, go out there and use your voice to impact change!

Looking for some hot-button topics in college admissions? You might consider checking out the following:

• Do Colleges Look at Social Media?
• Should I Apply Test-Optional to College?
• Should I Waive My Right to See Letters of Recommendation?
• Should I Use the Common App Additional Information Section?
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Lauren Green

With a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from Columbia University and an MFA in Fiction from the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas at Austin, Lauren has been a professional writer for over a decade. She is the author of the chapbook  A Great Dark House  (Poetry Society of America, 2023) and a forthcoming novel (Viking/Penguin).

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• Writing Tips

50 Topics for a Persuasive Speech

5-minute read

• 13th January 2023

Some find writing a persuasive speech to be intimidating, but it’s an opportunity to share your position on a topic you care about and to invite listeners to support (or at least appreciate) your way of thinking. You’ll benefit from a clear position, credible evidence, and careful consideration of your audience.

Your first step is to pick a topic. Whether you’re a teacher creating an assignment or a student deciding what to speak about, our list of 50 suggested persuasive speech topics and tips are a good starting place.

Choosing a Topic

●  It’s more enjoyable to research and write a speech about a topic that genuinely holds your interest. It’ll make for better delivery, too. Passion is contagious! On the other hand, boredom and a lack of enthusiasm come through easily in vocal tone.

●  Avoid tired, overdone issues. If you’ve heard it all before, there’s a good chance your audience has, too. Pick something current and relevant to your listeners . If you go with a popular topic, try to approach it from a fresh angle.

●  Issues that contain multiple viewpoints are preferable to simplistic good/bad debates. Most reasonable people would agree that “bullying is bad.” But they might learn something new if you share recent research on bullying and offer different approaches to tackling it.

Let’s look at some interesting speech topics, categorized by subject.

Should free speech on the internet be restricted?

At what age should children have access to smartphones?

Does texting hinder interpersonal skills?

Should parents limit their children’s screen time?

Should laws prohibit using devices while driving?

Is there a link between device usage and decreased mental health?

Should the number of US Supreme Court Justices be increased?

Should voting be compulsory?

Should Election Day in the US change from Tuesday to the weekend?

Should the electoral college system be abolished?

Should election procedures be standardized in all states?

Should the Senate filibuster be abolished?

Should the death penalty be legal?

Should states be allowed to have different abortion laws?

Should the legal age to own an assault rifle be raised?

Should the US conduct a voluntary gun buyback program?

Are governments doing enough to address climate change?

Is student loan forgiveness fair?

Should the US invest in high-speed rail similar to those in Japan and Europe?

Should plastic bags be banned in grocery stores?

What is the greatest threat to international stability?

What can be done to prevent cyber threats?

Is the two-party political system of the US failing?

Should the US adopt a single-payer universal health care system?

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Should minimum wage be a factor in the cost of health care?

Is healthcare a human right?

Should access to abortion be required by healthcare providers?

Do school shooter drills damage students’ mental health?

Should vaccinations be required for students to attend public school?

Should employers offer incentives and bonuses to employees who bike or walk to work?

Do school uniforms offer any advantages?

Are school dress codes gender biased?

Are standardized test scores given too much importance in schools?

Do college entrance exams privilege those with higher socio-economic status?

Should teachers be allowed to keep firearms in their classrooms as protection against active shooters?

Should indigenous languages be taught in schools?

Should immigrants have access to free language classes?

Should books ever be banned in schools?

Should elementary schools be required to teach a foreign language?

Should schools be cellphone free?

Should volunteering before graduation be compulsory?

Should school cafeterias serve more plant-based foods?

Should parents let their children play tackle football?

Should college sports teams receive less money?

Should there be more female priests or pastors of churches?

Should churches and other religious organizations pay taxes?

Should all priests be allowed to marry?

Should prayer be permitted in public schools?

On balance, does religion create more conflict or foster peace?

Should there be exceptions to the freedom to practice any religion?

Persuasion Isn’t All or Nothing

People often think persuasion means getting others to agree with you, but persuasion is more nuanced than that. You might persuade someone to go beyond sympathy and act. You might highlight the gray areas of a typically black and white debate.

When total agreement is out of reach, you can settle for agreement in part. Consider your audience thoughtfully when you decide on your goals and remember that you have options.

Step Up with Confidence

We hope these suggested persuasive speech topics have the wheels of your mind turning. Whether it’s for a speech or an argumentative essay , getting your ideas on paper and editing them is a necessary part of the process. Our editors are here to help you confidently put out your best work. Submit a free sample today .

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125+ Persuasive Speech Topics To Amaze Your Audience

Reviewed by:

Former Admissions Committee Member, Columbia University

Reviewed: 4/26/24

This article provides a comprehensive list of persuasive speech topics and answers to some of your frequently asked questions about speech topics. 

Persuasive writing is hard, and it’s even harder to try to come up with an engaging topic that interests you and your audience. 

Not only do you have to convince your audience to take your side on subjects that are often pretty divisive, you also have to persuade them to take your side of the argument. The first step to making a successful persuasive speech that will amaze your audience is having a strong topic.  

Keep reading for 125+ persuasive speech topics. 

125+ Topics for a Persuasive Speech

Persuasive speech ideas are harder to come up with than you may think. There is a fine balance between interesting your audience, interesting to you, unique and fresh, all while being thought-provoking without being outright offensive. 

Here is a breakdown of various topics for persuasive speeches, organized by categories, to inspire you. 

1. Arts & Culture

Art and culture are always hot topics amongst individuals and groups. There are many interesting arguments and stances on both topics, and many people have strong opinions when it comes to the subject matter. 

See below for prompts for persuasive speeches about art and culture: 

• Is graffiti art? 
• Should art classes be mandatory for all students?
• Should we keep reading classic literature that is offensive? 
• Should there be a distinction between ‘high’ and ‘low’ literature?
• Are romcoms and erotica series like Fifty Shades of Grey empowering for women?
• Is reading actually more beneficial than watching TV or playing video games?
• Is there any benefit or relevance to teaching high school students Shakespeare?
• Should video games be considered a high form of entertainment?
• Are biographical movies of deceased musicians and artists ethical?
• Is modern music really worse than older music?
• Should paparazzi be banned and unable to sell their photos?

Topics in arts and culture are always fun to debate and discuss because you have the opportunity to talk about your favorite pieces of media!

2. Economics

Economics is a hotly debated topic. There is no shortage of compelling, engaging arguments involving economics. 

Here are some good persuasive speech ideas on the topic of economics: 

• Is capitalism a functional, ethical economic system? 
• Should everyone, despite their income, be taxed at the same rate?
• Can we introduce another economic system to our society? 
• Should each state, the federal government, or individual companies be responsible for setting a living wage?
• Should minimum wage be doubled?
• Should everyone adapt to the four-day work week?
• Should people who make under a certain amount per year not be taxed at all?
• Should governments encourage and reward people for shopping locally? 
• Should advertisements be banned during TV and media programming aimed at kids?
• Has modern consumerism gone too far?

Economics is a great topic for a persuasive speech because it affects our everyday lives in so many ways. There are tons of research and perspectives to help support your argument. 

3. Education

Many people feel strongly about education and there are many sides and perspectives that come into play: teachers, parents, students, student athletes, and more. 

Here is a list of some engaging topics to write a persuasive speech on:

• Should post-secondary education be free?
• Should taking a year off between high school and college be mandatory?
• Is it fair to take cell phones away from kids in middle/high school while they are in class?
• Should school uniforms be mandatory in all high schools?
• Should cursive writing still be taught in schools?
• Do frats and sororities actually serve their purpose? 
• Should programming and coding be introduced to young students?
• Should school lunches be free?
• Is college/university necessary anymore?
• Does the education system prepare students for adult life?
• Should gyms be mandatory for all students?
• Do schools need to do a better job at teaching students a second language?
• Should schools teach sign language?
• What age should students be taught sex ed?
• Should distant learning be encouraged, or avoided at all costs?

Education is another great topic to write a speech about because it intersects with economics, culture , and politics . These topics will guarantee an engaged audience. This is a popular topic for high school students who are learning about tuition and scholarships at their top colleges! 

4. Environment

Since the release of Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” and Greta Thunberg’s unapologetic activism, climate change has been at the forefront of many political, economic, and cultural conversations. 

If environmental issues spark your interest, consider writing on one of the topics below:

• Can we ever live in a truly ‘green’ and environmentally friendly society?
• Should water bottles be banned?
• Are businesses responsible for implementing environmentally friendly production and products?
• Should there be a carbon tax?
• Should electric cars be mandatory in the near future?
• Should we switch over to entirely renewable energy?
• Do low-income families have the same duties to be eco-conscious as high-income families do? Should plastic bags and single use plastic be completely banned?
• Should car racing be banned?
• Should fast fashion be banned?

The environment and climate change are becoming, if not already, some of the most pressing issues of our day. 

Ethics may be one of the most difficult topics to write a persuasive speech about because the topics tend to cover sensitive subject matter. However, ethics are also some of the most compelling and complex topics to explore. 

Here are some potential topics for a persuasive speech about ethics:

• Is animal testing ethical?
• Is drinking coffee unethical?
• Are animal shelters that allow euthanization ethical?
• Should more people try to adopt a vegetarian/vegan diet?
• Is the death penalty ethical? 
• Can racism ever truly be eliminated?
• Can the prison system genuinely contribute to the improvement and rehabilitation of individuals?
• Should justice systems and incarceration facilities focus on rehabilitation over punishment? 
• Should cosmetic plastic surgery be covered by insurance?
• Are morals objective or subjective?
• Should zoos and circuses be banned?
• Should fur coats be illegal?
• Are censorship laws ethical?
• Is it ethical to genetically modify an embryo? 
• How should we, and who is responsible, for addressing the homelessness crisis? 
• Should minors who commit violent crimes be charged and tried as adults?

Tackling a persuasive speech on ethics is a challenge, as many of these topics are complex and sensitive. It can also be difficult to wrap up a speech on such huge ethical debates. 

However, these topics also provide some of the most riveting and energizing debates - if you’re up to the challenge, you should definitely try to tackle one of these topics. 

From fitness to food prices to economic privilege, there are tons of debatable topics regarding health. Here are just some of the potential topics you can write a speech on:

• Are individuals solely responsible for their own health?
• Should prescription medications be free?
• Should sugary drinks like pop be taxed at higher rates?
• Should Starbucks be allowed to advertise their high-calories and high sugar drinks?
• Should the government regulate the prices of fruits and vegetables?
• Should fast food restaurants regulate and reduce their portions?
• Should gym memberships be free?
• Should the government change and restructure the work week to reduce stress?
• Should nurses be paid more?
• Should smoking be banned?
• Should insurance companies fully cover rehabilitation stays for health issues like eating disorders?

People have varying opinions and understanding of health, which makes these topics very engaging and interesting to write about.

7. Politics

It goes without saying that almost every political issue is debatable. 

• Do we actually live in a truly democratic society?
• Should there be a minimum wage or a living wage?
• Should the legal voting age be decreased?
• Does the pay gap exist?
• Are younger politicians more effective?
• Should there be stricter gun laws?
• Should Presidents be able to serve more than two terms?
• Should everyone get the day off work to go vote?
• Should political party funding be regulated?
• Should political smear campaigns be banned?
• Is there a political bias in mainstream media?
• Should you date someone with opposing political views? 
• Is the government spending too much on the military sector?

Politics are all about persuading people to take a side, which makes it a strategic topic for delivering a moving persuasive speech. 

Sports is another big topic that people care a lot about. There are sports related matters that are questioned everywhere: sports on TV, the Olympics, college sports and athletics, and athletic sponsorships . 

Below is a list of captivating sports topics for a persuasive speech: 

• Should the pay for professional teams be based on audience viewership? 
• Are professional sports getting too violent? 
• Are athletes overpaid?
• Is cheerleading empowering or exploitative? 
• Should children be allowed to compete in competitive sports?
• Should we continue spending millions of dollars on the Olympic Games?
• Do people put too much importance on high school and college football?
• Should alcohol and tobacco ads be banned during sports?
• Is betting on sports teams ethical?
• Should high school and college athletes be paid?

Sports is a topic that people don’t often think of as controversial. However, your audience is bound to be engaged and contemplating your argument as you present your speech. 

9. Technology

As the world increasingly moves to online spaces, and technology advances faster than ever before, technology is another hot topic that people have a lot of thoughts and opinions on. 

• Should all workplaces offer hybrid/remote work?
• Should we pursue Artificial Intelligence?
• Do we need to put resources into travelling to space?
• Should parents monitor their children’s online activity?
• Is it okay for phones to use facial recognition and fingerprint technology?
• Is technology actually addicting?
• Can we blame technology for increased stress and anxiety?
• Are security cameras and body cameras an invasion of privacy? 
• Should the internet be surveilled or managed?
• Should video game chats be surveilled or even banned?
• Are machines replacing human labor? 
• Should cloning be outlawed/banned?

As technology continues to advance and expand into our personal lives, it is a great topic to write a unique persuasive speech on. 

Having a unique and creative speech topic discussing one of your interests can make it stand out more! Think about extracurriculars you participate in, podcasts you enjoy, or fascinating facts you’ve learned. Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box. 

• What makes a hero?
• Are we headed towards World War 3?
• Did humans really land on the moon?
• Are serial killers born or made?
• Can good and evil be separated neatly?
• Is cancel culture a positive or negative thing?
• Can money buy happiness?
• How to become a millionaire
• How to become more confident
• How to live to be 100
• How to survive an apocalypse
• Do extraterrestrial beings exist?
• Why students should start investing at 16
• The true history of… (event of your choice, such as the Chernobyl disaster, the Black Plague, Salem Witch Trials, etc.)

Exploring these kinds of diverse and intriguing topics will not only capture your audience's attention but will also allow you to share your passions with your peers! 

What Makes a Good Persuasive Speech Topic?

The best persuasive speech topics are topics that are not overdone, and topics that the speaker is genuinely passionate and knowledgeable about. 

Persuasive speech topics should also be a bit controversial (this does not mean offensive) because the topic and speech itself should be thought-provoking. The more people are emotionally invested in the topic, the better. 

For example, while you can try to persuade your audience that strawberry ice cream is better than chocolate ice cream, it’s unlikely that many people have a strong emotional investment in that topic. Without an emotional investment, audiences will be sitting listening to your speech thinking: “so what?” 

On the other hand, a topic like “Should government’s set limits on how many children a family can have in overpopulated countries?” is emotionally charged and truly matters to people. 

FAQs: Persuasive Speech Topics

After reading through all the possible topics you can write a persuasive speech on, you may still have some questions before you get going. Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about persuasive speech topics. 

1. What Are Some Easy Persuasive Topics?

Any persuasive topic can be easy to write about if you are passionate about your stance. The more passionate and knowledgeable you are about your topic, the easier it will be to research and write. 

There are also easy persuasive topics that are more lighthearted than controversial, which some people may find easier to debate and write about. Some easy persuasive topics include: 

• Should everyone have a three-day weekend?
• Should every public place have free Wi-Fi?
• Does social media do more harm than good?
• Should kids get paid for getting high grades?
• Do we need more holidays?

These topics are all fun to debate, which makes it easy to write a persuasive speech or essay. Whereas some persuasive topics can be complex and sensitive, the topics listed above are pretty straightforward, which makes them easier to discuss than more complex topics. 

2. What Is a Good Persuasive Speech Topic For School?

A good start to finding a good speech topic for school is looking for a topic that involves something related to school. For example, you can look into talking about school uniforms, class sizes, tuition and scholarships, and school sports, just to name a few. 

Having a speech topic related to school is a good idea for school because your audience (teachers and peers) are directly in that environment as well. This means they will likely be more engaged as the topic, whether they agree or disagree, is relevant to their everyday lives. 

3. What are Three Examples of a Persuasive Speech Topic?

Any of the above topics listed in this article are examples of persuasive speech topics. Three specific examples that have not been listed are:

• Is social media to blame for the rates of depression and anxiety amongst youth?
• Do young adult romance novels encourage harmful and toxic relationships to their target audience?
• Should children under 18 have total control over medical decisions made about their bodies?

These topics are examples of persuasive speech topics because you need to take a clear stance in order to answer the question. The point of a persuasive speech is to convince or persuade the audience that your side of the argument is valid and should be considered, so the topic needs the individual to take a specific stance. 

As briefly touched upon before, your topic needs to interest your audience for a successful persuasive speech. While you should make sure your topic isn’t overdone, you don’t want to go with something too ‘safe’ as that will most likely bore your audience. 

Final Thoughts

Coming up with a topic for a persuasive speech may be the most difficult part of the writing process. 

Read over our list of topics and pick out a few topics that genuinely interest you. From there, do some preliminary research on each topic and see which one has the strongest evidence to support your argument. Then, you’ll be good to start writing your persuasive speech that will amaze your audience!

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237 Easy Persuasive Speech Topics and Guide

A persuasive speech is a speech written and delivered to convince people of the speaker’s viewpoint. It uses words to make the audience ‘see’ the speaker’s point of view and to ‘sway’ them into agreeing with it.

It is not a simple matter of presenting gathered facts and evidence. More than just seeing why the speaker thinks that way, a persuasive speech tries to persuade the audience in accepting that line of thought and make it the way they, too, think.

To jump to the persuasive speech topic section, click here .

This is where it differs from an argument. The difference between an argumentative and persuasive speech is that one tries to prove a point while the other tries to affect the listener’s perspective.

• Informative Speech Topics and Ideas
• Toastmasters Project 9: Persuade With Power

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Some examples of a persuasive speech are sales pitch, the speech of politicians, the speech of environmentalists, the speech of feminists, the speech of animal activists, etc.

In the above examples, you must have noticed that all these kind of speech has a goal. A sales pitch is to get you to buy something, politicians give speeches to get you to vote for them, and environmentalists, feminists, and animal activists have a cause to advocate. They all want you to ‘do’ something.

Action is a persuasive speech’s end goal. Ultimately, the speaker wants to persuade you to do something. And why would you do that?

Say, an environmentalist wants people to re-cycle because they think or know that it is good for the environment. Now, it is the people who need to know and think recycling is good for the environment. Only then they would recycle.

Therefore, a more complete definition of a persuasive speech would be “Speech that convinces the audience of a certain idea to inspire them into the desired action.”

Art of Persuasion

Persuasive speech is an art form.

Take an example of a man who was begging in the street. He had a hat in front of him and a sign that said “I am blind, please help” He got a few coins. Then, a lady came along, turned the sign around, and wrote something. A lot more people started to give the man money. His hat was filled with coins. What did that lady write? What persuaded people to give?

“Today is a beautiful day and I cannot see it.”

The second line got him more money because it ‘affected’ people, it appealed to their emotions more than the straightforward “I am blind, please help.” This is called pathos.

According to Aristotle, there are three components of or modes to affect people. They are Ethos, Pathos, and Logos.

Ethos in layman’s terms is credibility or authority. The dictionary defines it as “the character or disposition of a community, group, person, etc.” So, you need to have that disposition that makes you a reliable or trustable person.

For example, a woman talking about women’s problems is more likely to have an effect on the audience than a male speaker. The principal comes into the class and tells you ‘Tomorrow is a holiday and no questions will be asked. But if your teacher says so, you will investigate first. You will be more eager to listen to a popular person in the field than to a newbie.

It is having an effect on people by your person so that they would be more receiving of you.

Pathos in Greek means ‘suffering’ or ‘experience’. It is generally defined as an appeal to people’s emotions. Like in the story of the blind boy above, Pathos is to tap into people’s experience of suffering in order to move them towards a certain action.

Of course, those people have not experienced blindness but they can imagine losing the privilege of sight that they now possess. In simple words, it is to evoke feelings of pity, fear, anger, and such.

Logos is the logical appeal. This is to persuade by the means of reasoning. If the speaker makes a claim such as ‘polythene bags should be banned, then he should give a reason as to ‘why’ like ‘polythene bags do not biodegrade and continue to pollute the environment or facts like ‘Thousands of bags are produced every week and are dumped somewhere after use’ or ‘every bag produced since 19_ still exists somewhere on earth today.’

Presentation- Monroe’s motivated sequence

Presentation is very important. It is the backbone. How you perform your speech, how you deliver the words have the maximum effect on people. Therefore, a speech needs to be organized.

Monroe’s motivated sequence is a technique for organizing persuasive speech. It consists of the following steps.

Grab their attention. Start with a startling statement, an intriguing story, a dramatic action, anything that will make the audience take notice of you. This is also the introduction part. Hook them. Build their interest.

Now, convince the people that there is a problem. More than that, convince them that action needs to be taken against the problem, that it will not go away by itself. Tap into their imagination to show how this problem affects them. Use reasons and facts to support your claims and to impress upon them the need for change.

The audience should be looking forward to the ‘solution’ to the problem. They should want to know what they can do. In this step, introduce your solution. Demonstrate or give examples to make the audience understand how it works and how it solves the problem. Use testimonials or statistics to prove the effectiveness of that solution.

Paint a world where nothing was done and how it affected them. Also, paint a world where they did as you suggested and how it changed the situation for the better. Use vivid imagery to make them ‘feel’ the troubles and relief of not doing and doing as you said. Create a viable scenario. It should be relatable and believable.

Call to action. Strike when the iron is hot. It should be something that they can readily do and immediately. More the time passes less they are likely to follow with it as other things in life take precedence and the feeling of urgency is lost. Make it easy too. Do most of the handiwork so they have to put the least effort.

This is a classic technique developed by Alan Monroe in the mid-1930s. It is still the most effective basis for many persuasive speeches.

Some people are born with the skill of persuasion while others can build on it by applying such techniques and practicing. Here are some Persuasive Speech Topics that you can practice with.

Take a look at the video below. It explains how to write an introduction for a persuasive speech.

Below are 6 sample videos of persuasive speeches.

• Why homeschooling is good and should be promoted. (School)

Some students do better in a group with a healthy competition to keep them motivated. Some children are better off studying on their own, continuing at their own fast or slow pace which is hindered when moving along with other children.

• Students should get minimum of 45 minutes tiffin break. (School)

All work and no play make Jack a dull boy. Keeping children cooped up in a room for a long is not good. They need regular refreshing breaks to revitalize, to talk with their friends…

• Is it racism to ban Marijuana when smoking tobacco is legal? (Funny)

Everybody knows cigarettes are harmful and addictive. Yet, there are big industries manufacturing these drugs on a large scale. Then there is Marijuana that is less harmful, less addictive, and has dozens of use; is it not racism to ban it?

• Some juveniles needs to be prosecuted as adults. (School?)

More and more teenagers are committing heinous crimes. They know they will get off easy, that they will not face serious consequences. According to the level of savagery committed, juveniles should at times be prosecuted as adults.

• Are pretty or handsome students really dumber? (School)

This is just a stereotype, just like saying women are less logical and others. Or. That appears to hold true in most cases. As time is limited, people who spend more time on appearance spend less time learning and those who spend time learning fails to look after their appearance.

• Proficiency in academics is not the only measure of intelligence. (School)

Are grades everything? Different people possess different types of intelligence but grades measure only a few kinds. Is it not like judging a fish on its ability to climb a tree?

• What is the right age to start owing a mobile phone? (Parenting)

Most parents believe that the right age to own mobile is when children can pay for it so that they can be aware of their expenditure. Else, they might engage in long, unnecessary conversation and…

• Should children be bought a mobile phone for emergencies? (Parenting)

Mobiles or cell phones are the fastest means of communication. Should children, therefore, be allowed to owe mobiles so that they can contact their guardians in case of emergency?

• Homework should be banned. (School)

Children spend most of their waking hours in school. They have only a few hours at the home to do things other than academics. But homework is the tag along with that…

• Should men pay child support even if pregnancy was a one sided decision? (Feminism)

If a woman decides to bear a child despite her partner’s protest, is he still obligated to provide monetary support upon divorce for the same reason?

• Laws should not be based on religion.

There are many religions. Their ideas vary. But the law should be uniform. Basing laws on certain religions is like forcing the ideas of that religion on every citizen.

• Birth controls should be free and easily available. (Feminism?)

If teen pregnancy is to be avoided, birth controls should be free and easily available with no parental permission required. Imagine asking your parents if you can have sex or parents permitting it. It is the same as unavailability of the contraceptives which takes us back to square one.

• Honking unnecessarily should be punishable.

Honking during a traffic jam is not going to clear it up. It only disturbs and aggravates everyone else. Honking at girls is offensive. Honking to bully is wrong. Honking unnecessarily like this should be considered criminal and punished.

• Divorced and happy parents is better for the children than living in a conflicted home.

Some parents stay together for the sake of their children but fail to get along. This creates a very tense environment and that is not how a home should be.

• Hiding your HIV status in a relationship should be punishable by law.

HIV is a serious disease with no cure available. If a person is aware of his/her HIV positivity, withholding the information and therefore transmitting it to the unsuspecting partner in the process is criminal.

• Legalization of prostitution has more positive effects than negative.

Stopping prostitution is impossible. They will continue to operate underground where they face many problems. Girls get trafficked, tricked, or forced into it. Making it legal will at least ensure safety and justice to the sex workers and will also help control forced labor.

• Schools should take bullying more seriously. / Why bullying is a serious offense. (School)

Bullying is very damaging to the victim and can take a very dangerous turn. But it is dismissed as children’s play in most cases. We don’t realize its seriousness until it is too late…

• Partial Birth Abortion is a sin.

In this method of abortion, a living baby is pulled out from the womb feet first. The base of the skull is punctured and the brain is removed with a powerful suction machine. This is no different from murder. It is usually allowed by law only in order to save the mother’s life but many healthy mothers’ babies are aborted this way every year…

• All institutions like schools, colleges and offices should start only after 10.

When such institutions start early, people need to wake up earlier for preparation. Waking up feeling unrested can make a person inactive, irritable, and unproductive. Scientists say that a person’s mind is not fully awake until 10 in the morning…

• Sexual relationship before marriage is not a crime.

Sex is a biological need and a healthy sex life has a lot of mental and physical benefits. If the partners involved are adults and there is mutual consent…

• School and teachers should stay away from student’s personal life. (School?)

Every institution has some rule. This rule should govern the members within the institution. But some schools like to take this beyond the school grounds and have control over what students do and do not in their personal time.

• Energy drinks should be considered borderline medicines. (Health)

Energy drinks provide added energy. So, it should only be consumed when your body lacks energy, in a weakened state, like medicine. Plus, it contains a lot of caffeine that does more harm than good…

• Parents should properly answer their children’s curiosities. (Parenting)

‘How does a baby come?’ children ask and parents tell them about gods and storks. This raises more questions and does nothing but confuse the child. Try to give an anatomically correct answer without being graphic. Never try to dismiss any of their questions or scold them…

• Euthanasia, is it ethical?

A person should get to choose whether they want to live or die in dire conditions. Or. Euthanasia is no different from suicide. Supporting euthanasia is like supporting suicide.

• Prospective parent(s) should get a psychiatric approval before adoption. (Parenting)

We want to find a home for every orphaned child but we want a happy home. There are many sick people out there who want to adopt a child only to abuse them or for some other kind of personal gain…

• Cigarettes should be illegal.

Cigarettes are like drugs and they should be illegal just like drugs are. It has adverse health effects on the smoker as well as people around him…

• Smoking in public places should be fined.

Cigarettes are very harmful and their harmful smoke does not affect the smoker alone. It affects the surrounding people as well. Not all people are suicidal that way. Why should they suffer? When one’s action harms the other, it is an offense.

• Are uniforms necessary?

Uniform brings uniformity. It eliminates frivolous fashion competition which is not what school is for… Or. Clothes are a form of expression. Students spend most of their time in school. They should be comfortable with what they wear…

• Number of children one can have should be limited and children with previous partner(s) counts.

Four from two, eight from four; population multiplies that way. Already, the earth has become so crowded. If this is to continue, we will rid this world of ourselves.

• Would it be ethical to genetically design babies? (Technology?)

Yes. Why not use science to cure diseases and eradicate the possibility of a child’s suffering? Or. This method can be misused to alter more than just a threat of diseases and that will disturb the diversity in the gene pool…

• ‘Living together’ relationships, good or bad?

Marriage cannot keep together those who want to go their separate ways and those who want to together do not need such a constitution.

• ‘Early to sleep, early to rise’ benefits.

They say ‘Early to sleep and early to rise makes a man healthy and wise.’ This was not said without a reason. Going to bed early and waking up early the next day have many benefits, for both our mind and body.

• Every property should compulsorily have trees. (Environment)

Trees produce oxygen and filters air. We need more trees. But the population is increasing. We are cutting down trees to erect concrete buildings instead…

• Fast foods are overpriced.

Fast foods like French fries, burgers, pizza, etc. cost way more than they actually should. The restaurants are ripping us off. Take fries for example…

• Using animals as test subjects is cruel and unfair. (Animal rights)

For you, it is one animal among many. But for that particular animal, one life is all it has and you have no right to play with it.

• Why Gay Marriage should be legalized. (Gay rights)

Homosexuality is not a disease. It is how people are. They want to marry their partner for the same reasons heterosexual couples do. Not legalizing gay marriage is discrimination…

• Marriage is not about procreation. (Gay rights)

One, almost logical, reason people give against gay marriage is that they cannot bear kids because of which it is definitely not natural/ biological or ‘how god intended’. But marriage is not about procreation. It is about you and your comfort or happiness, about who you want to spend the rest of your life with.

• Electronics are stealing childhood.

These days, children spend a lot of time on mobile phones, computers, or other electronic devices instead of running around, going out, and playing as a child should.

• Teens cannot be good parents. (School/ Parenting)

Some teens decide to start a family when the female partner gets pregnant. While this is seen as an admirable option against abortion, are teen parents really good for the kid?

• Ads should be tested for sexist messages before being aired. (Feminism)

Not only children but everyone learns from what they see and hear. The subliminal sexist messages in ads impart gender roles on their minds, undoing a lot of feminists’ efforts. But mostly, it brainwashes the coming generation and we should not allow that.

• Protection and breeding of white tigers is illogical; why hinder natural selection? (Environment/ Animal rights)

White tigers do not fare well in the wild due to their color. It was a case of mutation that would have naturally been eliminated if humans had not interfered. I am not saying all living white tigers must be killed but why are people breeding it in captivity instead of letting it die out? Just because they’re pretty and we like pretty?

• Exotic pets are not pets. (Animal rights)

Exotic animals belong in the wild. They need to be with their own kind, living in their natural habitat. They should not be isolated in people’s homes where their mobility is limited.

• Feminism should be made a compulsory subject in high school and college. (Feminism)

Feminism is an eye-opener. It is something every man and woman should know of. Thus, it should be a compulsory and common subject instead of being exclusive to Arts or few other faculty.

• Age 16 is not juvenile. (School?)

Are 16-year-olds really kids? Can they not be expected to know the difference between right and wrong? Maybe they do not know it is a crime to download songs and movies but what about rape and murder? If 16 is old enough to drive in most countries, it is old enough to be tried as an adult.

• Playing Video games for few hours does good. (School/ parenting?)

It has been found out that playing a few hours of video game help improve people’s hand-eye coordination and enhances cognitive power. Also, games based on real history or science can impart knowledge…

• Read before agreeing to sites and applications.

We download apps and software and signup on different sites. Each of these requires us to click ‘I agree’. We click this ‘I agree’ without actually reading the agreement. This can later cause problems…

• Is death penalty ethical?

It is not ethical to eliminate people like we try to eliminate diseases. What about human rights? Or. What kind of rights for the person who does not respect others’ rights and freedom? It is a befitting punishment.

• Send drug dealers to prison but addicts for rehabilitation.

Drug Addicts are victims too. They need rehabilitation, not prison. Dealers are the real criminals.

• Parents should cook tastier option instead of making children eat the healthy foods they don’t want.

If not meat then milk and pulses. There is a range of choices for the required nutrition. So why should children have to eat something they don’t like? Just give them a tastier option.

• If girls can wear pants, boys can wear skirts. (Funny?)

Is all equality fighting for girls only? What about boys’ rights? When girls can wear boys’ clothes why can boys not wear that of girls?

• Being slim is not just about looks but health too. (Health?)

Beauties were those who were plum. Now, skinny is the fashion. But to those who want to be ‘comfortable’ in their size, know that a slim body is more than just looks.

• There should be one holiday in the middle of workdays.

Saturday and Sunday’s rest do not keep us charged up to Friday. This makes people less productive by Thursday and Friday. A break in the middle would be wonderfully refreshing…

• Considering the real meaning behind Nursery Rhymes, should they be taught to children? (School)

The fun nursery rhyme “Ring around the Rosie” is actually about the bubonic plague that killed nearly 15% of the country. This is only an example among many. Consider the lyrics of “Three blind mice” that goes “… Who cut off their tails, With a carving knife.” Is it okay to teach these to the children?

• Countries should provide free Wi-Fi in tourist destinations.

Doing this will help tourists as they will be able to contact their people without wandering around confused in a foreign land. This will definitely increase the flow of both national and international tourists. It will be most helpful to students from abroad.

• Know the woes of genetically modified Chickens.

To meet the demand of the growing population, chickens are fed hormones and other drugs to make them grow faster and fat, especially the meat in the breast area. Because of this, the chickens cripple under their own weight. They suffer terribly…

• Children should be allowed to use electronics like mobile, notebooks etc. during breaks. (Students)

Using electronics during class is certainly bad and for a number of reasons. But break times belong to the students. Breaks are for recreation. If students choose to enjoy electronics, what is wrong with that?

• Teachers, too, should keep their mobiles in silent during class.

Class time is for teaching and learning. Students should keep their mobile in silence so as to not disturb the class. But, so should the teacher. They shouldn’t pick up their call during class.

• Humans are consuming way more salt than necessary. (Health)

Sodium is important. But the larger amount of sodium intake has often been associated with an increase in blood pressure that leads to strokes. 1500 to 2300mg is the maximum amount per day.

• Benefits of donating blood.

Donating blood is the right thing to do. It saves lives. There are a few moral reasons as such to donate blood but do you know that you are not losing anything either? Donating blood is good for your own health too…

• Why become an organ donor?

Perfectly healthy people die when trying to donate their organs to their loved ones. Even if they survive, they may have to face complications and they are now, somehow, deficient. If an organ could be got…

• Original organic fruits taste better than the hybrids.

Hybrid fruits are larger and juicer but it lacks in terms of taste. The taste tastes diluted…

• Why people who have should give.

Many people suffer from poverty. They have a hard time meeting basic needs like food, shelter, and clothes.

• Why suicide over ‘love troubles’ is stupid. (Students)

Life moves on. Time heals. Things will happen if you continue to live. But the exaggerated fictional idea of love that the movies market has…

• Why women should earn irrespective of their husband’s economic status. (Feminism)

Be independent. Money is power. Do not let anyone have an upper hand and be vulnerable to possible abuse…

• Recycle e-waste. (Environment)

E-waste contains many recoverable materials such as aluminum, copper, gold, silver etc. Reusing this will take a load off of natural resources. E-waste also contains toxins like mercury, lead, beryllium, and others that will inevitably infuse into soil and water.

• Do not tolerate abuse, speak out. (Feminism)

Certainly, nobody enjoys abuse? Then why do women continue to stay in abusive relationship despite being educated and holding a good job? Why do they tolerate other kinds of abuse as well? There are many reasons for this…

• Every citizen should be required to, at least, pass high school. (School)

Up to high school, the education is basic. Imagine needing to stop ocean pollution. An educated person would be more easily persuaded or would know why ocean pollution is bad. Or. There are good and bad people. Education will teach the good how to be good and may persuade the bad…

• Hostels, is it good or bad for children? (Parenting)

Hostels teach children independence. They learn to do a lot in their own. Or. No one can take better care of children than their parents. Children need parents’ love and support. Away in the hostel, surrounded by children no wiser than themselves…

• Teachers should discuss among themselves to avoid giving too much homework. (School)

After studying for hours in school, spending all the hours in-home doing homework will mentally tire the student. Homework should be very light. But light homework of all the teachers added will take up all of the students’ time. So…

• Importance of clubs in school or colleges. (School)

School and college clubs are the best way to learn different valuable skills in. In school and college-level clubs, the eligibility for membership is less strict and one gets to learn from the more skilled seniors.

• Should plastic surgery be so commercial?

Everyone wants to look good. When accidents or attacks disfigure us, we can turn to plastic surgery to try and gain back our lost selves. But intentionally altering ourselves to…

• Online piracy should be monitored more strictly.

People have a right to their intellectual property. It is so easy to find and download pirated materials that it seems non-criminal…

• Are single-sex schools better than coed? (School)

According to research done in Korea, students from single-sex schools scored better than those from coed and had more chances of pursuing college-level education. However, this is from a general viewpoint. When considering students at an individual level, it really depends on what kind of environment that particular student does better in.

• Spaying or neutering pets is good or bad? (Animal right)

Some say that neutering or spaying pets have a lot of benefits, both for the animal and the owner. Others say that neutering or spaying does not change much but only invites diseases upon the poor animal.

• Are master’s degree or doctorate really necessary? (Students)

High School teaches us the basics and a bachelor is more career-oriented. We can get a good job after bachelor and hone our skills for a better position. Is a master’s and higher degree really important when we can learn more in the field?

• Who is more responsible for poaching? Poachers or buyers? (Animal right)

This may be an ‘egg first or chicken question. Scientists have now found out that chickens come first but the question ‘Poacher or buyers’ remains.

• What kind of food should school or college canteen offer? (Student)

From unhealthy commercial food items to unappetizing bland gibberish; can school or college canteens not offer an in-between option? What would be best for the students?

• What age is proper to talk about the birds and the bees? (Parenting)

From the time a child starts asking about sex is the time from when to start talking about the birds and the bees. Children as young as 4-5 years old are curious about where a baby comes from. Answer them truthfully but avoid being graphic. Also, answer only what they ask.

• Fee for facilities aside, the tuition fee should be fixed by the government. (Student)

Schools and colleges take a ridiculous amount of tuition fees. It is understandable that according to the facilities provided, the fee may be less or more but the tuition fee, at least, should be a fixed amount that greedy schools cannot increase as they wish.

• How long should a drunk driver lose his license for?

Drinking and driving can be fatal to both the driver and an innocent passerby. But people do not take it seriously. They think they can handle their liquor and end up causing accidents. This is absolute carelessness.

• The amount of water one should drink per day. (Health)

About 60% of the human body is water. We continually lose this water through skin and urine. This causes dehydration…

• Aliens exist. (Paranormal)

There have been many UFO sightings and stories of alien abduction. Even in the old age paintings, cave paintings, Sanskrit scrolls, the extraterrestrial life form is evident. Scientists have found other habitable planets. An intelligent life form somewhere other than Earth is no longer an idea of a fantasist…

• White meat over red meat or the other way around? (Health)

White meat is less fatty but red meat contains more vitamins like zinc, iron, and B vitamins…

• Why religion and science should go hand in hand. / Why religion should evolve with scientific discoveries. (Philosophy)

Science explores the universe for answers while religion makes claims about it. Science is open to change, it acknowledges that it can err and backs its claims with evidence. Religion on the other hand is a ‘belief’ system

• Should astrologers, mediums and the likes be arrested for fraud? (Paranormal)

Do heavenly bodies really affect our personality or future? Do dead ones really become spirits and can be contacted through mediums? Or are these all just a big hoax?

• Cats or dogs?

Are you a cat person or a dog person? Say why a dog is better than a cat as a pet or that cat makes a better pet.

• Benefits of eating fruit over drinking its juice. (Health)

There is a whole fruit and we throw away more than half of the substance when choosing to drink its juice even though eating the fruit itself is healthier because of the fiber it contains.

• Women shouldn’t have to change their last name after marriage. (Feminism)

Having to change our last name after marriage is sexist. It confirms the power males hold over the women in our patriarchal society.

• Internet promotes communication, not kill it.

Social networks like Facebook, Twitter, messenger, and others keep us in contact with many friends that we would otherwise have forgotten. It is an easy means of communication…

• Does pressure build or break a person?

Pressure is healthy. It drives us. Or. Yes. Pressure drives us. It drives us nuts.

• Hiring volunteers on zero pay is cruel.

Volunteers are those who want to donate labor. They need not be paid for their work but what about their expenses like transportation and others? These kinds of expenses, at least, should be covered.

• Learning multiple language widens our perception of the world.

There are always those words that cannot be exactly translated to another language. This is because that way of thinking does not exist in that other language. It is like the egg of Cristopher. We discover a new way of expressing ourselves, one we couldn’t think of in the limitation of our own language.

• Oceans are not trash bins. (Environment)

Tons of human waste are thrown into the ocean. This is creating a big problem in the ocean ecosystem…

• Killing for fun is inhuman, hunting is inhuman. (Animal rights)

How to have fun with animals? By playing with them, baby talking to them, watching them in their weird but fun action. Not by chasing them down and killing them.

• Cigarette, alcohol or drugs are not the answer for stress or other problems in life.

People tend to depend on harmful substances like cigarettes, alcohol, or drugs when faced with a problem or when under stress. These substances do not cure stress but could be a self-harming method of coping with problems. People under stress tend to show more unhealthy behaviors such as these…

• Music heals.

On hearing good music, the brain releases dopamine. Dopamine is an essential chemical that plays a number of important roles in the brain and body. Music has also proven effective against stress…

• Why breakfast is the important meal of the day. (Health)

Breakfast is the first meal after a long gap during the night. It provides us with vital nutrients like calcium, vitamins, minerals, and energy…

• Fairytales should be re-written for the next generation children.

Fairytales often star a damsel in distress who not only ‘waits’ for a handsome rescuer but also possesses subjugating qualities like obedience, daintiness, etc. It imparts sexist values in young minds…

• How a time table can help manage our daily lives.

People do not realize how time table can make our day-to-day lives much more manageable and therefore fruitful or efficient. Some find it tedious and some pretentious…

• Everyone should learn swimming.

Swimming is not just for fun like cycling. It could save someone’s life. It is an important survival skill that everyone should know of.

• Good thoughts lead to good actions.

Our actions result from our thoughts. Action is a mind’s reflection…

• Benefits of meditation. (Health)

Meditation has a lot of benefits, both on body and mind. It reduces stress, improves concentration, reduces irritability, increases perseverance, etc…

• Zoos are not big enough for wild animals. (Animal rights)

How large can you make a zoo? And how can it mimic nature when different animals are confined separately. Wild animals belong in the wild.

Some more Persuasive Speech Topics:

• Why is adopting a pet better than buying one?
• How does having a pet better your everyday life?
• Having a snake as a pet is as cool as it sounds
• Should you get rid of a pet that harms another person?
• Is breeding pets for sale unethical?
• Selfies with animals in tourist locations should be made equal
• A dog is the perfect pet
• Why a pet is essential for a growing child
• Owning a pet makes you healthier
• Slaughterhouses are unethical
• Animals are facing extinction, we should do something about it
• Why wild animals should be left in the wild
• Petting exotic animals should be made illegal
• Why dolphin farming is horrific
• The Yulin Dog festival displays one of the worst sides of humans
• Why neutering your pets is wrong
• Advantages of owning a horse(besides looking fantastic)
• People need to stop fueling pug markets.
• Is animal slaughter for religious purposes ethical?
• Manual drivers are unnecessarily aggressive about their cars
• Why you should not drive without a kid seat
• Why sports cars are not worth it
• If you can’t call while driving, then why is there a hands-free mode?
• New ideas for lessons drivers have to take before getting a license
• Should you charge people for driving tests?
• Why cycling is cooler than driving
• Why traffic rules are designed against bike rides
• Driving licenses should need a renewal every 5 years
• Why co-ed education is the best way to teach
• GPA isn’t everything
• 9.30 is too early
• Why teachers need to be recertified
• Listening to music during exams should be allowed
• Should sports and arts be mandatory?
• Does our school curriculum need obligatory life skill classes?
• Phones in classes are beneficial and convenient
• Every student should be encouraged to take a gap year
• Cyber-bullying should be punished the same as bullying
• Why art classes are just as important as science
• School canteens need to serve healthier alternatives
• More institutes should promote nternational exchange programs
• Curriculums should be designed with the job market in mind
• Textbooks are overpriced and should be replaced with digital alternatives
• Should religion be taught in schools?
• Is repeating classes beneficial for underperforming students?
• Students should not have to ask to use the restroom
• Is having a handwriting class beneficial?
• Is there a point to giving homework?
• Education needs to be available in prisons
• We are being overcharged for education
• Online learning should be held to equal importance as schools
• Are teachers paid enough?
• Is there room for commercial advertisement in schools?
• Are study halls still relevant?
• Are our children safe at school?
• School trips are a waste of money
• Educational institutes should be more welcoming to technological changes
• Schools should teach multiple languages
• Public schools are better than private schools
• Why meditation should be included in the daily curriculum
• Are scholarships reaching the right people?
• Current environmental laws are insufficient
• Green energy is the future
• The environmental impact of palm oil
• The environmental impact of single-use bags
• Fishing restrictions need to be stricter
• Oil spills are deadly to marine life
• Leaving fossil fuels behind
• Pollution has reached alarming levels
• Garden owners should be allowed to grow exotic plants
• Switch to hybrid cars to help the environment
• Rainforests are going extinct at an alarming rate
• Why natural resources are quickly going extinct
• Alternative energy sources should be pushed by governments
• Euthanasia should be legalized
• Why eating meat does not make me a bad person
• Can true equality ever really be achieved?
• Is messing with unborn children’s genetics ethical?
• Stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason
• Animal testing is a necessary part of production
• Why we need to stop producing and buying fur
• Prostitution should be legalized
• Doping and it’s place in sports 
• Why workplace relationships should be avoided
• Is religion a cult?
• Should prayers be included in schools?
• Parents should not be able to choose the sex of their unborn child
• Donating to charities is a scam
• Aborting fetuses with birth defects is not immoral
• Wars have positive consequences as well
• Why genital mutilation in infants needs to be stopped
• Conventional beauty standards are misleading
• China’s One-child policy was a good idea for population control
• Animal testing and why it is immoral
• Why banning cigarettes and alcohol from advertisements is not effective
• Sugar is added to everything we eat
• Children should be taught to cook
• Why growing your own food will help both you and the environment
• Peanuts: The secret superfood
• We should be more open to genetically engineered food products
• The proper way to dispose your food waste
• The loopholes in labelling laws
• Keto goes against the natural human evolution
• Artificial chemicals in our food products is harming us
• The legal age for contraceptive treatment should be lowered
• Fast food is slowly killing you
• How positive thinking can change your life
• Breakfast isn’t the most important meal of the day
• Stomach stapling should not be normalized
• If you don’t wear a seat belt, you are putting yourself at great risk
• How diabetes can affect your work
• How daily exercise can change your life
• Stress as the leading cause of teen suicide
• Diet pills are a scam
• Body shaming is putting lives at risk
• Contraceptive education is an effective solution for teen pregnancy
• There is such a thing as too much soda
• Free condom distribution at schools is better than teaching about abstinence
• The toothpick you pick matters
• Surrogacy should be more widely accepted
• Why insomnia should be taken as a more serious health concern
• Helmets and seatbeat save lives
• Restaurants need to be more vigilant about handling allergies
• How Big Pharma is controlling your life
• The medical field is criminally underfunded
• We are eating too much salt
• Organ donation should be an opt-out system
• The dangers of an anti-vaxxers movement
• Why fire drills are ineffective
• Why you need to take that vacation
• Good sleep is underrated
• Why vaping is not a better alternative
• Your stress is killing you
• It is not healthy for children to be vegetarians
• Parents don’t need to be informed about underage abortions
• Donating blood should be encouraged early
• How much do you know about what’s in your food

I hope you find the tips for persuasive speech and persuasive speech topics useful. Let me what you think of them by commenting below.

April 5, 2024

235+ Ideas for persuasive speech topics

How to choose a great persuasive speech topic, inspiration and ideas, and example presentations for you to get started

Co-founder, CEO

Creating a great persuasive speech starts with picking the right topic. 

Some of these ideas are supposed to be funny, some are “easier” to create a speech around, and all of them offer the ability to take multiple sides or present multiple points of view.

Here are 235 of the best ideas for persuasive speech topics, categorized by topic area.

How to pick a topic for your persuasive speech

To make a great persuasive speech, you should pick a topic that meets the following criteria:

• You’re interested in the subject matter - Life is short! Don’t spend a bunch of time researching something that you don’t want to learn about.
• There are multiple perspectives - If there’s no need to persuade anyone, it’s not going to be a very effective speech.
• It’s relevant - Whether it’s relevant to your friends, classmates, or current events, there’s a reason to bring up this topic.
• You can bring insight - Whether you have a personal experience, unexpected facts, or can debunk some commonly misunderstood beliefs, surprising and educating your audience is one of the best ways to create an effective persuasive speech.

How to write a persuasive speech

The first step to writing your persuasive speech is to do a bit of research to understand the different viewpoints on the topic, form your personal opinion based on the facts, and then create a rough outline of your speech.

Depending on how long your presentation is , you will probably want to have 2 or 3 key points as well as supporting information about each of them.

Once you have the key points written out, you can write your full speech and create an accompanying presentation, if needed.

Create a first draft of your presentation with Plus AI

If you want to get a jump start on a first draft of the speech or presentation, you can also use a tool like Plus AI to quickly create a starting point for you, and edit it from there.

Most popular persuasive speech ideas

Here are some of the most popular ideas for persuasive speeches, based on topics we have seen in the past:

• Is student debt forgiveness a good idea?
• Should students be allowed to use AI ?
• Would universal basic income improve the day-to-day life of everyone?
• Should AI systems always be able to explain their decisions ?
• Are politicians getting too old to be effective?
• Is social media bad for you?
• Can money buy happiness ?
• Should religion be taught in schools?

Here’s an example presentation on whether students should be allowed to use AI .

Easy persuasive speech ideas

Here are some topics that should be easier persuasive speech ideas for students because you may already have a point of view or personal experiences that could enhance the content of your presentation.

• Should students be allowed to use AI tools?
• Should you exercise every day?
• Should we reduce the use of single-use plastics?
• Should voting be mandatory?
• Should schools teach kids a foreign language?
• Should schools teach financial management and other practical skills?
• Are phones and social media affecting how kids grow up?
• Should the government invest more money in space exploration?

Persuasive speech ideas about society

Here are some ideas for speeches about society and how we live where it could be interesting to share different points of view.

• Are romantic movies good for feminism? 
• Would universal basic income improve the day-to-day life of most people?
• How can education reduce social inequality?
• Is there still a stigma when people have mental health issues?
• Do people enjoy the commercialization of holidays?
• How should countries trade off the need for safety vs. privacy?
• How has reality TV changed dating?
• Why is religion becoming less important in modern society?
• Are communities stronger in urban areas or rural areas?
• Should schools encourage students to be politically active?
• Are we headed towards World War 3
• Is cancel culture a bad thing?

Persuasive speech ideas about AI

AI is a hot topic these days, and people have a lot of different opinions on AI. Here are some ideas that can help you find the perfect topic for a persuasive speech about AI.

• Should intelligent AIs have "human rights"?
• Who should be at fault if an AI system makes a bad decision?
• Will AI destroy jobs or lead to new forms of work for people?
• Who is the creator of an AI-generated artwork / book / song?
• Does AI increase inequality?
• How should people handle misinformation in the age of AI?
• Should AI systems always be able to explain their decisions?
• Will AI change the way we interact with other people in social situations?
• Should AI developers be reponsible for making AI behave ethically?
• Should there be a global regulatory framework for AI? 
• If AI performs better than human doctors, should it be allowed to make medical decisions?

Persuasive speech ideas about the environment

Given the media’s polarized coverage of climate change (see what I did there 😄), there are no shortage of opinions on the environment. Here are some interesting speech ideas on the environment.

• Should cities ban items like plastic bags and plastic straws?
• How should corporations be held responsible for climate change?
• Why is investing in renewable energy important?
• Should all endangered species be protected?
• Should farmers be forced to adopt water conservation policies?
• Are electric vehicles a failure?
• Should "fast fashion" be regulated in order to protect the environment?
• How can overfishing be prevented?
• Is nuclear energy a good solution or a threat?
• Is ecotourism good for local economies and ecosystems?
• Who should decide what makes a building "green"?
• Is "organic" a meaningless word today?
• Can technology solve our environmental problems?
• Should we limit the use of pesticides and chemicals in agriculture?
• Should countries limit the import and export of water?

Persuasive speech ideas about arts and culture

If you’re looking to do a persuasive speech on art or culture, there are certainly a lot of different opinions and interesting media assets you could share with your audience.

Here’s an example slide deck created by Plus AI on whether NFTs should be considered “art.”

• Should NFTs like Bored Apes be considered art?
• Has the quality of music gotten worse over time? 
• Should we keep reading literature that is offensive?
• Should people study video games as a form of art?
• Should paparazzi be allowed to invade celebrities' privacy?
• Should the government fund more arts and culture programs?
• When should art be censored?
• When does cultural exchange become cultural appropriation?
• Is AI-generated art really art?
• Is graffiti on public buildings art or vandalism?

Persuasive speech ideas about ethics

Ethics and moral dilemmas are a classic set of topics for persuasive speeches. Here are some of the traditional questions that often come up in this category as well as some newer ones based on the latest trends and news.

• Is political lobbying moral and ethical? 
• Is testing products on animals unethical?
• Should people be allowed to sell their kidneys?
• Should capital punishment exist as a form of justice?
• Should people have the right to euthanasia? 
• Is selecting for or against certain traits in embryos genetic engineering?
• Should governments be allowed to use torture in the name of national security?
• How should AI and robotic systems be used in warfare?
• What moral obligations do humans have towards animals and pets?
• What types of performance-enhancing treatments are ethical in sports?
• How should self-driving cars approach situations like the "trolley problem"?
• Are parents allowed to make decisions in the best interest of their children?
• Should prostitution be legal?

Persuasive speech ideas about health

People generally have a lot of opinions about their bodies and how to take care of them. Many debates come from other people having different opinions. Here are some persuasive speech ideas about healthcare and medicine.

• What should be taught in health education in schools? 
• Should we legalize more drugs and other illicit substances?
• Does the government have the right to declare vaccines mandatory?
• Does social media have positive impacts on mental health? 
• Would universal healthcare be a positive impact on our country?
• Who should be held responsible for the opioid crisis?
• Should the government discourage people from drinking alcohol?
• Are there benefits to cannabis use? 
• Should clinical trials use placebos?
• What is the best way to encourage people to exercise more? 
• Should pharmaceutical companies make drugs cheaper?
• How should organ transplants be allocated?
• Is alternative medicine legitimate?
• Is it ethical to develop life extension technologies?

Persuasive speech ideas about politics

Could there be a topic that needs more persuasive dialogue than politics? Here are some interesting speech ideas on the topics of politics and government.

We used Plus AI to generate this presentation on whether politicians are getting too old to be effective.

• Should we institute a mandatory military service or civil service program?
• Is there too much spending on the miltary?
• Should there always be term limits on elected officials? 
• How should we control the influence of money in politics?
• Should political campaigns be funded by the state?
• Do independent political candidates improve elections?
• How should we change our national immigration policies?
• How should public officials be held accountable for their actions?
• Should social media platforms be allowed to take sides in politics?
• Should our country be more focused on self-sufficiency or globalization?
• Are state-sponsored assassinations acceptable for national security?
• Should prisoners have the right to vote?

Persuasive speech ideas about sports

It might be hard to think about a fun topic like sports in the context of making a speech, but here are a few ideas on topics that can be both academic and relate to your passion in sports.

• Is there too much importance placed on football?
• Is betting in sports ethical? 
• Are athletes paid too much?
• Should athletes be allowed to take performance-enhancing drugs?
• Should physical education be a compulsory subject in school?
• Should female athletes be paid the same as male athletes?
• Do replays and other technologies enhance sports or take away from the experience?
• How important is racial representation in sports?
• Are animal sports like horse racing or bullfighting ethical?
• Are youth sports too commercialized?
• Should high school and college athletes be compensated?
• Should transgender athletes compete in gender-specific competitions?
• Is the celebrity culture of sports stars detrimental to the sport?

Persuasive speech ideas about technology

Technology is becoming one of the most important topics in the stock market, in politics, and in our everyday lives. Here are some ideas on interesting topics to present on in tech.

• Will cryptocurrency lead to stronger financial systems? 
• Should private companies be allowed to use facial recognition technology?
• Will automation hurt the economy and workforce?
• Should we place limits on the development of AI technology?
• Who should pay for space exploration?
• Should AI deepfake technology be banned?
• Can an AI be sentient?
• Should social media companies be allowed to collect so much user data?
• Is it ethical for scientists to develop gene editing technologies?
• Should AI companies be allowed to impersonate well-known public figures?
• How should tech companies handle censorship and content moderation?
• Is it good to pursue technology-driven solutions to immortality? 
• Has technology improved the quality of the average person's life over the last 10 years?
• Is lab-grown meat the future of food? 
• Should cloning be illegal?

Persuasive speech ideas about happiness

If you are going to be doing some research for this persuasive speech, you might as well learn something useful - like how to be happy! Here are some ideas on speeches about happiness:

• Can money buy happiness?
• Is the journey or the destination more important in being happy?
• What are the best ways to pursue happiness?
• Are older people happier?
• Is happiness a better measure of a country's success than economic output?
• Would teaching children mindfulness and mediation make them happier?
• Is volunteering one of the best ways to be happy?
• Does more choice lead to better decisions?
• Would getting rid of technology make people happier?

Persuasive speech ideas about work

Workaholics rejoice! If you want to spend some quality time researching and talking about work, here are some ideas.

• Is work life balance real? 
• Should companies offer unpaid internships?
• Do gig economy companies exploit their workers?
• Should companies be allowed to ask their employees to work after hours?
• Should companies monitor their employees' social media?
• Is the glass ceiling real or outdated?
• Is at-will employment a good thing for the economy?
• Are mandatory retirement ages discriminatory?
• Is remote work temporary or here to stay? 
• Should companies be allowed to use IQ tests and personality tests in hiring?
• Is outsourcing to lower cost locations ethical?
• Should employees be compensated purely on performance?
• Are DEI programs successful?
• Is it ethical for CEOs to get paid 1,000x more than employees?
• Are unions a good thing for workers?
• Should companies be responsible for employees' mental health?
• Would companies be more efficient with a four day workday?

Persuasive speech ideas about religion

Is it okay to talk about religion in a persuasive speech? Depends on the context, but sure! These are all about sharing your opinions and helping other people to understand your views.

Want to get a head start on your presentation? Here’s an example slide deck of whether churches should be classified as non-profits.

• Should churches be classified as non-profit organizations?
• Should religion play a role in the government?
• Is it moral to attempt to convert others to your religious beliefs?
• Can science and religion coexist?
• What happens if religious beliefs conflict with laws?
• How should religions promote interfaith dialogue?
• How should people deal with religious extremism?
• Is the commercialization of religious holidays bad?
• Should religious symbols be displayed in public spaces?
• Were any religious wars like the crusades morally justified?
• Should governments fund religious schools?
• Should religious groups be exempt from medical treatments or military service?

Persuasive speech ideas about animals

Here are some speech ideas if you want to talk about animals and find cute pictures of pets.

• Should animals be used in research instead of humans? 
• Is it ethical to use animals in entertainment and agriculture? 
• Is factory farming an unethical way to raise animals?
• Should pet ownership be regulated?
• Is it okay to hunt animals for sport? for subsistence?
• How should people manage invasive species? 
• Should people be allowed to keep exotic animals as pets?
• Is it moral to breed animals in captivity? If the animals are endangered?
• Should we respect cultural practices that involve the killing of animals?
• Are animals intelligent or self-aware?
• Should puppy mills be banned?

Persuasive speech ideas about mental health

Mental health is a serious topic, and if you want to do a speech on mental health, here are some idea starters.

• How should we destigmatize mental illness?
• Should we teach kids about mental health from an early age?
• How should schools support students dealing with mental health issues?
• Should employers give employees mental health days?
• Why is there a crisis in loneliness and mental health?
• Do conservatives have better mental health than liberals?
• Could we solve homelessness and crime by focusing on mental health?
• Should the government fund more mental health research?
• Is technology a major driver of the decrease in mental health?
• How can mental health be better integrated into primary care?

Funny persuasive speech ideas

If you’re looking for funny topics for a speech, you’re probably a lot more funny than the guy who is writing this blog post, but here are some ideas we came up with.

• What is the best fast food chain?
• What is the best Netflix reality show?
• Are McFlurrys better than Blizzards?
• Does every adult need a nap time? 
• Are cats better than dogs?
• Should you procrastinate?
• Should teenagers run the government?
• Is tea better than coffee?
• Are night owls more intelligent?
• Is chocolate the best food group? 
• Does toilet paper go over or under the roll?
• Should you shower at morning or at night?
• Should you take your shoes off in the house? 
• Is there evidence that the earth is flat?
• Should we get rid of Daylight Savings Time?
• Should dessert be the first course of every meal?

If you’re worried about coming up with an original idea for your persuasive speech, hopefully this list gives you some ideas and inspiration. 

If you’re done and ready to get started, check out Plus AI for Google Slides and Docs as a way to create a first draft of your speech and slide deck!

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My Speech Class

Public Speaking Tips & Speech Topics

259 Interesting Speech Topics [Examples + Outlines]

Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

The most asked question I get almost every day from students is this:

What makes a topic interesting?

Well, the answer is simple. You have to like it yourself, the subject has to be appropriate to the rules of the assignment, to the audience and the setting of the meeting:

In this article:

How To Find An Interesting Topic

Best interesting speech topics, interesting persuasive speech topics, interesting informative speech topics, topics with outline.

1 – Look in magazines, journals, and newspapers for events.

Can We Write Your Speech?

Get your audience blown away with help from a professional speechwriter. Free proofreading and copy-editing included.

Current or historical, that does not matter at this point, both are okay – and recent engaging and exciting facts, and perhaps valuable information that attracts the attention.

Articles about subjects that interests you and that are comfortable for you to talk about are good indications.

2 – Jot down any possible idea that comes up for interesting speech topics. I always draft a short list for myself of candidate issues if I am contracted for a public speaking engagement.

And then I skip the ones that are too difficult and too complex to prepare and master in 8 to 10 minutes time.

3 – Review some online books on the subject for more detailed current information about your topic. Or go to a library and ask for books and reference articles about your subject.

Without exception, all librarians I know will help you sorting out the speechwriter subject with their advice and recommendations. For example you choose for an alluring pleasure physical activity or farming and countryside topic.

Try to understand how the author has covered it. What’s his structure? What points, information or arguments are the strongest? What examples and illustrations has she or he used?

4 – Peerless reliable statistics and new discoveries can help writing and refining.

Look for controversies, rare and strange opinions. What do you think of it? What do you want your audience to think of it?

5 – Think about related engaging interpretive hints to talk about. When you view your rough list, try to find new points, different angles of view or just turn your thoughts upside down. Look at the special aspects that surprise the listeners.

>>>  For example try these 2 more detailed summary outlines with main points and subpoints. Use my sample structure to add or otherwise wipe steps and stages you do not need.

>>>  In addition to these patterns, you find more ideas for outlined main points in my Minute Section (in the navigation menu bar right on your left of this portal page). Or move straight to sixty plus lineups for speechwriters.

That can be very enlighting for enhancing public discernment. They also can  see , feel, or even  taste  and  smell  what you try to explain or demonstrate in a couple of minutes.

6 – Look for supporting and also for opposing opinions, plus interesting speech topics statements. Add visual aids where you want to emphasize or to give some prominence to an unimaginable point in your interesting topic idea.

7 – Watch news shows, history documentaries and debating programs – for example, the morning shows and the evening news. They are especially helpful for developing a rough list of wheedling brainstorms.

Interesting Speech Topic Examples

Don’t have time to read our full list of 200+ topic ideas? Here is our list of 10 interesting speech topics.

• Beauty is not only in the eye of the beholder
• Children don’t play enough
• Animal testing is necessary
• Girls are too mean to each other
• Men should get paternity leave
• Tattoos are an addiction
• If I had a year to do what I want
• Butterflies: deadly creatures
• How to ruin a date in the first minute
• The meaning of dreams

Here is our list of top interesting persuasive speech topics.

• Beauty is not only in the eye of the beholder.
• Hyper active kids don’t need medication.
• Books are always better than the movie.
• Pick up lines do work.
• Televise all court proceedings.
• Suspend referees that are found to show too much bias.
• There is no place for monarchs any more.
• It is false that no one is above the law.
• You tube needs to monitor comments.
• Online friends show more compassion.
• Cross cultural couples respect each other more.
• Graffiti must be recognised as art.
• You can loose weight without exercising.
• Children don’t play enough.
• Carpets are harmful and shouldn’t be in homes.
• Sex education doesn’t work.
• Ban smoking in all public places.
• Women cheat just as much as men.
• Prohibit destruction of rainforests.
• Global warming is a myth.
• Justice is never the same for all.
• Video games are not the blame of violence at school.
• Financial rewards is the only way employees stay loyal.
• The world isn’t only black and white.
• Give girls over 16 contraceptives without parents consent.
• Calories should be included in restaurant menus.
• Sugar tax won’t reduce obesity.
• Pregnancy as a result of rape should be terminated.
• All couples must live together before getting married.
• Animal testing is necessary.
• Children’s beauty pageants are wrong.
• There are not enough cameras in public spaces.
• Freedom of speech rights needs to be rewritten.
• Random DUI test should be done on parents picking up children after school.
• Atheists are more peaceful than religious people.
• Heterosexual men and women can be just friends.
• Adoptive parents need maternity leave too.
• Print advertisements don’t work.
• Click bate headlines are the cause of less followers.
• Don’t give children allowances.
• Stop checking in on social media.
• There would be more divorces if couples didn’t have children.
• Compensate organ donors.
• Celebrities are not role models.
• Do drug tests on welfare recipients.
• Stem cell research is murder.
• People should be considered adults at 21.
• Religion is the cause of war.
• Life was not easier a century ago.
• Men are better forgivers.
• Making substances illegal only makes people want them more.
• Parenting classes must be compulsory.
• Helicopter parents are damaging their children.
• Give working moms special privileges.
• Social media fame is a scam.
• Make paparazzi photographing children a criminal offence.
• Food should never be seen as a reward.
• 6 hours is not enough sleep for an adult.
• People can live without eating meat.
• Curfews do not keep teens out of trouble.
• Electronic textbooks don’t have the same impact as the printed version.
• This generation cannot fix anything.
• Boredom always leads to trouble.
• Girls are too mean to each other.
• Affirmative action isn’t right.
• School system is responsible for low test scores.
• Men should get paternity leave.
• Fast food needs to come with more warnings.
• Killing a murderer is immoral.
• Famous people must stay away from politics.
• Long distance relationships do work.
• Men are the stronger sex.
• Jobs shouldn’t be gender specific.
• Religion won’t die away.
• Women shouldn’t give birth after 40.
• Abortion is murder.
• Tattoos are an addiction.
• Drug addiction is a choice.
• Social media will run it’s course and die out.
• Caesarian sections are safer than normal births.
• There is a connection between science and religion.
• Never pay children for good grades.
• People in open marriages are not happy.
• The soul does exist.
• People’s salaries should reflect their performances.
• English will always be the business language of the world.
• Why you should always put yourself first.
• Earth has not been explored properly.
• Women are more intelligent than they give away.
• Alternatives to evolution exist.
• Prisons create criminals.
• Sick building syndromes exist.
• Strategic defense and ethics do not match.
• The War on Terror is based on a hidden agenda.
• Aging is a threat to pension funding.
• Airline safety restrictions won’t stop terrorists.
• Alcohol advertising stimulates underage alcohol use.
• All humans are spiritual in one way or another.
• Arts express the level of quality in different cultures.
• Atheists do care about Christmas.
• Australian aboriginal tattooing is art.
• Ban the filibuster from Congress.
• Body piercings can cause serious complications.
• Books are outdated.
• Censorship is a violation of freedom of speech.
• Charities must minimize the organizational and overhead costs.
• Child testimonies in abuse cases are not credible.
• Corporal punishment could be ethical, provided that it is proportional.
• Creative expression and creativity are not the same.
• Electronic baby timeshare does help to prevent teen pregnancy.
• English and Spanish should be the only languages in the world.
• Establishing democracy in Iraq is mission impossible.
• Fashion gurus have good reasons to promote skinny girls.
• Female genital mutilation is not unethical when done by cosmetic surgery doctors.
• Feminism will help improve the position of females in Africa.
• Fill in a country … should be condemned as human rights violator.
• Future generations have to keep their jobs until they drop.
• George Orwell was just right when he wrote his novel ‘1984’ … Big Brother is watching us all the time.
• Governments should not own news broadcasting corporations.
• Granting amnesty perpetuates immigration and makes border patrols fruitless.
• Harry Potter books are more popular among elderly persons.
• Hollywood movies have a bad influence on the world.
• Homelessness in rural areas is substantially undercounted compared to metropolitan and suburban areas.
• Hospitality is a valuable instrument to better foreign relationships.
• Houses affected by natural disasters should not be rebuilt.
• International satellite news broadcasting poses a threat to indigenous cultures.
• It is possible to be pro-life and pro-choice.
• It’s a myth that bottled water is better than tap water.
• Journalism codes are no longer respected by journalists.
• Limiting immigration is limiting opportunities.
• Link debt relief of developing countries to carbon emission reduction.
• Local aid to African communities is more effective than national aid.
• Mentally disabled people cannot be executed.
• Motivation courses only have one objective: to fund the instructor’s bank account.
• MP3 music belongs in the free public domain for educational institutions and the general public.
• News programs must be interesting rather than important.
• Open source software is better than Microsoft.
• Parental advisory labels hinder the freedom of speech of artists.
• People have the right to decide about their own life and death.
• Political correctness kills freedom of speech.
• Poverty can be cut by half in this century.
• Princess Diana’s death was not a tragic accident.
• Public insults should be considered as hate speech and should not be protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution.
• Right to work laws are useless.
• Robin Hood was a not a hero.
• Sex and sexuality are from different hemispheres.
• Telling lies is a justifiable instrument.
• The local council elections in Cuba are no elections at all.
• The right to privacy is not absolute.
• There is no secure protection of property rights in developing countries.
• There should be cultural content quotas in broadcasting.
• Tobacco and alcohol billboards litter the streets.
• United Nations will never truly exist in Europe.
• Vegetarians would not eat vegetables if they were born in rural Africa.
• We should have a king instead of a president.
• Weblogs are intellectual property and therefore must be legally protected.
• With the current economic situation, we will all be working until we are old and grey.
• Zero tolerance is a useful instrument to prevent violence.

Here is our list of top interesting informative speech topics.

• A comparison of the official definition of terrorism in different parts of the world.
• A week of monastery life.
• Abu Sayyaf links to global terror organizations.
• Architectural movements in the late nineteenth century.
• Armed conflicts in Africa.
• Artificial intelligence opportunities.
• Biochemical weapons explained.
• Bioethics versus human rights.
• Combatting modern slavery.
• Debunking weight loss myths.
• Development goals of the United Nations.
• Everything we can find in our Solar System.
• Five ways to give and donate to charity funds.
• Forms of public diplomacy.
• Fraud detection systems explained.
• How giant sea aquariums are constructed.
• How nepotisms started in the Middle Ages.
• How the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is structured.
• How the American Civil War began.
• How the application for immigration and naturalization works.
• How the CIA can track terrorists.
• How to apply Feng Shui to your bedroom.
• How to outlaw reactionary conservative groups and individuals.
• Is it possible to clone humans?
• Major incidents and consequences in the first decade of this millennium.
• Middle East roadmap for peace.
• Migration trends.
• Offshore installation accidents over the years.
• Racism and cultural diversity in mass media.
• Refugees and forced displacement.
• Result on foreign aid funding in the long term.
• Scientific explanations for the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle.
• State sponsored tyranny explained.
• The 9/11 Commission assignment and its main conclusions.
• The best consumer electronics innovations to date.
• The chain of cargo and freight services at international airports.
• The difference between soft and hard drugs.
• The effect of counter terrorism legislation on ordinary people.
• The European convention on human rights explained.
• The flying fortress called Air Force One.
• The four general goals of the Homeland Security Department.
• The functions of Samurai warriors in Ancient Japan.
• The future of fashion.
• The Geneva Convention on the treatment of prisoners of war.
• The governing system of rules during the Middle Ages.
• The history of Amtrak.
• The innovative and unique styling of Dodge trucks.
• The long term complications of sunburn.
• The philosophical doctrine of Nihilism.
• The pros and cons of pacifism.
• The relations between federal budget deficit, national debt and trade balance.
• The role of Emperor Akihito in Japan.
• The secrets of crop circles revealed.
• The short history of the second man on the Moon, Buzz Aldrin.
• The struggle to patent computer software.
• The war costs in Iraq and Afghanistan
• Two party system compared multiple party systems.
• What is acne and what are its causes.
• Why the NASA shuttle program was stopped.
• Why the Romans built huge aqueducts in France.
• Venezuela and the constitutional power crisis.
• A diamond exploration certification system will not prevent conflict-diamonds trade.
• Handwriting analysis and how it reveals aspects of your personality.
• Hindu Cinema: not just Bollywood movies.
• How many disasters always happen at Christmas time.
• How sleepwalkers perform the most unusual things while asleep.
• Different lifestyles of generations.
• Importance of sleeping
• What makes me happy
• My ideal trip to Asia
• What would it be like to live with a famous person?
• If I were a volcano
• If l could the queen
• Benefits of being a vegetarian
• How girls worldwide are treated differently
• History of Mainamati in Bangladesh
• Broccoli flavored Oreos
• The Importance of public speaking
• A world without boundaries
• Stars and shooting stars
• How I came to school for the first time
• Conspiracy theories
• The pros and cons of being dead
• Confusing grammar
• When my birthday was there
• Importance of languages
• How to study effectively
• If I walked backwards
• The power of a lie
• Power of words
• If I was invisible
• Why I smile
• Fear of the unknown
• Fashion trends I hate
• Why do we have toes?
• Why I want to be a lawyer (or whatever job u pick)
• How colours affect your mood

Need a topic for your speech about an interesting persuasion statement?

Here are some of the best speech ideas and two easy informative subjects you can alter into a firm convincing claim.

Need other attracting ideas?

Check the navbar on the left and you will find thousands of special hints and tips for your public presentation 🙂

1. Whistleblower Protection Is Not Effective

• Whistleblower laws don’t protect against reprisals, disciplinary measures and spin from superiors.
• Huge companies have enough money to buy legal advice for a long period, laws offer employees no financial shield.
• Legislation often doesn’t address the issue itself, the problem, the allegations often are not investigated.

Another topic for your speech on business could be on fair trade:

2. Is Fair Trade Really Fair?

• Protectionism and markets are often stronger than fair trade appointments.
• Buying products is subsidizing poor farmers and manufacturers in developing countries. It isn’t helping them to make them stronger.
• It is anti-competitive and it undermines the economy in Third World nations.

And what do you think of this explosive persuasive topic for your speech?

3. Nuclear Power Is Dangerous Stuff

• An accident could cause thousands of fatalities and for billions of dollars property damage.
• There is no proper technology to handle radioactive waste material.
• Health risks for people working in the plant and for those who are living nearby could not be foreseen in advance and certainly not at the long term.
• Costs of nuclear plant safety measurements are very high.

And now two informative suggestions for a topic for your speech. But you easily transform them into some of the best speech ideas for persuasion speeches:

4. Checklist Before Taking A New Job

• A bigger company means more interesting job and task opportunities.
• It makes it possible to extend your existing network of trusted contacts.
• Like to travel abroad? Is it a Yes or No?
• How about the probability that you will keep your job – in other words what about the job security? What are the hidden clues?
• Is there a chance you can make you professional dreams and personal goals come true?
• How about the pay? Get all salary information, and decide on how much you want to earn from the start.
• Are there other requirements? Some personal wishes you would like to fulfill?

5. The Advantages Of Working In The Night

• No disturbing by telephone.
• No traffic jam.
• Not being awakened by the alarm clock in early morning hours …

You can think about the disadvantages too … Approach this subject from different sides and you double your opportunities!

89 Medical Speech Topic Ideas [Persuasive, Informative, Nursing]

292 Sports Speech Topics [Persuasive, Informative]

10 thoughts on “259 Interesting Speech Topics [Examples + Outlines]”

Are you in the Now?

Renewable energy pros and cons.

I want to learn the most detailed writing. Am a New student and i need to improve my own My subject is an informative one : Ivorians women teaching in Abidjan universites.

I need more topics to choose from for my oral presentation

Hello, I’d appreciate it if you’d stop perpetuating falseties about global warming and climate change. They are very much real, and putting them on a list like this only further pushes the myth that they are false. These topics are not up for debate.

Some of these are really creative.

#184 made me laugh. As someone who grew up with Harry Potter, perhaps students these days will consider me an older person ha.

Regards, Chris

thaaaank you very much this is help me a lot

Thanks for the ideas!

A lot of these “creative” topics are not only offensive but help push distructive rhetoric.

this helped me out so much.was just sitting there lost about what to speak at the academic decathlon.thanks

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Persuasive Speech: How to Write an Effective Persuasive Speech

Most often, it actually causes the other person to want to play “Devil’s advocate” and argue with you. In this article, we are going to show you a simple way to win people to your way of thinking without raising resentment. If you use this technique, your audience will actually WANT to agree with you! The process starts with putting yourself in the shoes of your listener and looking at things from their point of view.

Background About How to Write a Persuasive Speech. Facts Aren’t Very Persuasive.

Most people think that a single fact is good, additional facts are better, and too many facts are just right. So, the more facts you can use to prove your point, the better chance you have of convincing the other person that you are right. The HUGE error in this logic, though, is that if you prove that you are right, you are also proving that the other person is wrong. People don’t like it when someone proves that they are wrong. So, we prove our point, the other person is likely to feel resentment. When resentment builds, it leads to anger. Once anger enters the equation, logic goes right out the window.

In addition, when people use a “fact” or “Statistic” to prove a point, the audience has a natural reaction to take a contrary side of the argument. For instance, if I started a statement with, “I can prove to you beyond a doubt that…” before I even finish the statement, there is a good chance that you are already trying to think of a single instance where the statement is NOT true. This is a natural response. As a result, the thing that we need to realize about being persuasive is that the best way to persuade another person is to make the person want to agree with us. We do this by showing the audience how they can get what they want if they do what we want.

You may also like How to Design and Deliver a Memorable Speech .

A Simple 3-Step Process to Create a Persuasive Presentation

The process below is a good way to do both.

Step One: Start Your Persuasive Speech with an Example or Story

When you write an effective persuasive speech, stories are vital. Stories and examples have a powerful way to capture an audience’s attention and set them at ease. They get the audience interested in the presentation. Stories also help your audience see the concepts you are trying to explain in a visual way and make an emotional connection. The more details that you put into your story, the more vivid the images being created in the minds of your audience members.

This concept isn’t mystical or anything. It is science. When we communicate effectively with another person, the purpose is to help the listener picture a concept in his/her mind that is similar to the concept in the speaker’s mind. The old adage is that a “picture is worth 1000 words.” Well, an example or a story is a series of moving pictures. So, a well-told story is worth thousands of words (facts).

By the way, there are a few additional benefits of telling a story. Stories help you reduce nervousness, make better eye contact, and make for a strong opening. For additional details, see Storytelling in Speeches .

I’ll give you an example.

Factual Argument: Seatbelts Save Lives

• 53% of all motor vehicle fatalities from last years were people who weren’t wearing seatbelts.
• People not wearing seatbelts are 30 times more likely to be ejected from the vehicle.
• In a single year, crash deaths and injuries cost us over $70 billion dollars.

These are actual statistics. However, when you read each bullet point, you are likely to be a little skeptical. For instance, when you see the 53% statistic, you might have had the same reaction that I did. You might be thinking something like, “Isn’t that right at half? Doesn’t that mean that the other half WERE wearing seatbelts?” When you see the “30 times more likely” statistic, you might be thinking, “That sounds a little exaggerated. What are the actual numbers?” Looking at the last statistic, we’d likely want to know exactly how the reporter came to that conclusion.

As you can see, if you are a believer that seatbelts save lives, you will likely take the numbers at face value. If you don’t like seatbelts, you will likely nitpick the finer points of each statistic. The facts will not likely persuade you.

Example Argument: Seatbelts Save Lives

When I came to, I tried to open my door. The accident sealed it shut. The windshield was gone. So I took my seatbelt off and scrambled out the hole. The driver of the truck was a bloody mess. His leg was pinned under the steering wheel.

The firefighters came a few minutes later, and it took them over 30 minutes to cut the metal from around his body to free him.

A Sheriff’s Deputy saw a cut on my face and asked if I had been in the accident. I pointed to my truck. His eyes became like saucers. “You were in that vehicle?”

I nodded. He rushed me to an ambulance. I had actually ruptured my colon, and I had to have surgery. I was down for a month or so, but I survived. In fact, I survived with very few long-term challenges from the accident.

The guy who hit me wasn’t so lucky. He wasn’t wearing a seatbelt. The initial impact of the accident was his head on the steering wheel and then the windshield. He had to have a number of facial surgeries. The only reason he remained in the truck was his pinned leg. For me, the accident was a temporary trauma. For him, it was a life-long tragedy.

The Emotional Difference is the Key

As you can see, there are major differences between the two techniques. The story gives lots of memorable details along with an emotion that captures the audience. If you read both examples, let me ask you a couple of questions. Without looking back up higher on the page, how long did it take the firefighters to cut the other driver from the car? How many CDs did I have? There is a good chance that these two pieces of data came to you really quickly. You likely remembered this data, even though, the data wasn’t exactly important to the story.

However, if I asked you how much money was lost last year as a result of traffic accidents, you might struggle to remember that statistic. The CDs and the firefighters were a part of a compelling story that made you pay attention. The money lost to accidents was just a statistic thrown at you to try to prove that a point was true.

The main benefit of using a story, though, is that when we give statistics (without a story to back them up,) the audience becomes argumentative. However, when we tell a story, the audience can’t argue with us. The audience can’t come to me after I told that story and say, “It didn’t take 30 minutes to cut the guy out of the car. He didn’t have to have a bunch of reconstructive surgeries. The Deputy didn’t say those things to you! The audience can’t argue with the details of the story, because they weren’t there.

Step 2: After the Story, Now, Give Your Advice

When most people write a persuasive presentation, they start with their opinion. Again, this makes the listener want to play Devil’s advocate. By starting with the example, we give the listener a simple way to agree with us. They can agree that the story that we told was true. So, now, finish the story with your point or your opinion. “So, in my opinion, if you wear a seatbelt, you’re more likely to avoid serious injury in a severe crash.”

By the way, this technique is not new. It has been around for thousands of years. Aesop was a Greek slave over 500 years before Christ. His stories were passed down verbally for hundreds of years before anyone ever wrote them down in a collection. Today, when you read an Aesop fable, you will get 30 seconds to two minutes of the story first. Then, at the conclusion, almost as a post-script, you will get the advice. Most often, this advice comes in the form of, “The moral of the story is…” You want to do the same in your persuasive presentations. Spend most of the time on the details of the story. Then, spend just a few seconds in the end with your morale.

Step 3: End with the Benefit to the Audience

So, the moral of the story is to wear your seatbelt. If you do that, you will avoid being cut out of your car and endless reconstructive surgeries .

Now, instead of leaving your audience wanting to argue with you, they are more likely to be thinking, “Man, I don’t want to be cut out of my car or have a bunch of facial surgeries.”

The process is very simple. However, it is also very powerful.

How to Write a Successful Persuasive Speech Using the “Breadcrumb” Approach

Once you understand the concept above, you can create very powerful persuasive speeches by linking a series of these persuasive stories together. I call this the breadcrumb strategy. Basically, you use each story as a way to move the audience closer to the ultimate conclusion that you want them to draw. Each story gains a little more agreement.

So, first, just give a simple story about an easy to agree with concept. You will gain agreement fairly easily and begin to also create an emotional appeal. Next, use an additional story to gain additional agreement. If you use this process three to five times, you are more likely to get the audience to agree with your final conclusion. If this is a formal presentation, just make your main points into the persuasive statements and use stories to reinforce the points.

Here are a few persuasive speech examples using this approach.

An Example of a Persuasive Public Speaking Using Breadcrumbs

Marijuana Legalization is Causing Huge Problems in Our Biggest Cities Homelessness is Out of Control in First States to Legalize Marijuana Last year, my family and I took a mini-vacation to Colorado Springs. I had spent a summer in Colorado when I was in college, so I wanted my family to experience the great time that I had had there as a youth. We were only there for four days, but we noticed something dramatic had happened. There were homeless people everywhere. Keep in mind, this wasn’t Denver, this was Colorado City. The picturesque landscape was clouded by ripped sleeping bags on street corners, and trash spread everywhere. We were downtown, and my wife and daughter wanted to do some shopping. My son and I found a comic book store across the street to browse in. As we came out, we almost bumped into a dirty man in torn close. He smiled at us, walked a few feet away from the door, and lit up a joint. He sat on the corner smoking it. As my son and I walked the 1/4 mile back to the store where we left my wife and daughter, we stepped over and walked around over a dozen homeless people camped out right in the middle of the town. This was not the Colorado that I remembered. From what I’ve heard, it has gotten even worse in the last year. So, if you don’t want to dramatically increase your homelessness population, don’t make marijuana legal in your state. DUI Instances and Traffic Accidents Have Increased in Marijuana States I was at the airport waiting for a flight last week, and the guy next to me offered me his newspaper. I haven’t read a newspaper in years, but he seemed so nice that I accepted. It was a copy of the USA Today, and it was open to an article about the rise in unintended consequences from legalizing marijuana. Safety officials and police in Colorado, Nevada, Washington, and Oregon, the first four state to legalize recreational marijuana, have reported a 6% increase in traffic accidents in the last few years. Although the increase (6%) doesn’t seem very dramatic, it was notable because the rate of accidents had been decreasing in each of the states for decades prior to the law change. Assuming that only one of the two parties involved in these new accidents was under the influence, that means that people who aren’t smoking marijuana are being negatively affected by the legalization. So, if you don’t want to increase your chances of being involved in a DUI incident, don’t legalize marijuana. (Notice how I just used an article as my evidence, but to make it more memorable, I told the story about how I came across the article. It is also easier to deliver this type of data because you are just relating what you remember about the data, not trying to be an expert on the data itself.) Marijuana is Still Largely Unregulated Just before my dad went into hospice care, he was in a lot of pain. He would take a prescription painkiller before bed to sleep. One night, my mom called frantically. Dad was in a catatonic state and wasn’t responsive. I rushed over. The hospital found that Dad had an unusually high amount of painkillers in his bloodstream. His regular doctor had been on vacation, and the fill-in doctor had prescribed a much higher dosage of the painkiller by accident. His original prescription was 2.5 mg, and the new prescription was 10 mg. Since dad was in a lot of pain most nights, he almost always took two tablets. He was also on dialysis, so his kidneys weren’t filtering out the excess narcotic each day. He had actually taken 20 MG (instead of 5 MG) on Friday night and another 20 mg on Saturday. Ordinarily, he would have had, at max, 15 mg of the narcotic in his system. Because of the mistake, though, he had 60 MGs. My point is that the narcotics that my dad was prescribed were highly regulated medicines under a doctor’s care, and a mistake was still made that almost killed him. With marijuana, there is really no way of knowing how much narcotic is in each dosage. So, mistakes like this are much more likely. So, in conclusion, legalizing marijuana can increase homelessness, increase the number of impaired drivers, and cause accidental overdoses.

If you use this breadcrumb approach, you are more likely to get at least some agreement. Even if the person disagrees with your conclusion, they are still likely to at least see your side. So, the person may say something like, I still disagree with you, but I totally see your point. That is still a step in the right direction.

For Real-World Practice in How to Design Persuasive Presentations Join Us for a Class

Our instructors are experts at helping presenters design persuasive speeches. We offer the Fearless Presentations ® classes in cities all over the world about every three to four months. In addition to helping you reduce nervousness, your instructor will also show you secrets to creating a great speech. For details about any of the classes, go to our Presentation Skills Class web page.

For additional details, see Persuasive Speech Outline Example .

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50 Easy Persuasive Speech Topics

What is it that makes these EASY persuasive speech topics?

I have several pages on this site devoted to persuasive speeches, but this one is all about crafting your statement as efficiently as possible.

An EASY topic is one that...

• You already know well.  If you know your subject thoroughly - and you don't need to spend hours researching the topic - then you'll instantly and significantly reduce your workload! Bringing your personal experiences to your speech makes it easier to write, and makes your presentation more engaging for your listeners. Try making a list of subjects you're interested in, and a topic idea may even jump out at you! 
• You feel strongly about. There's nothing harder than trying to persuade someone they should feel a certain way about something if you're 'wishy-washy' on how you feel about it yourself! Real passion comes across in your words, which are more forceful and credible as a result.

Technically, then, an easy persuasive speech topic for one individual may not be so easy for another.

The list I have put together for you here, however, is of topics with broad appeal, subjects about which most of us have a strong opinion and PLENTY to say!

In each case, I have stated merely the topic itself - it is up to you to decide whether you will try to persuade your audience to be FOR or AGAINST the claimed idea.

Easy Persuasive Speech Topics - 1-12 Related to Schools

• All school children should wear a uniform
• Exams give little indication of a student's real ability
• Advertising in schools should be banned
• Homeschooling is better than traditional education
• Schools should ban soda
• Schools should not serve French fries
• Single-sex schools are better than mixed/co-ed
• School is not the place for sex education
• Students should be allowed to leave school at 14 to learn a trade
• Going to college is not the key to a prosperous future
• All students should master a 2nd language
• History textbooks do not tell the truth (discuss how the perception of historical events may vary around the world)

Easy Persuasive Speech Topics - 13-27 Related to Family Life

• Breastfeeding is better than bottle (formula) feeding
• Parents should be held legally responsible for the things their children do
• Under 18s should be allowed to drink alcohol at home with parental consent
• Every workplace should provide child-care
• Encouraging women to work is destroying the traditional family
• Punish parents who fail to give children a healthy diet
• We are over-scheduling our kids
• Parents should never pry into their teens' rooms/belongings
• Today's kids have it easier than their parents/grandparents
• Dads are more fun than moms! (Keep this light-hearted)
• Eating together as a family is important
• A woman's place is in the home! (This is a provocative title, so be funny or surprising in your speech)
• Older teenagers should contribute to household expenses
• We should value our old people rather than cast them aside
• It takes a village to raise a child

Easy Persuasive Speech Topics - 28-36 Funny/Light Hearted Ideas

• A Mac is better than a PC!
• Why [fill in the blank] is the best movie ever!
• Why everyone should visit [fill in the blank] (talk about somewhere you love)
• Mustaches should be banned
• Google is taking over the world
• Santa Claus is real!
• Games like Candy Crush are making us stupid
• Batman is cooler than Spiderman
• McDonald's is better than Burger King

Easy Persuasive Speech Topics - 37-50 Miscellaneous Ideas

• Plus size people should pay for two seats on public transport
• The government should not censor information given online
• Love is more powerful than hate
• Immigrants should be required to speak the language of the country to which they're moving
• We need more female construction workers!
• You should buy local produce whenever possible
• What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
• Money can't buy happiness
• A dog is man's best friend
• All hospitals should allow pets to be brought in to see their owners
• Criminals should be forced to make restitution to their victims, rather than to society in general
• Lying isn't always wrong
• Base discipline on rewards rather than punishment
• Facebook has improved life for many people

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Recommended pages:

Ideal for Teens

Persuasive Speech Tips:

A Guide to Persuasive Speech Writing

More Tips for Writing Good Persuasive Speeches

Another Example Outline

3 Tips for Writing a Speech That Gets Results

Brainstorming Techniques:

Coming up With Ideas

More Ways to Find the Perfect Topic

BST's Favorite Open Source and Free Mindmapping Software

Example persuasive speeches for inspiration:

Gender Selection

Energy Medicine

The Role of Marriage in Society

Fun Speech about Luck

Second-Hand Smoke

Using a Cell Phone Whilst Driving

School Uniform Policies

Become an Activist

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Easy persuasive speech topics: examples

309 good persuasive topics + resources for writing persuasive speeches

By:  Susan Dugdale  

Let's be right up front about this.

'Easy' and 'persuasive' are seldom paired when it comes to speech topics! Therefore, examples of easy persuasive speech topics are a bit of a rarity, and finding them can be tricky.

However, all is not completely lost. They can, and do, come together, but only if you work at it.  Let me show you how. 

What's on this page

309 potentially easy persuasive speech topics.

• the myth of 'easy' and an 'easy speech'
• what makes a successful persuasive speech
• how a persuasive speech topic can become easy
• additional persuasive speech resources

The myth of 'easy' and an 'easy' speech

That word 'easy' is so very tempting. It seductively implies something you can fling together, without a lot of effort, at short notice. 

An 'easy' persuasive speech is not going to take a lot of work to plan, research, to write, or to practice. Everything needed to prepare it will be done without hassle, because it's, 'easy'. The entire process will flow smoothly from start to finish without fuss.

When you present the speech, the audience will be spell-bound, riveted by your outstanding choice of subject and its treatment. In short, they will be amazed. Gob smacked * , and 100% persuaded!

* astounded, overwhelmed.

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What a successful persuasive speech usually takes

To give a successful persuasive speech means being able to use a compelling mix of reasoning and emotional appeal to convince whoever you are talking to that your point of view is right or at least, worth considering. Generally doing that well takes thought and effort.

You need to have chosen a subject your audience will be genuinely interested in and to use just the right combination of logical reasoning and emotional appeal to engage and hold them from the first words you say till your last. That in turn means thinking your speech through carefully, step by step, and then doing whatever is needed to make it work.

Those things include:

• deciding on a specific speech purpose, (what you want people to do as a result of listening to your speech)
• research to pull facts together to ground your speech, to give you a solid platform to build your speech on
• understanding your audience so you know how best to shape your material to address their concerns
• sorting out any additional resources you may want to use (e.g. images, graphs, handouts ...)
• practice, and then more practice. 

You, see? Easy and persuasive don't seem to have a lot in common.

However, there is a way through.

How a persuasive speech topic becomes easy

You'll be glad to know there are exceptions. 

A persuasive topic becomes 'easy' if:

• it fits with the criteria you've been given, 
• you already know a lot about it, 
• there's a readily accessible, and credible body of knowledge covering it, 
• you're passionate about it, and
• you genuinely want to do what is required to do it well.

Difficulties miraculously melt away when you are totally engrossed! 

Below are 309 good persuasive topics chosen for their broad appeal, and because they are subjects people generally feel strongly about.

• 69 topics based on education
• 135 based on aspects of health : mental health , the psychology of motivation , autism , natural medicine , the dangers of alternative medicine , current medical issues

21 food themed persuasive speech topics

• 53 topics based on ethics, morals and values
• 20 economy themed topics  

Read them through, making a note of any that jump out and that you think you may be able to use. These will be the ones you'll find much 'easier' than the others because you're already interested! 

69 persuasive speech topics on education

Put a group of people together who share concerns about the direction society seems to be headed and it won't be long before the hot topic under discussion is education!

• that there is no such thing as the best form of education 
• that some types of education are a waste of time and resources
• that all education should be free
• that education should be paid for by those who want or use it
• that schools should provide experienced specialist support teachers to meet the needs of all their pupils 
• that no child should be denied an education on the grounds of gender, race, poverty or the legal status of their parents
• that online learning can never replace real-time and place class room learning
• that competition with other students is a necessary part of education
• that different learning styles need to be to be taken into account by teachers
• that a student who drops out of school has been failed by the school system
• that the problems created by illiteracy are bigger than we think
• that society benefits from promoting gender equality and women's empowerment through education
• that it is vital to teach media literacy to combat fake news and misinformation
• that scholarships for those who need them should be increased
• that a college education is not the right choice for everyone
• that private schools support elitism
• that the advantages of project-based learning far outweigh the disadvantages
• that having a bilingual education is an advantage in a globalized world
• that a good education is the passport to a better life
• that a school uniform helps make everyone equal
• that schools need to systematically teach critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• that teachers should be held responsible for the performance of their students
• that the students of a teacher who is enthusiastic about their topic will always achieve better grades
• that textbooks, and other school supplies, should be provided free of charge to those who need them
• that there needs to a comprehensive education program on consent and sexual assault prevention in schools
• that life skills, (how to cook, how to budget and manage money effectively, how to shop economically, how to garden...) should be taught in schools
• that making some school subjects compulsory should be abolished
• that coding and computer science should be taught from an early age
• that taking a gap year should be encouraged
• that an arts education fosters creativity and critical thinking 
• that alternative forms of education should be encouraged, and supported
• that teachers should be thoroughly background checked
• that teachers should have to pass a regular 'fitness to teach' test
• that the school leaving age should be raised
• that students should not be forced to take classes they do not want to
• that there are significant advantages for using technology in the classroom
• that school violence is a mirror of the society we live in
• that students who take part in protests are actively learning about their rights and responsibilities
• that grades do not reflect intelligence
• that truancy is powerful comment on the relevancy of schools 
• that homework, for homework's sake, should be banned
• that residential segregation has a direct impact on the quality of education students receive
• that prestigious schools maintain their prestige through only admitting students who are likely to succeed
• that schools should focus on the core subjects: reading, writing and arithmetic
• that parents should be far more involved in their children's education
• that a person who is homeschooled is not disadvantaged 
• that far too much importance is placed on IQ tests
• that corporal punishment should never be used
• that meditation and other forms of mindfulness should be taught in schools
• that single sex schools are better for girls
• that intelligence is more than quick accurate recall and clever problem solving
• that a holistic education is best
• that an education should be a right, not a privilege
• that it is important to teach students about empathy and emotional intelligence  
• that no girl should ever be barred from school because she is pregnant
• that there is no 'right, one way' to educate a child
• that bullying, in any form, by anyone, should be addressed immediately and appropriately
• that students need to be taught how to handle social media responsibly
• that the arts are equally as valuable as the sciences
• that an old-fashioned school curriculum teaches respect and values
• that it is advantageous to learn at least one other language, in addition to your mother tongue
• that the foundation of all education is laid down in the home
• that civics and ethics should be core subjects
• that extracurricular activities are an essential part of a well-rounded education
• that cheating on a test or in an examination is understandable
• that community service should be an essential part of education
• that financial education is essential and should be taught to all students in all schools
• that guns should never be taken to school
• that getting top marks in an examination is not the only way to prove a person’s intelligence

 135 persuasive speech topics about health

Health, according to the World Health Organization , is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity."  It's a huge topic! And that is an understatement! 

46 mental health persuasive speech topics

• that mental health should be taken more seriously by general health practitioners
• that mental health should be discussed in schools
• that mental health and physical health are interdependent
• that early intervention is important to prevent long-term mental health problems
• that good mental health begins with a good diet
• that being 'mad' does not mean a person is 'bad'
• that a person can learn to become more mentally resilient
• that to be vulnerable is to be strong
• that laughter heals
• that how the media portrays mental health issues influences public perception for better and for worse
• that mental health issues are passed down from generation to generation
• that mental health issues can unnecessarily limit what people choose to do with their lives
• that poverty and homelessness underpin many mental health issues
• that we need mental health screenings and regular check-ups to monitor our overall well-being
• that prolonged lack of sleep can cause mental health concerns
• that religious practices and beliefs can contribute to mental health problems
• that anxiety and depression need to be more widely understood
• that sticks and stones will break my bones, but names will never hurt me is a lie.
• that vacations are essential for good mental health
• that learning to live with mental health is very different from suffering from it
• that acknowledging our own struggles with mental health makes it easier to understand other people's
• that teachers need training to recognize symptoms of possible mental health issues in their students
• that there is a direct link between physical exercise and mental health
• that substance abuse can mask mental health issues
• that green environments promote good mental health
• that bullying can have serious consequences
• that the real reason a bully bullies is never the person who is being bullied by them
• that the impact of chronic pain on mental health needs to be more widely understood
• that negative self-worth beliefs are reflected in mental health problems
• that treatment for mental health issues should be fully integrated with any other health service providers 
• that loneliness and isolation are often factors in mental health concerns
• that cultural difference can underpin mental health issues
• that being mentally unwell is not a sign of weakness
• that shaming a person for needing treatment for mental illness is both cruel and ignorant behavior
• that regular doom-scrolling significantly impacts on a person's mental health
• that overlooking symptoms of mental health problems is dangerous
• the pressure to 'fit in', to conform and to become someone else's idea of who you should be is unhealthy
• that seeking help for mental health concerns is a positive proactive thing to do
• that taking responsibility for our own mental wellbeing is vital
• that to be a little bit crazy is a good thing
• that understanding the cyclical link between addictive behaviors and mental health issues is critical to providing solutions
• that how we talk to ourselves, about ourselves, influences our state of mind
• that self-care and self-compassion are important for maintaining good mental health
• that the adverse impact of traumatic events on mental health is often ignored or underestimated
• that strategies for recovery from trauma and ongoing resilience should be taught in schools
• that peer support groups and community networks are an important part of a person's recovery because they  provide a sense of belonging and support 

For 50 more mental health persuasive speech topics

24 persuasive ideas: the psychology of motivation

Why do people behave the way they do?

What makes one person deliriously happy when they're in front of a large group of people telling them what to do and another person, utterly miserable?

Why do some people absolutely have to have the latest widget-wodget? And why do others not think about widget-wodgets at all?

The answers are found in motivation.

Motivation is the driving force behind our behavior. It provides the explanation for what we do. 

• that personal success is motivating
• that envy is a powerful motivator
• that 'Fear of Missing Out' (FOMO) motivates/influences people to do things regardless of whether they really want to or not
• that seeing success in significant others gives people the motivation to make positive changes
• that finding out what motivates a person at a fundamental level is key to persuading them to follow a certain course of action
• that social media is responsible for motivating people to strive for the unattainable
• that carefully selected strategies for motivating students lead them to excel in their studies.
• that fear of failure motivates many people
• that the desire to be better than others, and to be seen to be better, is a powerful motivator for many people
• that money makes the world go round: the need and desire for money motivates how we behave
• that desire for public recognition and acknowledgment is a powerful motivating force 
• that the possibility and promise of becoming famous and powerful can motivate all sorts of extreme behavior
• that knowing what you do is helpful, useful, and kind is motivating
• that mindfulness practices increase personal motivation
• that the desire to understand a particular process or to solve a specific problem is the motivation behind most innovative developments and inventions
• that setting inspiring yet realistic goals motivate a person to strive to reach them
• that fear of consequences motivates people to continue to do what they would rather not
• that curiosity motivates exploration and experimentation
• that being motivated by the acquisition of material rewards, wealth and possessions, will ultimately not be enough
• that fear and anxiety motivate aggression
• that serving your community the best way you can is motivating
• that positive self-talk increases and sustains motivation
• that people are happiest and most creative when they motivated by what they are passionate about
• that being genuinely and sincerely proud of oneself is motivation to keep ourselves on track
• that we need to understand and nurture what motivates us to become the best of ourselves

For more information:  Motivation and What Really Drives Human Behavior (positivepsychology.com)

10 persuasive speech topics about autism

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of mild to severe conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. A recent (2020) study revealed that 1 in 36 children (2.7%) in USA have been diagnosed with the disorder. And that number is increasing. 

• that promoting autism awareness matters and makes a difference
• that early intervention and treatment is important 
• that education for students with autism should be inclusive and supportive
• that the myths and stereotypes about autism need challenging 
• that inclusive hiring practices and workplace accommodations are beneficial for everyone: employers and employees.
• that families affected by autism need accessible resources, services, and support systems.
• that technology plays an important role in enhancing communication for nonverbal individuals with autism.
• that ongoing research, and funding, is required to improve understanding and treatment options.
•  that there needs to be a holistic approach to autism care.
• that individuals on autism spectrum have value and strengths just like any other person.

19 persuasive speech topics on natural medicine

The term 'natural medicine' is one of several used interchangeably to describe any medical product or practice that is not standard (conventional) medical care.

Other synonyms are:

• alternative medicine or therapies,
• holistic medicine which implies taking into account the 'whole' person rather than focusing on and treating isolated symptoms,
• herbal (plant based) remedies and,
• complementary medicine: a treatment regime that includes elements of conventional and alternative medical care.

'Natural medicine' polarizes people. There are those who are vehemently against any form of it and who will not consider any treatment other than what is current standard medical practice. Then there are those who resolutely choose alternative options. Either way, it's a fascinating field!    

• that traditional herbal remedies effectively treat common ailments
• that acupuncture is beneficial for pain management
• that practicing meditation and mindfulness improves mental health
• that chiropractic treatments effectively relieve back and neck pain
• that yoga supports physical and mental wellness
• that naturopathy should be used as a complementary approach to conventional medicine.
• that homeopathy is effective in treating chronic illnesses.
• that aromatherapy can relieve stress and enhance relaxation.
• that traditional Chinese medicine should be incorporated into modern healthcare.
• that good nutrition prevents disease
• that massage therapy promotes physical and mental well-being.
• that energy healing treatments like Reiki and acupuncture work well
• that CBD (cannabidiol) oil helps people effectively manage pain and anxiety.
• that the advantages of integrative medicine: combining conventional and alternative approaches should not be underestimated
• that herbal supplements support good immune system health.
• that holistic Ayurvedic medicine and practices are proven and promote wellness.
• that the common myths about alternative health care and its potential harms are overstated
• that acupuncture is an effective fertility treatment 
• that hypnotherapy is an effective treatment for public speaking fear, smoking cessation, weight loss, and more...

14 persuasive speech topics on the possible dangers of using alternative medicine

• that there are hidden risks in using unregulated alternative health care practices
• that there are potential dangers in relying solely on alternative health care for serious medical conditions
• that there are risks in self-diagnosis and self-treatment with alternative health care
• that misinformation is a problem in alternative health care practices
• that there are potential adverse effects with unproven alternative health care treatments
• that there are hidden financial risks with alternative health care therapies
• that evidence-based medicine is more reliable than alternative health care approaches
• that we need to protect vulnerable people from the dangers of untested alternative health care remedies
• that unqualified practitioners in alternative health care fields can cause harm
• that relying on unverified testimonials and anecdotal evidence in alternative health care is dangerous
• that there are risks of negative interactions with conventional medications while using alternative health care treatments
• that unregulated supplements and herbal remedies in alternative health care could be dangerous
• that alternative health care therapies for incurable diseases promote false hopes 
• that informed consent and transparency in alternative health care practices is important

22 current medical issues speech topics

• that vaccine hesitancy must be addressed and countered 
• that stigmas around mental health must be challenged
• that good accessible mental health care should be available for all
• that cosmetic and reconstructive surgery should only be for those who genuinely need it
• that comprehensive specialized mental health programs and support systems need to in schools 
• that the lessons for the opioid crisis must be learned
• that inequal access to medical services needs addressing
• that the balance between patient autonomy and a physician's responsibility needs careful monitoring
• that strategies for promoting healthy aging and elderly care are essential with an aging population
• that organ donation needs to be actively encouraged to overcome the shortage of organs available for transplantation
• that the ethical implications of genetic testing need careful consideration
• that healthy active lifestyles must be promoted to combat childhood obesity and the obesity epidemic
• that the increasing role of technology in healthcare presents as many innovations as it does challenges
• that pharmaceutical drugs need to be accessible and affordably priced
• that the impact of social media on body image need to be countered by actively promoting positive self-perception
• that developing countries need support to improve health care infrastructure and access 
• that precision medicine or personalized healthcare has better patient outcomes
• that we should encourage conversations about end-of-life care before the need for it arises
• that the legal and ethical concerns about euthanasia and assisted suicide can be humanely and respectfully resolved
• that the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in medicine presents great opportunities as well as challenges
• that improving obstetric care would lower maternal mortality rates
• that for the good of the health of the mother, abortion on demand should be legal
• that all tobacco products should be banned
• that the use of medical marijuana by patients in hospitals needs careful consideration from a legal standpoint

The subject of food: its cultivation, preparation, scarcity or abundance, generates passionate debate regardless of who we are, or where we are on the planet.

Have fun with these!

• that poor nutritional health in first world countries is the result of poor food choices
• that the use of unsustainably produced palm oil in food and other products should be banned
• that the benefits of eating locally sourced food outweigh the disadvantages
• that we must reduce food waste to lessen its environmental impact
• that eating fast food long-term is dangerous
• that a plant-based diet is healthier
• that the negative effects of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in our food system outstrip their shorter term benefits
• that organic farming has positive effects on health and the environment
• that nutrition education in schools helps combat childhood obesity
• that a sugar tax would help control the consumption of foods with high sugar content
• that factory farming is unethical
• that we need to adopt humane animal welfare practices
• that advertising and marketing of unhealthy food choices makes them attractive
• that food safety and strictly enforced regulations are necessary for public health
• that food waste should be against the law
• that food deserts (areas that have limited access to affordable and nutritious food) have an enormous impact on the health of communities 
• that there are workable, sustainable, affordable strategies to combat the effects of food deserts and food insecurity
• that the food we eat effects our mental as well as our physical health
• that producing food sustainably helps combat climate change 
• that there are significant health risks associated  artificial food additives and preservatives
• that genetically modified foods must be labeled for consumer awareness

53 topics: ethics, morals and values

The words 'ethics', 'morals' and 'values' are frequently interchanged as if they mean the same thing. However, although there is considerable overlap between them, they don't.

Values  are the core beliefs on which we center and base our lives. They are the values we have decided are important and can be personal as well as shared. Examples are honesty, service, cooperation, family, heritage, freedom of expression, independence, privacy, loyalty, integrity, or success. 

Morals  are based on our values. They elicit feeling or emotional responses in us. For instance, we feel good when we behave in accordance with our values, and bad when we don't. Like values, our moral codes can be either personal or shared.

For example: if one of our core values is the importance of family, then we will feel guilty and uncomfortable if we don't honor it. We make a moral judgment about our own behavior. 

Ethics : These let us know what is right and wrong. For instance, many professions have a code of ethics to regulate the behavior of their members. Examples are medical practitioners, lawyers, and teachers. They are rules based on a shared moral code as are the laws governing how we function as a society. 

Because life and people's experience of it, is not static, values, morals and ethics can change over time. And although there are some behaviors that have generally always been unlawful, (murder, fraud, infanticide...), what was acceptable and normal once, does not guarantee its rightness now.

For a fuller explanation please see this excellent article:  What's the Difference Between Ethics, Morals and Values?

28 topics based on morals and ethics

• that there are major ethical implications of the role of artificial intelligence in our daily lives
• that the unmonitored use of facial recognition technology is a violation of individual rights
• that corporations have a moral responsibility to address climate change
• that war is never right ethically or morally
• that the ethics of genetic engineering and its impact on society need careful monitoring
• that it is important to fully consider the ethics in the development and use of emerging technologies like blockchain and cryptocurrency need
• that the ethical challenges of data privacy and protection in the digital age must be met for the safety and security of society
• that the ethical implications of using animals for scientific research requires regular reviewing
• that the ethical and moral implications of our current abortion laws need thorough and careful investigation
• that the ethics of capital punishment need scrutinizing. Is it ever morally justifiable?
• that the ethical implications and long-term impact of gene editing and designer babies need careful consideration
• that it is no longer either ethical or moral to differentiate salaries or workplace benefits on the basis of gender
• that the moral obligations of healthcare professionals in end-of-life decisions need to be fully considered 
• that whistleblowing is an ethical way of ensuring corporate accountability
• that the use of drones and autonomous weapons demands a thorough review of the ethical considerations involved
• that an individual has the right to choose their own death. The moral dilemma of euthanasia, if there is one, is their own to solve. 
• that the ethical implications of the long-term impacts of genetic testing and personalized medicine need to be thoroughly investigated
• that social media platforms have ethical responsibilities in combating the spread of online harassment and misinformation
• that the moral issues surrounding the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sports need to examined calmly and carefully
• that the ethics of factory farming and its impact on animal welfare need to be thoroughly and regularly reviewed
• that the ethical and moral implication of discriminatory adoption laws should be investigated
• that the ethics and impact of online advertising should be independently monitored
• that the ethical considerations in the allocation of healthcare resources should always play a major role in decision making
• that the moral implications of genetic cloning and its potential consequences will force our governing bodies to legislate against it
• that the ethics of global wealth distribution and poverty alleviation will always be in question while inequality exists
• that the ethical challenges of conducting research on human subjects is entirely justifiable
• that internet censorship is both sensible and ethical
• that it is ethical and morally responsible that children should have their use of social media and the internet monitored.

25 persuasive speech topic ideas on values

• that we must never tell lies to children except about Father Christmas, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Rabbit
• that honesty in personal and professional relationships is best at all times
• that embracing diversity is essential for a harmonious society
• that team sports build good character traits
• that empathy, (compassion and understanding), has the power to change lives
• that education is fundamental for personal growth and the progress of society
• that privacy and the protection of personal information matters more than ever
• that everybody is entitled to privacy, including children and teenagers
• that taking personal responsibility and promoting sustainability for our planet's environment is vital for our and its survival
• that actively advocating for gender, racial and social justice promotes equality
• that life was better before the influence of online social media took over
• that everyone should spend several months per year working for the betterment of others in a non-profit social service organization
• that regular acts of kindness and goodwill make a positive impact no matter how small
• that becoming self-aware increases our emotional intelligence, which in turn, improves our relationships with others
• that the lives of all living creatures should be valued and protected
• that we need to celebrate, tolerate and accept differences in beliefs, cultures and lifestyles
• that expressing oneself freely is more important than getting the grammar, punctuation and spelling right
• that integrity, honoring moral principles, in personal and professional settings, builds trust and respect
• that cooperation, volunteering and civic engagement builds strong healthy communities
• that everybody should learn to cook and clean for themselves
• that we need to value, understand and learn from our history
• that genuinely and sincerely acknowledging and apologizing for hurtful, damaging behavior promotes healing and encourages transformation
• that it is better to earn your own living rather than to be financially provided for by someone else
• that money is not a meaningful measure of success

20 persuasive speech topics about the economy

What is an 'economy'? What does the word mean?  I hear and read it frequently and its often in different contexts. 

For example, at my local grocery store there's a large sign telling me that buying 10 cakes of soap at a never to be repeated discounted rate of 33% off per cake is good economy.

On the news I hear that our economy is challenging. There have been significant rises in the price of food over the past six months and mortgage rates are set to increase.

That's two different uses. The first is implying that buying in bulk will save me money. The second suggests it refers to the ebb and flow of monetary exchange for goods and services in society. 

I sought a definition for clarity and found this:

"An economy is a complex system of interrelated production, consumption, and exchange activities that ultimately determines how resources are allocated among all the participants. The production, consumption, and distribution of goods and services combine to fulfill the needs of those living and operating within the economy.

An economy may represent a nation, a region, a single industry, or even a family."

For more information:  Economy: What It Is, Types of Economies, Economic Indicators (investopedia.com)

This definition covers the dynamic interconnecting web of exchanges for goods and services underpinning our daily lives, and that is the focus of the topics below.  

• that promoting entrepreneurship for economic growth has benefits
• that investing in renewable energy for a sustainable economy is important
• that there are both advantages and disadvantages of globalization on national economies
• that the impact of automation on employment requires carefully thought through strategies for economic adaptation.
• that multinational corporations need stricter regulations 
• that increasing the minimum wage to improve income equality benefits everyone
• that the advantages of a universal basic income for economic stability outweigh its disadvantages
• that government should play an active role in fostering innovation and technological advancements
• that financial literacy education benefits both individuals and the economy
• that promoting fair trade practices benefits developing economies
• that income inequality impacts on social stability and economic growth
• that free trade agreements have significant advantages
• that investing in infrastructure for economic development is important
• that implementing sustainable economic policies has benefits for long-term growth
• that government has a role in reducing poverty and income disparities
• that immigration and inclusive immigration policies have a positive impact on the economy
• that the advantages of austerity measures during economic crises outweigh the disadvantages
• that promoting small businesses is important for local economic development
• that investing in education and skills training benefits economic competitiveness
• that technology transforms traditional industries and creates new economic opportunities

More persuasive speech resources

Persuasive speech topics.

• 105 fun persuasive speech topics : ideal for light-hearted, informal speeches
• 100 non-boring persuasive speech ideas   - a 'tired' topic is not for you. Choose something fresh and original.
• 50 good persuasive speech topics with treatment examples to show you how the same topic is treated differently for different audiences.
• 310 persuasive speech topics for college : mental health, society, family & friends, animals, education
• 108 feminist persuasive speech topics : the top current women's rights & feminist issues

For assistance with planning and writing

• Writing a persuasive speech - a 7 step action plan that includes how to choose a topic, analyze your audience, set a good speech purpose, decide on a structural pattern (with examples) and, more.
• A persuasive speech outline example using the 5 step structural pattern: Monroe's Motivated Sequence. (With a free printable outline)
• A persuasive speech example using Monroe's Motivated Sequence

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Persuasive Speeches — Types, Topics, and Examples

What is a persuasive speech?

In a persuasive speech, the speaker aims to convince the audience to accept a particular perspective on a person, place, object, idea, etc. The speaker strives to cause the audience to accept the point of view presented in the speech.

The success of a persuasive speech often relies on the speaker’s use of ethos, pathos, and logos.

Ethos is the speaker’s credibility. Audiences are more likely to accept an argument if they find the speaker trustworthy. To establish credibility during a persuasive speech, speakers can do the following:

Use familiar language.

Select examples that connect to the specific audience.

Utilize credible and well-known sources.

Logically structure the speech in an audience-friendly way.

Use appropriate eye contact, volume, pacing, and inflection.

Pathos appeals to the audience’s emotions. Speakers who create an emotional bond with their audience are typically more convincing. Tapping into the audience’s emotions can be accomplished through the following:

Select evidence that can elicit an emotional response.

Use emotionally-charged words. (The city has a problem … vs. The city has a disease …)

Incorporate analogies and metaphors that connect to a specific emotion to draw a parallel between the reference and topic.

Utilize vivid imagery and sensory words, allowing the audience to visualize the information.

Employ an appropriate tone, inflection, and pace to reflect the emotion.

Logos appeals to the audience’s logic by offering supporting evidence. Speakers can improve their logical appeal in the following ways:

Use comprehensive evidence the audience can understand.

Confirm the evidence logically supports the argument’s claims and stems from credible sources.

Ensure that evidence is specific and avoid any vague or questionable information.

Types of persuasive speeches

The three main types of persuasive speeches are factual, value, and policy.

A factual persuasive speech focuses solely on factual information to prove the existence or absence of something through substantial proof. This is the only type of persuasive speech that exclusively uses objective information rather than subjective. As such, the argument does not rely on the speaker’s interpretation of the information. Essentially, a factual persuasive speech includes historical controversy, a question of current existence, or a prediction:

Historical controversy concerns whether an event happened or whether an object actually existed.

Questions of current existence involve the knowledge that something is currently happening.

Predictions incorporate the analysis of patterns to convince the audience that an event will happen again.

A value persuasive speech concerns the morality of a certain topic. Speakers incorporate facts within these speeches; however, the speaker’s interpretation of those facts creates the argument. These speeches are highly subjective, so the argument cannot be proven to be absolutely true or false.

A policy persuasive speech centers around the speaker’s support or rejection of a public policy, rule, or law. Much like a value speech, speakers provide evidence supporting their viewpoint; however, they provide subjective conclusions based on the facts they provide.

How to write a persuasive speech

Incorporate the following steps when writing a persuasive speech:

Step 1 – Identify the type of persuasive speech (factual, value, or policy) that will help accomplish the goal of the presentation.

Step 2 – Select a good persuasive speech topic to accomplish the goal and choose a position .

Step 3 – Locate credible and reliable sources and identify evidence in support of the topic/position. Revisit Step 2 if there is a lack of relevant resources.

Step 4 – Identify the audience and understand their baseline attitude about the topic.

Step 5 – When constructing an introduction , keep the following questions in mind:

What’s the topic of the speech?

What’s the occasion?

Who’s the audience?

What’s the purpose of the speech?

Step 6 – Utilize the evidence within the previously identified sources to construct the body of the speech. Keeping the audience in mind, determine which pieces of evidence can best help develop the argument. Discuss each point in detail, allowing the audience to understand how the facts support the perspective.

Step 7 – Addressing counterarguments can help speakers build their credibility, as it highlights their breadth of knowledge.

Step 8 – Conclude the speech with an overview of the central purpose and how the main ideas identified in the body support the overall argument.

Persuasive speech outline

One of the best ways to prepare a great persuasive speech is by using an outline. When structuring an outline, include an introduction, body, and conclusion:

Introduction

Attention Grabbers

Ask a question that allows the audience to respond in a non-verbal way; ask a rhetorical question that makes the audience think of the topic without requiring a response.

Incorporate a well-known quote that introduces the topic. Using the words of a celebrated individual gives credibility and authority to the information in the speech.

Offer a startling statement or information about the topic, typically done using data or statistics.

Provide a brief anecdote or story that relates to the topic.

Starting a speech with a humorous statement often makes the audience more comfortable with the speaker.

Provide information on how the selected topic may impact the audience .

Include any background information pertinent to the topic that the audience needs to know to understand the speech in its entirety.

Give the thesis statement in connection to the main topic and identify the main ideas that will help accomplish the central purpose.

Identify evidence

Summarize its meaning

Explain how it helps prove the support/main claim

Evidence 3 (Continue as needed)

Support 3 (Continue as needed)

Restate thesis

Review main supports

Concluding statement

Give the audience a call to action to do something specific.

Identify the overall importan ce of the topic and position.

Persuasive speech topics

The following table identifies some common or interesting persuasive speech topics for high school and college students:

Persuasive speech examples

The following list identifies some of history’s most famous persuasive speeches:

John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address: “Ask Not What Your Country Can Do for You”

Lyndon B. Johnson: “We Shall Overcome”

Marc Antony: “Friends, Romans, Countrymen…” in William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar

Ronald Reagan: “Tear Down this Wall”

Sojourner Truth: “Ain’t I a Woman?”

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Persuasive Speech Outline, with Examples

March 17, 2021 - Gini Beqiri

A persuasive speech is a speech that is given with the intention of convincing the audience to believe or do something. This could be virtually anything – voting, organ donation, recycling, and so on.

A successful persuasive speech effectively convinces the audience to your point of view, providing you come across as trustworthy and knowledgeable about the topic you’re discussing.

So, how do you start convincing a group of strangers to share your opinion? And how do you connect with them enough to earn their trust?

Topics for your persuasive speech

We’ve made a list of persuasive speech topics you could use next time you’re asked to give one. The topics are thought-provoking and things which many people have an opinion on.

When using any of our persuasive speech ideas, make sure you have a solid knowledge about the topic you’re speaking about – and make sure you discuss counter arguments too.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• All school children should wear a uniform
• Facebook is making people more socially anxious
• It should be illegal to drive over the age of 80
• Lying isn’t always wrong
• The case for organ donation

Read our full list of  75 persuasive speech topics and ideas .

Preparation: Consider your audience

As with any speech, preparation is crucial. Before you put pen to paper, think about what you want to achieve with your speech. This will help organise your thoughts as you realistically can only cover 2-4 main points before your  audience get bored .

It’s also useful to think about who your audience are at this point. If they are unlikely to know much about your topic then you’ll need to factor in context of your topic when planning the structure and length of your speech. You should also consider their:

• Cultural or religious backgrounds
• Shared concerns, attitudes and problems
• Shared interests, beliefs and hopes
• Baseline attitude – are they hostile, neutral, or open to change?

The factors above will all determine the approach you take to writing your speech. For example, if your topic is about childhood obesity, you could begin with a story about your own children or a shared concern every parent has. This would suit an audience who are more likely to be parents than young professionals who have only just left college.

Remember the 3 main approaches to persuade others

There are three main approaches used to persuade others:

The ethos approach appeals to the audience’s ethics and morals, such as what is the ‘right thing’ to do for humanity, saving the environment, etc.

Pathos persuasion is when you appeal to the audience’s emotions, such as when you  tell a story  that makes them the main character in a difficult situation.

The logos approach to giving a persuasive speech is when you appeal to the audience’s logic – ie. your speech is essentially more driven by facts and logic. The benefit of this technique is that your point of view becomes virtually indisputable because you make the audience feel that only your view is the logical one.

• Ethos, Pathos, Logos: 3 Pillars of Public Speaking and Persuasion

Ideas for your persuasive speech outline

1. structure of your persuasive speech.

The opening and closing of speech are the most important. Consider these carefully when thinking about your persuasive speech outline. A  strong opening  ensures you have the audience’s attention from the start and gives them a positive first impression of you.

You’ll want to  start with a strong opening  such as an attention grabbing statement, statistic of fact. These are usually dramatic or shocking, such as:

Sadly, in the next 18 minutes when I do our chat, four Americans that are alive will be dead from the food that they eat – Jamie Oliver

Another good way of starting a persuasive speech is to include your audience in the picture you’re trying to paint. By making them part of the story, you’re embedding an emotional connection between them and your speech.

You could do this in a more toned-down way by talking about something you know that your audience has in common with you. It’s also helpful at this point to include your credentials in a persuasive speech to gain your audience’s trust.

Obama would spend hours with his team working on the opening and closing statements of his speech.

2. Stating your argument

You should  pick between 2 and 4 themes  to discuss during your speech so that you have enough time to explain your viewpoint and convince your audience to the same way of thinking.

It’s important that each of your points transitions seamlessly into the next one so that your speech has a logical flow. Work on your  connecting sentences  between each of your themes so that your speech is easy to listen to.

Your argument should be backed up by objective research and not purely your subjective opinion. Use examples, analogies, and stories so that the audience can relate more easily to your topic, and therefore are more likely to be persuaded to your point of view.

3. Addressing counter-arguments

Any balanced theory or thought  addresses and disputes counter-arguments  made against it. By addressing these, you’ll strengthen your persuasive speech by refuting your audience’s objections and you’ll show that you are knowledgeable to other thoughts on the topic.

When describing an opposing point of view, don’t explain it in a bias way – explain it in the same way someone who holds that view would describe it. That way, you won’t irritate members of your audience who disagree with you and you’ll show that you’ve reached your point of view through reasoned judgement. Simply identify any counter-argument and pose explanations against them.

• Complete Guide to Debating

4. Closing your speech

Your closing line of your speech is your last chance to convince your audience about what you’re saying. It’s also most likely to be the sentence they remember most about your entire speech so make sure it’s a good one!

The most effective persuasive speeches end  with a  call to action . For example, if you’ve been speaking about organ donation, your call to action might be asking the audience to register as donors.

Practice answering AI questions on your speech and get  feedback on your performance .

If audience members ask you questions, make sure you listen carefully and respectfully to the full question. Don’t interject in the middle of a question or become defensive.

You should show that you have carefully considered their viewpoint and refute it in an objective way (if you have opposing opinions). Ensure you remain patient, friendly and polite at all times.

Example 1: Persuasive speech outline

This example is from the Kentucky Community and Technical College.

Specific purpose

To persuade my audience to start walking in order to improve their health.

Central idea

Regular walking can improve both your mental and physical health.

Introduction

Let’s be honest, we lead an easy life: automatic dishwashers, riding lawnmowers, T.V. remote controls, automatic garage door openers, power screwdrivers, bread machines, electric pencil sharpeners, etc., etc. etc. We live in a time-saving, energy-saving, convenient society. It’s a wonderful life. Or is it?

Continue reading

Example 2: Persuasive speech

Tips for delivering your persuasive speech

• Practice, practice, and practice some more . Record yourself speaking and listen for any nervous habits you have such as a nervous laugh, excessive use of filler words, or speaking too quickly.
• Show confident body language . Stand with your legs hip width apart with your shoulders centrally aligned. Ground your feet to the floor and place your hands beside your body so that hand gestures come freely. Your audience won’t be convinced about your argument if you don’t sound confident in it. Find out more about  confident body language here .
• Don’t memorise your speech word-for-word  or read off a script. If you memorise your persuasive speech, you’ll sound less authentic and panic if you lose your place. Similarly, if you read off a script you won’t sound genuine and you won’t be able to connect with the audience by  making eye contact . In turn, you’ll come across as less trustworthy and knowledgeable. You could simply remember your key points instead, or learn your opening and closing sentences.
• Remember to use facial expressions when storytelling  – they make you more relatable. By sharing a personal story you’ll more likely be speaking your truth which will help you build a connection with the audience too. Facial expressions help bring your story to life and transport the audience into your situation.
• Keep your speech as concise as possible . When practicing the delivery, see if you can edit it to have the same meaning but in a more succinct way. This will keep the audience engaged.

The best persuasive speech ideas are those that spark a level of controversy. However, a public speech is not the time to express an opinion that is considered outside the norm. If in doubt, play it safe and stick to topics that divide opinions about 50-50.

Bear in mind who your audience are and plan your persuasive speech outline accordingly, with researched evidence to support your argument. It’s important to consider counter-arguments to show that you are knowledgeable about the topic as a whole and not bias towards your own line of thought.

How to Write and Structure a Persuasive Speech

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The purpose of a persuasive speech is to convince your audience to agree with an idea or opinion that you present. First, you'll need to choose a side on a controversial topic, then you will write a speech to explain your position, and convince the audience to agree with you.

You can produce an effective persuasive speech if you structure your argument as a solution to a problem. Your first job as a speaker is to convince your audience that a particular problem is important to them, and then you must convince them that you have the solution to make things better.

Note: You don't have to address a real problem. Any need can work as the problem. For example, you could consider the lack of a pet, the need to wash one's hands, or the need to pick a particular sport to play as the "problem."

As an example, let's imagine that you have chosen "Getting Up Early" as your persuasion topic. Your goal will be to persuade classmates to get themselves out of bed an hour earlier every morning. In this instance, the problem could be summed up as "morning chaos."

A standard speech format has an introduction with a great hook statement, three main points, and a summary. Your persuasive speech will be a tailored version of this format.

Before you write the text of your speech, you should sketch an outline that includes your hook statement and three main points.

Writing the Text

The introduction of your speech must be compelling because your audience will make up their minds within a few minutes whether or not they are interested in your topic.

Before you write the full body you should come up with a greeting. Your greeting can be as simple as "Good morning everyone. My name is Frank."

After your greeting, you will offer a hook to capture attention. A hook sentence for the "morning chaos" speech could be a question:

• How many times have you been late for school?
• Does your day begin with shouts and arguments?
• Have you ever missed the bus?

Or your hook could be a statistic or surprising statement:

• More than 50 percent of high school students skip breakfast because they just don't have time to eat.
• Tardy kids drop out of school more often than punctual kids.

Once you have the attention of your audience, follow through to define the topic/problem and introduce your solution. Here's an example of what you might have so far:

Good afternoon, class. Some of you know me, but some of you may not. My name is Frank Godfrey, and I have a question for you. Does your day begin with shouts and arguments? Do you go to school in a bad mood because you've been yelled at, or because you argued with your parent? The chaos you experience in the morning can bring you down and affect your performance at school.

Add the solution:

You can improve your mood and your school performance by adding more time to your morning schedule. You can accomplish this by setting your alarm clock to go off one hour earlier.

Your next task will be to write the body, which will contain the three main points you've come up with to argue your position. Each point will be followed by supporting evidence or anecdotes, and each body paragraph will need to end with a transition statement that leads to the next segment. Here is a sample of three main statements:

• Bad moods caused by morning chaos will affect your workday performance.
• If you skip breakfast to buy time, you're making a harmful health decision.
• (Ending on a cheerful note) You'll enjoy a boost to your self-esteem when you reduce the morning chaos.

After you write three body paragraphs with strong transition statements that make your speech flow, you are ready to work on your summary.

Your summary will re-emphasize your argument and restate your points in slightly different language. This can be a little tricky. You don't want to sound repetitive but will need to repeat what you have said. Find a way to reword the same main points.

Finally, you must make sure to write a clear final sentence or passage to keep yourself from stammering at the end or fading off in an awkward moment. A few examples of graceful exits:

• We all like to sleep. It's hard to get up some mornings, but rest assured that the reward is well worth the effort.
• If you follow these guidelines and make the effort to get up a little bit earlier every day, you'll reap rewards in your home life and on your report card.

Tips for Writing Your Speech

• Don't be confrontational in your argument. You don't need to put down the other side; just convince your audience that your position is correct by using positive assertions.
• Use simple statistics. Don't overwhelm your audience with confusing numbers.
• Don't complicate your speech by going outside the standard "three points" format. While it might seem simplistic, it is a tried and true method for presenting to an audience who is listening as opposed to reading.
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💬 What Is Persuasive Speech?

📍 how to write a persuasive speech, 💡 top 20 persuasive speech topics, 📝 4 world-famous persuasive speech examples, 🔗 references.

Do you have a pending persuasive speech assignment but need some push to help you do it perfectly? No worries; you can use our persuasive speech generator to create informative speeches quickly.

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As the name suggests, a persuasive speech influences listeners’ behavior, attitudes, beliefs, and values.

In this speech, a speaker seeks a favorable response that aligns with their convictions or position on a matter.

An orator uses arguments to convince their audience to see a particular issue from their preferred perspective. Convincing arguments incorporate different elements to urge listeners to favor a speaker’s stand.

They follow a three-prong strategy incorporating:

A claim is a statement requiring support through evidence. Your speech should also include a thesis statement, your speech’s overarching idea from which other smaller ideas spring.

Informative vs. Persuasive Speech

An informative speech differs from a persuasive one in many ways.

So, how do you write a great persuasive speech that makes listeners adopt your preferred position on a matter?

Below are steps to drafting a great convincing speech.

Know Your Audience

Start by familiarizing yourself with your listeners before moving by knowing their needs, tastes, and ability to understand your desired topic.

This way, you will be better positioned to customize your speech to suit their needs and not parade your vast knowledge.

Familiarize Yourself with Your Topic

Get to know your topic to ensure it suits your audience’s needs. If you aren’t familiar with the topic, research it thoroughly to present your readers with facts.

This way, you will be better positioned to present your listeners with sufficient facts to persuade them.

Determine Your Speech’s Goal

A speech is not only about organizing facts in a logical manner; it is usually meant to persuade the audience and deliver a specific message across .

You, as a speaker, should focus on that message and find appropriate means to get it across.

Select the Best Persuasive Approach

Determine the best approach to persuade your listeners. You may lean on either ethos, logos, or pathos to achieve your desired goal. You can also use all of these approaches.

The final selection will depend on your audience.

Outline Your Key Ideas

You need to outline your best points before presenting them to your audience.

This way, you are better placed to know which argument to present first and last.

Start on a Strong Footing

You must begin your speech with a strong, attractive hook to capture your audience’s attention.

Your opening needs a catchy title that whets your audience’s appetite to listen to your speech.

Give Convincing Evidence

Your speech’s main body should include the points you want to use to convince listeners to side with your position.

Give your audience convincing examples and reasons to buy into your perspective.

Address Counter-arguments

Don’t forget to address opposing arguments because others have a right to hold contrary views and not accept your point right away.

While this may not be necessary, you can bolster your case by anticipating and discussing opposing views.

Finish with a Call to Action

Since you defined your speech’s goal, don’t forget to make a relevant call to action .

Remember, this part is like your landing pad.

Below are carefully selected persuasive speech topics to inspire you.

• Martial arts benefit the mind.
• Competitive sports have many mental benefits.
• Games have many positive social benefits.
• Make community service mandatory for college graduation.
• Traits that make up real heroes.
• Letter grades should be replaced with pass or fail .
• The real secret to success.
• Public libraries should filter internet pornography .
• Video games promote violence.
• Should abortions be illegal as a form of homicide ?
• Dirty music promotes immorality.
• Beauty pageants for children should be banned .
• Parents should spend more time with their children.
• Why junk food should cost more than healthy food .
• Tablets are better than laptops.
• Why should there be a four-day workweek ?
• Ban school uniforms.
• The internet should remain open source .
• Security cameras violate privacy.
• Vote by mail: should it be allowed ?

Below are the top four world-famous persuasive speeches to get inspiration from.

I Have a Dream by MLK

This speech embodies the black community’s search for equality. Martin Luther King voiced his opposition to the segregation against Africans when white supremacists sought to keep Africans in inferior positions using the backdoor. The leader envisioned a society where equality would replace racial discrimination.

Ain’t I A Woman by Sojourner Truth

This speech by an African woman embodied the quest for equal human rights during the season when oppression and slavery were at their peak. Truth was one of the leading advocates who fought for women’s rights in the 19th century. She delivered this speech at an 1851 Women’s Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio.

I Am Prepared to Die by Nelson Mandela

This Nelson Mandela speech echoes the struggle to end apartheid in South Africa. Mandela risked his life to fight state-sponsored discrimination against Africans. Mandela was prepared to die for this just cause.

The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama

This famous speech by the son of a Kenyan student who made it to become a US President shows the power of transformational hope. The speech is based on Obama’s focus on patriotic optimism and determination as change catalysts. This speech catapulted him into the limelight and led to his popular election as America’s first black and youngest president.

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This free AI-powered persuasive speech generator will quickly create a sample speech for you. All you need to do is add the necessary details so that the result matches your requirements. Moreover, on this page, you’ll learn what a persuasive speech is and how to write one quickly.

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How to Write a Persuasive Speech

Last Updated: December 10, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Patrick Muñoz . Patrick is an internationally recognized Voice & Speech Coach, focusing on public speaking, vocal power, accent and dialects, accent reduction, voiceover, acting and speech therapy. He has worked with clients such as Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, and Roselyn Sanchez. He was voted LA's Favorite Voice and Dialect Coach by BACKSTAGE, is the voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies, and is a member of Voice and Speech Trainers Association. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,526,655 times.

A persuasive speech is a speech intended to convince the audience to do something. Whether you want to get people to vote, stop littering, or change their minds about an important issue, persuasive speeches are an effective way to sway an audience. There are many elements that go into a successful persuasive speech. But, with some preparation and practice, you can deliver a powerful speech.

Preparing to Write

• Especially if your topic is a controversial one, it's a good idea to know the arguments on all sides of the issue. [1] X Research source Whatever argument you are making, you'll be more persuasive if you can address the views of the opposing side.
• Spend some time reading books or articles about your topic. You can go to the library and ask a librarian for help finding books, or just go online and find some articles. Make sure to use reliable sources, like major news organizations, or academic books or articles.
• Opinion-oriented sources, like editorials, talk radio, or partisan cable news, can be valuable for finding out what other people think about your topic. But, don't rely on them as your only source of information. They can be very biased. If you use them at all, make sure to read a variety of viewpoints on the matter, not just one side.

• For example, if your topic is recycling, it's important to know a lot about recycling. But, your speech will need to reflect exactly what you hope the audience will do. Are you trying to get people to vote in favor of a citywide recycling program? Or are you trying to convince them to sort out their glass and cans and put them in a separate bin? These will be different speeches, so having the goal spelled out early will help you craft your message.

• An audience that knows little about your topic will need more background information and simpler language. An audience made up of experts on the topic would likely find such a simple speech boring.
• Likewise, an audience that already supports your view on a topic will be easier to persuade to take some action. You won't need to convince them you are right, but only that they need to do something. By contrast, an audience that does not agree with you will need persuasion to even consider your point of view.
• For example, imagine you want to convince your audience to support a city-wide recycling program. If they already think recycling is important, you only need to convince them of the value of this specific program. But, if they don't care about recycling or oppose it, you will need to first convince them that recycling is worthwhile.

• Ethos. These are appeals to the audience's ethics or morals. For example: "Recycling is the right thing to do. Wasting our limited resources steals from future generations, which is immoral."
• Pathos. These are appeals to the audience's emotions. For example: "Think of the animals that lose their homes every day because of trees being chopped down. If we recycled more, we could save these beautiful forests."
• Logos. These are appeals to the audiences logic or intellect. For example: "We know that there is a limited supply of natural resources. We can make this supply last longer by recycling."
• You can rely on any one or some combination.

• The number of points you can make to support your position will be determined by how much time you have to speak.
• As a rule of thumb, three to four supporting points is usually a good number. [2] X Research source
• For example, in the speech about recycling, your three main points might be: 1. Recycling saves resources, 2. Recycling reduces the amount of garbage, and 3. Recycling is cost-effective.

Writing your Speech

• An attention grabber. This could be a statement (or sometimes a visual) that gets your audience's attention. It can be a good idea to be a little startling or dramatic at the opening of your speech. For example, you might start with information (or pictures) showing how a nearby landfill is nearly full to capacity.
• A link to the audience. This is a means of showing that you have something in common with the audience. Show that you have a similar background or share an emotional connection of some kind. This will really depend on knowing your audience. For example, if you are a parent, speaking to other parents, you might emphasize the concern for your own children's future. If you share a common interest or ideological position with your audience, you can emphasize that.
• Your credentials. This is a means of showing that you are knowledgeable or an authority on the topic of the speech. Highlight the research you've done on your topic. If you have any personal or professional experience with the topic, be sure to emphasize that, too. In the recycling example, you might say "I've invested many hours studying the recycling issue and the types of programs available in other cities."
• Your goal. Explain to the audience what you hope the speech will accomplish. For example: "I hope by the end of my talk that you will agree that we need a city wide recycling program."
• A road map. Finally, tell the audience what the main points of the speech will be. For example, "I believe we must start a recycling program for these three reasons...."

• Arrange these points logically. Don't jump from one point to the next, and then back again. Instead, complete an argument, then move on to another that flows logically from it. [4] X Research source
• Use credible sources from your research to back the points you are making. Even if your point is more emotional (pathos), introducing some factual information will make your argument stronger. For example "Each year, 40,000 acres of beautiful forests are destroyed to make paper, according to a study from the American Recycling Institute."
• Use real life examples that the audience can relate to. Even an argument based on facts and logic (logos) should relate to the audience's lives and interests. For example: "In these hard economic times, I know many of you are afraid that a recycling program will mean a costly increase in taxes. But, the city of Springfield started a program like this one three years ago. So far they've seen an increase in revenue as a result of the program. Many residents have seen a decrease in their taxes as a result."

• Make sure that you describe opposing views fairly and objectively. Consider whether someone who actually holds that view would approve of the way you are describing their position. If you aren't sure, find someone who thinks that way and ask!
• For example, you would not want to say: "opponents of recycling just don't care if we waste our precious resources, or our money." That's not a fair description of their opinion.
• Instead, you might say: "opponents of recycling are concerned that the cost might be much higher than just using new materials," and then go on to offer an argument about why recycling might be the more cost-effective option.

• Don't just restate, verbatim, what you've already said. Instead, use this as an opportunity to reinforce the way your main points support your call to action. For example: "To sum up, I've shown you (points a, b, and c). These three undeniable facts point to a city-wide recycling program as the most sensible and ethical step we can take in helping create a more sustainable future. Please, join me in voting 'yes' on this program in November."

Delivering your Speech

• Try practicing in front of a mirror, so that you can see how you are delivering the speech. This can help you notice your facial expressions and body language. These can help or hinder your ability to get your message across.
• For example, you might notice you are slouching, or that that you fidget with your collar. These actions suggest to an audience that you aren't confident.
• Better still, record yourself with a video camera and watch the tape afterwards. This can help you see (and hear) where your delivery needs improvement. [5] X Research source It has the benefit of providing audio, and also won't distract you as much as a mirror when you're speaking.
• Once you've practiced on your own a few times, try giving the speech to a small group of friends or family members. Ask for their feedback on your message and delivery.

• Generally speaking, this will mean dressing professionally. But, the degree of formality will vary. A speech to a film club to convince them to show your film won't require the same degree of formality as speaking to the executives of a movie distribution company. For the executives, you would want to wear a suit. For the film club, that might be overdoing it.

• Be friendly and make eye contact with the audience.
• Move around, where appropriate, but don't fidget or pick at your clothes or hair.
• Don't read the speech. It's okay to use a few notes to keep yourself on track, but your speech should be mostly memorized.
• Roll with the punches. If you make a mistake, don't let it derail your whole speech. This might be an opportunity to use a little humor. Then, move on.

• For example, if you want them to contact the mayor, demanding a recycling program, don't just ask them to do it. Give them stamped, addressed envelopes to send a letter, or cards with the mayor's phone number and email address. If you do this, many more people are likely to follow through.

Patrick Muñoz

Speak from your heart and connect with your audience. Look them in the eyes and really talk to them. Make sure you're comfortable delivering your speech and that you use a warm, confident tone.

Sample Template

Community Q&A

• Look around at the audience, making eye contact, especially during pauses in your speech. If you're feeling nervous about this, pick out a single person in the audience and pretend you are speaking only to them. After a little while, pick someone else, and repeat. [6] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Speak forward, projecting your voice toward the audience with confidence. Do not speak down toward the floor. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Try to cite sources for statistics and use credible, non-biased sources. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• Avoid being confrontational, when possible. Don't be sarcastic or mocking when discussing viewpoints other than your own. This can be alienating to your audience, even those who may agree with you. Thanks Helpful 55 Not Helpful 17
• Don't be pompous or arrogant during your speech. Be humble, and be open to questions, suggestions, and feedback. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 1

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• ↑ http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/style-and-usage/steps-for-writing-a-persuasive-speech.html
• ↑ http://www.best-speech-topics.com/writing-a-persuasive-speech.html
• ↑ https://www.speechanddebate.org/wp-content/uploads/Tips-for-Writing-a-Persuasive-Speech.pdf
• ↑ https://www.comm.pitt.edu/structuring-speech
• ↑ https://www.leonardoenglish.com/blog/recording-yourself-in-english
• ↑ https://www.zenbusiness.com/blog/eyecontact/

About This Article

To write a persuasive speech, start with a strong opening that will make your reader want to pay attention, including an attention grabber, your credentials, the essay's goal, and a road map for the essay. Next, offer persuasive evidence or reasons why the reader should support your viewpoint. Arrange these points logically, use credible sources, and employ some real life examples. Additionally, address counter-arguments to show that you’re looking at the topic from all sides. Finally, conclude by clearly letting the audience know how to put your ideas into action. To learn how to involve your audience when you deliver your speech, keep reading. Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Speech Writing

Speech Examples

20+ Outstanding Speech Examples for Your Help

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Public speaking can be daunting for students. They often struggle to start, engage the audience, and be memorable. It's a fear of forgetting words or losing the audience's interest.

This leads to anxiety and self-doubt. Students wonder, "Am I boring them? Will they remember what I say? How can I make my speech better?"

The solution lies in speech examples. In this guide, we'll explore these examples to help students create captivating and memorable speeches with confidence.

So, keep reading to find helpful examples!

• 1. Speech Examples 
• 2. Tips to Write a Good Speech

Speech Examples 

Talking in front of a bunch of audiences is not as easy as it seems. But, if you have some good content to deliver or share with the audience, the confidence comes naturally.

Before you start writing your speech, it is a good idea that you go through some good speech samples. The samples will help to learn how to start the speech and put information into a proper structure. 

Speech Examples for Students 

Speech writing is a huge part of academic life. These types of writing help enhance the creative writing skills of students.

Here is an amazing farewell speech sample for students to learn how to write an amazing speech that will captivate the audience.

Below, you will find other downloadable PDF samples.

Speech Examples for Students

Every school and college has a student council. And every year, students elect themselves to be a part of the student council. It is mandatory to impress the student audience to get their votes. And for that, the candidate has to give an impressive speech. 

Here are some speech examples pdf for students.

Speech Examples For Public Speaking

Speech Examples About Yourself

Speech Examples Short

Speech Examples For College Students

Speech For Student Council

Speech Examples Introduction

Speech Example For School

Persuasive Speech Examples

The main purpose of a speech is to persuade the audience or convince them of what you say. And when it comes to persuasive speech , the sole purpose of speech becomes more specific.

Persuasive Speech Example

Informative Speech Examples

Informative speeches are intended to inform the audience. These types of speeches are designed to provide a detailed description of the chosen topic. 

Below we have provided samples of informative speech for you.

Informative Speech Example

Informative Speech Sample

Entertainment Speech Examples

Entertainment speeches are meant to entertain the audience. These types of speeches are funny, as well as interesting. The given speech samples will help you in writing an entertaining speech.

Entertainment Speech Example

Entertainment Speech Sample

Argumentative Speech Examples

Making a strong argument that is capable of convincing others is always difficult. And, when it comes to making a claim in an argumentative speech, it becomes more difficult. 

Check out the argumentative speech sample that demonstrates explicitly how an argumentative speech needs to be written.

Argumentative Speech Example

Demonstration Speech Examples

The demonstrative speeches are intended to demonstrate or describe the speech topic in depth. Get inspired by the demonstrative speech sample given below and write a captivating demonstrative speech.

Demonstration Speech Example

Demonstration Speech Sample

Motivational Speech Examples

Motivational speeches are designed to motivate the audience to do something. Read out the sample motivational speech given below and learn the art of motivational speech writing.

Impromptu Speech Examples

Impromptu speech writing makes you nervous as you are not good at planning and organization?

Check out the sample impromptu speech and learn to make bullet points of your thoughts and plan your speech properly.

Graduation Speech Examples

Are you graduating soon and need to write a graduation farewell speech?

Below is a sample graduation speech for your help. 

Wedding Speech Examples

“My best friend’s wedding is next week, and I’m the maid of honor. She asked me to give the maid of honor speech, but I’m not good at expressing emotions. I’m really stressed. I don’t know what to do.”

If you are one of these kinds of people who feel the same way, this sample is for you. Read the example given below and take help from it to write a special maid of honor speech.

Best Man Speech Examples

Father of The Bride Speech Example

Speech Essay Example

A speech essay is a type of essay that you write before writing a proper speech. It helps in organizing thoughts and information. 

Here is a sample of speech essays for you to understand the difference between speech format and speech essay format.

Tips to Write a Good Speech

Reading some famous and incredible sample speeches before writing your own speech is really a good idea. The other way to write an impressive speech is to follow the basic tips given by professional writers. 

• Audience Analysis: Understand your audience's interests, knowledge, and expectations. Tailor your speech to resonate with them.
• Clear Purpose: Define a clear and concise purpose for your speech. Ensure your audience knows what to expect right from the beginning.
• Engaging Opening: Start with a captivating hook – a story, question, quote, or surprising fact to grab your audience's attention.
• Main Message: Identify and convey your main message or thesis throughout your speech.
• Logical Structure: Organize your speech with a clear structure, including an introduction, body, and conclusion.
• Transitions: Use smooth transitions to guide your audience through different parts of your speech.
• Conversational Tone: Use simple, conversational language to make your speech accessible to everyone.
• Timing: Respect the allocated time and write the speech accordingly. An overly long or short speech can diminish the audience's engagement.
• Emotional Connection: Use storytelling and relatable examples to evoke emotions and connect with your audience.
• Call to Action (if appropriate): Encourage your audience to take action, change their thinking, or ponder new ideas.
• Practice Natural Pace: Speak at a natural pace, avoiding rushing or speaking too slowly.

So, now you know that effective communication is a powerful tool that allows you to inform, persuade, and inspire your audience. Throughout this blog, we've provided you with numerous examples and invaluable tips to help you craft a compelling speech. 

And for those moments when you require a professionally written speech that truly stands out, remember that our team is here to help. We can rescue you from writer's block and deliver an outstanding speech whenever you need it.

With our professional essay writing service , you can be confident in your ability to communicate your message effectively and leave a lasting impact. 

So, don't hesitate – place order now and buy speech that will truly captivate your audience.

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Dr. Barbara is a highly experienced writer and author who holds a Ph.D. degree in public health from an Ivy League school. She has worked in the medical field for many years, conducting extensive research on various health topics. Her writing has been featured in several top-tier publications.

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Sadiq Khan secures convincing win over Tory rival in London mayoral race

In his victory speech, the newly re-elected mayor says he had "faced a campaign of non-stop negativity", while his defeated Tory opponent told him to stop "patronising" people and that knife crime "isn't an episode of The Wire".

Sunday 5 May 2024 04:58, UK

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Labour's Sadiq Khan has secured a historic third term as London mayor, seeing off Tory challenger Susan Hall.

It followed "wild rumours" the incumbent could have suffered a shock defeat, although both sides subsequently said they believed Mr Khan would win.

He received 1,088,225 votes (43.8%) to be re-elected, a majority of nearly 276,000 over Ms Hall , who secured 812,397 votes (32.7%).

Follow live: The results as they come in

It was the first time any candidate for London mayor has won a third term in office, with Mr Khan's predecessors Boris Johnson and Ken Livingstone both having served two terms.

As he took to the stage to make his victory speech, the re-elected mayor was booed and heckled with a shout of "Khan killed London" by the far-right Britain First candidate, who received fewer votes than Count Binface.

Speaking at City Hall, Mr Khan said: "We faced a campaign of non-stop negativity, but I couldn't be more proud that we answered the fearmongering with facts, hate with hope, and attempts to divide with efforts to unite.

More on Local Elections 2024

Rishi Sunak admits Tories may not win general election and claims UK heading for hung parliament

The week... that Rishi Sunak looks on the bright side

Rishi Sunak rides out leadership challenge - but faces 'exhausted and broken' Tory party when Parliament returns

Related Topics:

• Local elections 2024
• Mayor of London

"We ran a campaign that was in keeping with the spirit and values of this great city, a city that regards our diversity not as a weakness, but as an almighty strength - and one that rejects right hard-wing populism and looks forward, not back."

He also thanked his family for their support, but apologised for them having to deal with "protests by our home" and "threats".

While congratulating Mr Khan on his victory, Ms Hall said he should stop "patronising" people who care about London.

When she had previously challenged him in a mayoral debate about "gangs running around with machetes" in the capital, he had said she should "stop watching The Wire" - a gritty US-based crime drama.

In her concession speech, she said: "The thing that matters the most, and to me, is reforming the Met and making London safe again. I hope Sadiq makes this his top priority.

"He owes it to the families of those thousands of people who have lost lives to knife crime under his mayoralty.

"And I hope too that he stops patronising people, like me, who care. This isn't an episode of The Wire, this is real life on his watch."

The pair had repeatedly clashed during the campaign, fought out amid concerns about knife crime and the handling of pro-Palestinian marches in the capital.

Read more: Mayoral election results Charts tell story of Conservative collapse Analysis: Labour's future success is less clear-cut

Just recently, Mr Khan had described his Conservative rival as the "most dangerous candidate I have fought against" over her past social media activity.

Hitting back, Ms Hall said she had "learnt" from her mistakes and branded his comment "outrageous".

A clear dividing line between the candidates had been Mr Khan's controversial expansion of the ultra low emission zone (ULEZ), which has been the subject of ongoing protests and which Ms Hall had pledged to scrap.

During the race, the Conservatives were forced to delete a clip used in an advert against Mr Khan's record on crime after it emerged it used footage of a stampede at a New York subway station.

Search for your council name or postcode to find the result where you live

The result comes after Rishi Sunak's Tory party took a hammering at the local elections , shedding hundreds of seats and losing more than 10 councils.

Meanwhile, Labour has made gains across the country, winning the Blackpool South by-election with a 26% swing from the Tories and taking control of councils in key battleground areas.

The party also picked up new mayoralties, including the critical regions of East Midlands and York and North Yorkshire, which includes Mr Sunak's Richmond constituency.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: "This is effectively the last stop on the journey to the general election and I am really pleased to be able to show we are making progress, we have earned the trust and confidence of voters and we are making progress towards that general election."

London loss asks bigger questions of the Conservatives

Sadiq Khan's record re-election means the London mayor has achieved a victory none of his predecessors have - three wins in a row, writes political correspondent Darren McCaffrey.

This historic moment isn't just part of the national swing to Labour, but a big personal success for Mr Khan too.

It makes him one of the most successful politicians in Britain today.

Despite jitters yesterday, the win was largely expected and reflects the last opinion poll carried out this week.

Impressively though he has also done better marginally than last time.

And while this result re-enforces Labour's dominance in London, it asks bigger questions of the Conservatives.

Their campaign focused largely on ULEZ - the ultra low emission charge introduced by Mr Khan, but it was not the game changer the party had hoped.

Even in outer London, where the Conservatives did retain support, Labour increased their share of the vote.

Controversy surrounding the Tory candidate Susan Hall didn't help either, with many Tories privately angry about the ineffective campaign and candidate.

Paul Scully, a Conservative MP who had hoped to run, came out into the open today, telling Sky News: "What we've ended up with is just a campaign when we just have people just moaning about Sadiq Khan and there's plenty to moan about.

"We can't just rely on a negative campaign standing alongside people, wagging a finger and throwing rotten fruit."

Interesting too while the Gaza War and Labour's position has become an election issue in some parts of the country, Mr Khan's early call for a ceasefire also appears to have helped with those voters who might have abandoned Labour elsewhere.

Ultimately London has become a big electoral problem for the Conservatives. Having lost three times in a row, they don't seem to have a politician or a strategy to end Labour's stranglehold on the capital.

And as for Sadiq, after London, does he still hold national political ambitions?

"When Mo Salah scores a hat-trick, you don't ask him about what's next, it is about celebrating the moment," the Liverpool-supporting Mr Khan said.

Mr Sunak has taken consolation in the Conservative victory in the Tees Valley mayoral race, which was retained by Lord Houchen and seems to be enough to calm rumblings among discontented Tory MPs.

However, the crunch contest for West Midlands mayor remains on a knife-edge.

Labour has also not had it all its own way, losing control of councils in Oldham and Kirklees after victories for independent candidates opposing the party's stance on Gaza .

Labour also lost seats on other councils including Bristol, where the Greens extended its lead as the largest party and could now be set to run the city council despite narrowly failing to win outright control.

Notably, all 14 councillors in the newly created Bristol Central constituency are now Green, where the party is looking to unseat Labour's shadow culture secretary Thangam Debbonaire at the general election.

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

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Sky News elections analyst Professor Michael Thrasher also says although the results are bad news for the Tories, they do not put Labour on course for an overall majority in the Commons in a general election.

The Tories have so far lost 473 seats and control of 12 councils, while Labour has won eight councils and gained 185 seats.

The Liberal Democrats gained 104 seats and won control of Dorset council from the Conservatives, while the Greens are up 74 seats.

Related Topics

Updates on KSL Oval protest and adjustments to campus operations: May 2, 2024

To the university community,

I write today with an update on the protest at the Kelvin Smith Library (KSL) Oval and adjustments we are making to campus operations. 

At Case Western Reserve, we support the free exchange of ideas and viewpoints in accordance with university policies. We also believe that constructive dialogue—and the meaningful action that can result from it—should never involve harassment, incitement, or behavior that threatens and is intimidating to our community.  

On Monday morning, a group of individuals began protesting on KSL Oval. At the time, we made the university community—including the protesters—aware of specific guidelines for their actions on private property, which included limitations on time (8 a.m.–8 p.m.), place (defined space in front of Kelvin Smith Library) and manner (ensuring their actions do not interfere with university operations, including setting up encampments on campus property and the use of disruptive sound).

Recognizing our students’ right to protest and as a gesture of trust with the protest’s student leaders, on Monday evening we made an exception to these rules. As we attempted to gather more information and assess safety concerns in a quickly evolving situation, we allowed protesters who were current students, faculty and staff (verified by showing CWRU IDs and obtaining a wristband) to remain at the site overnight and to set up tents for the evening. Any individual without a CWRU ID was asked to leave campus at 8 p.m. but was permitted to return Tuesday morning, at which point tents needed to be removed. This decision was thought reasonable when we knew that the overnight protesters were current students, faculty and staff. Protesters continued to receive protection from Case Western Reserve University police.

It was our expectation that such guidelines would again be followed Tuesday and beyond. However, Tuesday evening the protesters broke the temporary revised guidelines described above, and they have allowed third parties, not currently affiliated with CWRU, to remain. Some protesters have disrupted university operations and access to university spaces such that some students, faculty and staff feel threatened.

As a result, the protest on the KSL Oval is no longer approved. The protesters’ continued presence and occupation is considered trespassing and is a violation of university policies. Students, faculty or staff who break such policies will be held accountable through the respective conduct process. These actions may also result in prosecution of protestors for criminal trespass and other crimes, whether or not they are affiliated with CWRU. In addition, protesters will be accountable for any anti-Semitic or other intimidating or harassing speech. The university will not engage with protesters about their demands until the protesters leave the KSL Oval and the CWRU community members have completed the conduct process. 

As always, the safety of our campus community is our highest priority. As we continue to assess the protest, we are making the following adjustments to campus operations:

• Beginning at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 2, all campus buildings will require a CWRU ID to enter.
• Two buildings in the direct vicinity of the protest site—Tinkham Veale University Center and Thwing Center—will be closed from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily, beginning Friday, May 3.
• Leutner Commons’ Division of Student Affairs room and Lower-Level Fireside Lounge will be open 24/7, beginning Friday.
• In Fribley Commons, Elephant Step Inn’s late-night seating area and second floor lounges will have 24/7 access, beginning Friday.
• The Biomedical Research Building cafeteria will remain open until midnight.
• Shuttles will be available throughout the week, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., to transport to and from Samson Pavilion. As always, Safe Ride is available until 3 a.m. each night.

Faculty, staff and students seeking to avoid the KSL Oval are encouraged to take alternate routes through campus.

We continue to support the rights of our students, faculty and staff to protest and express their ideas when they are in accord with university policy, and we have applied these interim measures to enhance the safety of our campus community.

Sincerely, Eric W. Kaler President

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