Past Policy Debate Topics
- 1939-40
Resolved: That the federal government should own and operate the railroads. - 1940-41
Resolved: That the power of the federal government should be increased. - 1941-42
Resolved: That every able-bodied male citizen in the United States should be required to have one year of full-time military training before attaining the present draft age. - 1942-43
Resolved: That a federal world government should be established. - 1943-44
Resolved: That the United States should join in reconstituting the League of Nations. - 1944-45
Resolved: That the legal voting age should be reduced to eighteen years. - 1945-46
Resolved: That ever able-bodied male citizen of the United States should have one year of full time military training before attaining age 24. - 1946-47
Resolved: That the federal government should provide a system of complete Medical care available to all citizens at public expense. - 1947-48
Resolved: That the federal government should require arbitration of labor disputes in all basic industries. - 1948-49
Resolved: That a federal world government should be established. - 1949-50
Resolved: That the President of the United States should be elected by the direct vote of the people. - 1950-51
Resolved: That the American people should reject the Welfare state. - 1951-52
Resolved: That all American citizens should be subject to conscription for essential service in time of war. - 1952-53
Resolved: That the Atlantic pact nations should form a federal union. - 1953-54
Resolved: That the President of the United States should be elected by the direct vote of the people. - 1954-55
Resolved: That the federal government should initiate a policy of free trade among nations friendly to the United States. - 1955-56
Resolved: That the government subsidies should be granted according to need to high school graduates who qualify for additional training. - 1956-57
Resolved: That the federal government should sustain the prices of major agricultural products at not less than 90% of parity. - 1957-58
Resolved: That the United States foreign aid should be substantially increased. - 1958-59
Resolved: That the United States should adopt the essential feature of the British system of education. - 1959-60
Resolved: That the federal government should substantially increase its regulation of labor unions. - 1960-61
Resolved: That the United Nations should be significantly strengthened. - 1961-62
Resolved: That the federal government should equalize educational opportunity by means of grants to the states for public elementary and secondary education. - 1962-63
Resolved: That the United States should promote a Common Market for the western hemisphere. - 1963-64
Resolved: That Social Security benefits should be extended to include complete medical care. - 1964-65
Resolved: That nuclear weapons should be controlled by an international organization. - 1965-66
Resolved: That the federal government should adopt a program of compulsory arbitration in labor-management disputes in basic industries. - 1966-67
Resolved: That the foreign aid program of the United States should be limited to non-military assistance. - 1967-68
Resolved: That Congress should establish uniform regulations to control criminal investigation procedures. - 1968-69
Resolved: That the United States should establish a system of compulsory service by all citizens. - 1969-70
Resolved: That Congress should prohibit unilateral United States military intervention in foreign countries. - 1970-71
Resolved: That the federal government should establish, finance, and administer programs to control air and/or water pollution in the United States. - 1971-72
Resolved: That the jury system in the United States should be significantly changed. - 1972-73
Resolved: That governmental financial support for all public and secondary education in the United States be provided exclusively by the federal government. - 1973-74
Resolved: That the federal government should guarantee a minimum annual income to each family unit. - 1974-75
Resolved: That the United States should significantly change the method of selection of presidential and vice-presidential candidates. - 1975-76
Resolved: That the development and allocation of scarce world resources should be controlled by an international organization. - 1976-77
Resolved: That a comprehensive program of penal reform should be adopted throughout the United States. - 1977-78
Resolved: That the federal government should establish a comprehensive program to regulate the health care in the United States. - 1978-79
Resolved: What should be the energy policy of the United States. - 1979-80
Resolved: That the United States should significantly change its foreign trade policies. - 1980-81
Resolved: That the federal government should initiate and enforce safety guarantees on consumer goods. - 1981-82
Resolved: That the federal government should establish minimum educational standards for elementary and secondary schools in the United States. - 1982-83
Resolved: That the United States should significantly curtail its arms sales to other countries. - 1983-84
Resolved: That the United States should establish uniform rules governing the procedure of all criminal courts in the nation. - 1984-85
Resolved: That the federal government should provide employment for all employable U.S. Citizens living in poverty. - 1985-86
Resolved: That the federal government should establish a comprehensive national policy to protect the quality of water in the United States. - 1986-87
Resolved: That the federal government should implement a comprehensive long-term agricultural policy in the United States. - 1987-88
Resolved: That the United States government should adopt a policy to increase political stability in Latin America. - 1988-89
Resolved: That the federal government should implement a comprehensive program to guarantee retirement security for United States citizens over age 65. - 1989-90
Resolved: That the federal government should adopt a nationwide policy to decrease overcrowding in prisons and jails in the United States. - 1990-91
Resolved: that the United States Government should significantly increase space exploration beyond Earth’s mesosphere. - 1991-92
Resolved: That the federal government should significantly increase social services to homeless individuals in the United States. - 1992-93
Resolved: That the United States government should reduce worldwide pollution through its trade and/or aid policies. - 1993-94
Resolved: That the federal government should guarantee comprehensive national health insurance to all United States citizens. - 1994-95
Resolved: That the United States government should substantially strengthen regulation of immigration to the United States. - 1995-96
Resolved: That the United States government should substantially change its foreign policy toward the People’s Republic of China. - 1996-97
Resolved: That the federal government should establish a program to substantially reduce juvenile crime in the United States. - 1997-98
Resolved: That the federal government should establish a policy to substantially increase renewable energy use in the United States. - 1998-99
Resolved: That the United States should substantially change its foreign policy toward Russia. - 1999-00
Resolved: That the federal government should establish an education policy to significantly increase academic achievement in secondary schools in the United States. - 2000-01
Resolved: That the United States federal government should significantly increase protection of privacy in the United States in one or more of the following areas: employment, medical records, consumer information, search and seizure. - 2001-02
Resolved: That the United States federal government should establish a foreign policy significantly limiting the use of weapons of mass destruction. - 2002-03
Resolved: That the United States federal government should substantially increase public health services for mental health care in the United States. - 2003-04
Resolved: That the United States federal government should establish an ocean policy substantially increasing protection of marine natural resources. - 2004-2005
Resolved: That the United States federal government should establish a foreign policy substantially increasing its support of United Nations peacekeeping operations. - 2005-2006
Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially decrease its authority either to detain without charge or to search without probable cause. - 2006-2007
Resolved: The United States federal government should establish a policy substantially increasing the number of persons serving in one or more of the following national service programs: AmeriCorps, Citizen Corps, Senior Corps, Peace Corps, Learn and Serve America, Armed Forces. - 2007-2008
Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its public health assistance to Sub-Saharan Africa. - 2008-2009
Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase alternative energy incentives in the United States. - 2009-2010
Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase social services for persons living in poverty in the United States. - 2010-2011
Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially reduce its military and/or police presence in one or more of the following: South Korea, Japan, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq, Turkey. - 2011-2012
Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its exploration and/or development of space beyond the Earth’s mesosphere. - 2012-2013
Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its transportation infrastructure investment in the United States.
