Regardless of the topic, a good argumentative or persuasive speech attempts to convince the audience to adopt the speaker's way of thinking.
An argumentative or persuasive speech is one in which a speaker attempts to convince an audience to share the speaker's values, accept the speaker's conclusions or adopt the speaker's way of thinking. A good argumentative or persuasive speech establishes facts, provides perspective, clearly states conclusion(s) and persuades an audience. Sometimes the most difficult part of formulating this type of speech is simply choosing the right topic.
Political Philosophies
Political philosophies can make for heated and exciting argumentative or persuasive speech topics. Almost every speech a politician gives is argumentative/persuasive. While it may not be possible to change the political ideologies of an entire audience, at least aim to open the minds of those with conflicting views. Some ideas of very broad political topics are abortion, foreign policy, global warming, gun control, immigration, Medicare and Medicaid, nuclear weapons and war.
Religious Beliefs
Don't plan on shifting the views of an entire audience with this genre, either. Nonetheless, religious beliefs provide for some incredibly interesting argumentative/persuasive speech topics. Whether trying to convince an audience that a certain religion is superior or that religion itself creates unnecessary violence, this topic can get pretty intense. Be careful with wording and remember an argumentative speech is meant to persuade an audience, not offend them. In the realm of religion, ideas that might stir up an audience are angels, ghosts and spirits, evolution vs. creationism, evangelism, Islam, Jehova's Witness, karma, prayer in school and reincarnation.
Lifestyle Choices and Family Values
With billions of different people in the world come billions of different lifestyles, beliefs and values. Opinions on properly raise a family vary significantly from one person to another. What constitutes healthy eating can mean one thing to one person and something entirely contrary to another. Consider the following controversial topics on lifestyle choices and family values: plastic surgery, birth control, conservation and recycling, eating disorders, vegetarianism or veganism, feminism, gay marriage, pesticide use, steroid use, adoption, divorce, breast feeding in public, donor insemination, gay parenting, stay-at-home mothers and working mothers.
Laws and Society
In a democratic society, the high vote is supposed to prevail. But for every official elected, every proposition passed, and every law enacted, there are people who vote opposite the majority. These topics all make for thought-inducing argumentative and persuasive speech material: Affirmative Action laws, animal rights laws, assisted suicide, censorship, drinking age, drug legalization, euthanasia, free speech, legalized gambling and smoking bans.
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