A Lucid Guide to Policy Speech Making & 50+ Topics 

A policy speech is one of the most common kinds of speeches we encounter. All those political and presidential debates that seem to take over news channels during the elections are all policy speeches spouted by candidates looking to persuade and push their agendas. That is what policy speeches are actually – persuasive pieces that aim to convince & coax an audience regarding the validity of a policy/idea peddled by the speaker. 

As a speaker, there’s a certain perspective that you are advocating through your policy speech, which your audience may or may not be conducive to. You often have to court controversy and deal with an adverse audience, making policy speech one of the most challenging persuasive speaking endeavors. More often than not, it is the topic of your speech that plays a major role in the tactics you choose and the overall nature of your policy speech. 

Here, in this blog, we take a look at some prominent (as well as controversial) policy speech topics of this year. 

Features of a Good Policy Speech

Policy speeches, also known as proposition of policy speeches, are common oratory assignments in higher education. These speeches act as media for presenting persuasive arguments pertaining to the policies being furnished in front of the audience. In simpler words, the speaker has to argue for the validity of the policy they are pushing and use the speech as a means to persuade & influence. Myriad persuasive techniques are, thus, interspersed throughout the speech and used to encapsulate the different policy tenets.

Your persuasive policy speech needs to be strategically structured and an eloquent masterpiece if it has to stir & move the audience. The more complicated & controversial the topic, the more in-depth, persuasive, and well-knit your speech it needs to be. 

While presenting your policy speech, you need to convince listeners about three key things → 

• Talk About the Policy/Problem

Highlight and provide a brief explanation of the problem/policy being addressed. Draw the audience’s attention to the most important aspects of the policy. Obviously, it is those aspects that you will be providing an alternative or remedy for. 

Whether you are proposing a policy or refuting another in its entirety (or just some parts of it), you must: 

• Establish credibility, showcase authority, and maintain both by demonstrating your competence as a speaker & portraying your grasp of the topic. In persuasion, this pertains to ethos or the character of the speaker. 
• Connect to the audience by highlighting common values, beliefs, perspectives, and attitudes. Evoke emotions through your prose as that pertains to the pathos approach of persuasion. Appealing to emotions such as compassion, guilt, passion, pride, honor, love, anger, shame, etc., can result in drastic responses. While they can engage listeners and make them more invested in the speech, be careful not to go overboard.
• Logos or persuading using logical reasoning is probably the most powerful and irrefutable among all approaches. The foundations of any solid argument are logic and facts/evidence. As you argue for or against a policy, logical reasoning (deductive, inductive, analogical, etc.) will be the weapon that will bring down the bulwark of the opposition. 

As you relay vital background information, you will also have to tell the audience why you think there’s a need to address an existing policy, an aspect of it, or propose a new one. You will have to make them care enough about the subject for them to take a genuine interest.

Again, you need to maintain credibility and competence. Show them that you are the right person to carry out this policy speech. Ethos, pathos, and logos – employ each one of the three persuasive tactics to bring the audience to your side. For those who won’t come over, make sure that they are not able to dismiss or ignore your pointers. Your speech will succeed only when you are able to persuade the audience about the urgency of changing an existing or drafting a new policy.

Next up comes the plan or solution that you are going to put forth. 

• Propose the Solution

Provide all crucial details about your solution. Be specific and highlight only the most important aspects, as you don’t have the whole day to yourself. You will again have to employ logos, pathos, and ethos to convince the audience about the pertinency, reliability, feasibility, and all other aspects of your solution. Be clear and confident when presenting your case. Establish your credibility, character, and authority as you speak.

• Show that the Solution Works

The practicality and soundness of your solution and how it addresses the problems/shortcomings are crucial aspects of your policy speech. Argue for them and use facts, logic, & authority to persuade listeners about your proposed ideas. 

You will need to talk about the logic behind your proposed policy and or changes. Elucidate upon complexities, discuss implementation, and pinpoint how exactly your solution gets the job done right.

Problem, plan, and practicality – these are the three key elements of any good policy speech. Your goal is not just to inform the audience but to provide them with a working solution – a new policy or suggestions for change to an existing one. Present a solution and gain support for it from your target audience.

Are You Up for a Debate?

Policy debates are more challenging than policy speeches. Not only do you have to convince an audience, but contend with an active opposition. If you are successful in trumping a staunch opposition, then chances are high that you have already won over the audience. 

Policy debates are part of certain higher education courses. Generally, you will be part of a team and work together to research, develop arguments, and structure your responses and proposal. A well-balanced team obviously holds a certain degree of competitive advantage. All policy debate assignments in higher education demand an in-depth and detailed investigation of the intricacies of a matter and relevant, practical resolutions. Depth and breadth of research are vital criteria for a successful policy speech/debate and speaker.

If you are preparing for a policy debate and about to work with a team, then bear the following in mind:

• Do your research. 
• Know and understand everything you must know about the subject.
• Sharpen your oratory skills. 
• Be confident and determined about your ideas & perspective. 
• Pay attention and keep notable points in mind to support or refute.

Whether you are proposing or opposing, you and your team will have to bring out the heavy guns eventually. 

If you propose a new policy/resolution or suggest some changes, you need to highlight the issues that will be resolved if the proposal is accepted. Advocate your case with authority & confidence, present proper evidence, and back everything with logical arguments. Cover all grounds so that the opposition does not find any grounds to protest.

Conversely, if you are part of the opposition, your task is to refute the claims and arguments of the proposer. You can attack the proposer’s arguments directly or carry out an indirect attack. Direct attacks are straight-up rebuttals of points; on the other hand, indirect attacks may involve noting out possible disadvantages of the proposed policy/policy changes, presenting a counter-argument or better alternative, or noting the relevancy and topicality of the proposal team. 

Now, it is time we took a look at the steps of preparing a powerful policy speech. 

Preparing Yourself for an Eloquent Policy Speech/Debate

Well, one of the first things to keep in mind is to follow the authority or university guidelines. There are bound to be certain eligibility criteria you need to adhere to, so pay close attention to them.

• Be consistent in the terminologies, formatting, and references you use. 
• Know whether you can include tables, diagrams, and any kind of visual elements.
• Always write in an active voice to make things clear. Use passive voice sparingly, particularly when you are presenting a claim after arguing for it. 
• Use simple and direct language. Avoid using too much jargon and domain-specific terms unnecessarily. 
• Try to avoid sentences with too many clauses.
• Proper grammar is crucial to the success of any speech. Nobody wants to listen to incoherent ramblings or erroneous nonsense.
• Don’t be verbose. Choose words carefully to design your speech so that you come across as clear and confident. 
• Always write for the audience. Always assume that your listeners know the bare minimum about the topic. 
• Use relevant & precise terms, short sentences, and easy-to-understand terminology. Be consistent throughout. 
• Keep things plain and simple. Your speech should be easily understood by the audience, no matter who they are. 
• Attain relevancy, accuracy, and compliance as much as possible. No policy can address or contemplate all possible situations or probabilities. They obviously need to be broad enough in scope but also be clear and pertinent to a wide array of the most prominent circumstances.
• Accuracy and compliance with existing state and/or federal regulations, other policies, bylaws, requirements, etc. is essential. In-depth research and a comprehensive grasp of the subject under discussion can help you draft effective policies and changes.
• Design and present your policy with the intention of enforcing it. Ensuring the implementation of your proposal should be your ultimate aim, and you should leave no stone unturned in your attempt to do so.
• Clarity is paramount. As you have limited time to present your case, it needs to be crystal clear in its presentation of information, claims, and arguments.

• Remember, less is more. Keep everything tight & concise. Provide only important information with clarity and conciseness. Make sure everything is easy to interpret, understand, and execute.
• Passive agreement or direct action – these are the ultimate aims of any policy speech. Depending on the nature of the debate or your objective, you might be content with swaying the opinions, ideas, and perspectives of the audience and/or the opposition. In other cases, policy speech proposals tag on with an immediate call to action, persuading people to engage in a particular sort of behavior.

Buckling up for a policy debate assignment or tournament for the first time? Then, here are some expert tidbits to get rid of those jittery feelings. 

• Do your research, put in the hard work, polish your speaking skills, and remain confident.
• Policy debate tournaments are generally multi-round. Approach every round of debate with confidence. 
•  There will be a panel of judges who will decide upon the victors. If allowed, ask them about any approach, preference, or paradigm that the panel is looking for. This will help you zero in on the kind of arguments and proposals they are looking for.
• Hand on to every point and word uttered by your opponent. Look for chinks in their logic, argument, defense, ideas, etc. Many a time, you will have to think on your feet and come up with a rebuttal/counterargument/solution then & there.
• Listen to feedback and try to implement them. Always pay attention to what any judge/the panel has to say to your team. 
• It is natural for a debate team to conduct more research, gather more evidence, organize thoughts & pointers, and refine their policy proposals. Change your tactics if you are struggling, take note of your opponent’s strategies, draft new arguments, look at the things that didn’t work, and make amends in the next session.

And those were some expert tips & tricks on how to prepare for a policy speech debate. Now, in all probability, you will be presented with a list of topics to choose from for your policy speech assignment or debate. However, if you are asked to come up with a topic on your own, then here’s a list of prominent and trending policy speech topics for 2024. 

Trending Policy Speech Topics & Ideas 

We start right away with a bunch of policy speech ideas that are trending this political season → 

Today’s Most Pressing Policy Speech Topics:

• Enforcing Energy Audit Laws Across Urban Settlements
• Regulating the Implementation of Artificial Intelligence Algorithms
• Governments Should Provide Support for Sustainable Urban Agriculture
• It is High Time that Society & Government Adopt a Circular Economy
• Stricter Gun Control Policies are the Only Remedies Against Mass Shootings
• The United States NATO Policies & Bilateral Agreements Need Major Reform
• Spending More on Immigrants than its own Homeless Citizens – isn’t it time for some major policy changes?

The list above highlights some of the most pressing policies that are sure to garner attention and strong responses from any audience. Now, let’s have a look at some unique policy topics for debate.

Unique Policy Speech Ideas 

• There’s an Urgent Need to Focus on Mental Health in Workplaces.
• Experimenting with A Four-Day Work Week Policy
• The Need to Prioritize Pedestrian & Cyclist Safety During Urban Road Planning
•  Time to Get Rid of the Silly Daylight Saving Time Concept, Gradually!
• Schools & Colleges Should Begin to Implement eSports programs for their students
• There need to be Policies for Countering Increased Mass Surveillance in recent times.
• Administrations & Governments Should Create Accountability Laws for Social Media Companies
• Time to Double the Tax Rates for the Financial Elites
• Energy Efficiency, Sustainability, & Climate Change – we need Mass Education Policies for These Subjects Urgently.
• FREE Transportation for Children & Elderly – Should Such a Policy be Implemented? 

Those were some unique and interesting policy speech topics that could stir up any audience. Now, let’s have a look at some academic policy topics that are ripe for debate.

Education Policy Speech Topics 

• The United States Federal Government should pay particular attention to ever-increasing instances of school shootings. 
• Schools Must Discuss with Parents Regarding the Books & Study Materials They Approve or Ban.
• Expansion of School Choice Should Also Come with Tighter Regulation of Associated Funds
• Dwindling Workforce, Poor Retention, Teacher Strikes – Drastic Policy Reforms are Necessary for Urgent Remedy
• Book Bans, Misappropriations, Racism, Gender Discrimination – There’s an Urgent Need for Stricter Regulations & Reforms to Prevent Classrooms from Becoming Cultural Battlegrounds. 
• The American Education System is Failing to Equip Children with the Right Skills & Knowledge. It is High Time for a Complete Political Overhaul. 
• There’s an Immediate & Major Need to Enforce AI Usage & Proliferation in Education. 
• Why aren’t there Strict Measures against Bullying in Academic Institutions? 
• A Case for a Uniform Dress Code Across American High Schools
• A Look at Some Policies for Stopping Bullying in Schools

Here’s hoping you find a topic of your liking for your policy speech assignment from the list above. Next up is a list of speech topics on energy & climate change. 

Top Policy Speech Themes on Energy, Environment, & Climate Change

• A Discussion on Approaches & Strategies for Reorienting the US Energy Infrastructure Toward Clean Energy
• The Federal Government Needs Policies that Aid Research, Development, & Implementation of Renewable Energy.
• The US is Suffering Billions of Dollars of Damage as Climate Disasters Increase in Intensity & Frequency. Are the Current Climate Pollution & Clean Energy Policies Enough? What more needs to be done? 
• A Discussion on the Steps Taken to Tackle Extreme Climate Events at the State & Federal Levels
• A Push for Policies that Promote Better Energy Diplomacy & Security, Energy Transformation, and Energy Governance. 
• Push for Incentivizing & Subsidizing the Development of Clean Energy Infrastructure
• Policy for Better Cooperation & Coordination for Energy & Environmental Issues Among US Allies

The above policy speech topics reflect some of the most burning issues the United States si facing in terms of energy & climate change. In the next section, we will be taking a look at some prominent socio-cultural issues plaguing the USA. 

Major Socio-Cultural Policy Speech Topics

• Looking at Non-Racial Reparatory Compensation Systems for Feasibility of Racial Reparation Policies
• Discussing & Implementing Rehabilitation Policies for Released Convicts
• Political Remedies to Reduce Racial Gaps in the Economic Security of Retired

Americans

• How Does the Legalization of Cannabis Bode Help the Most Vulnerable Demographics? 
• The Labor Laws of California Aren’t Helping the Rights of the Majority of Hourly Workers in the State
• Parents Must Work With Academic Institutions to Guide Students Down the Right Path of Study
• Monitored Systems Transitions Can Improve Sustainable Development of the Society
• The Debilitating Long-Term Effects of Debts and Ghost Budgets in Funding US War Efforts. 
• There Need to be Political and Administrative Oversights over Social Media Activities & Companies.
• On-the-job Training Should be made Compulsory for College Graduates as research shows the wages of well-trained employees increase faster.
• One of the Best Ways to Fight Poverty is to Get More Children in Schools
• Research Emphasizes a Risk-Centered Policy Framework for Social Media Regulation.
• This is the Time to Usher Big Data & Machine Learning into the realm of Federal & State Policymaking.
• Training & Apprenticeships Expand the Pathways of Education and/or Employment for Students.
• Foreign Students Disrupting Peace & Order should have their Visas Revoked
• There Need not be any Path to Citizenship for Illegal Immigrants in the USA. And there should be a Streamlined Process for Legal Immigrants.
• It is High Time the Federal Government Cuts Back on War Efforts & Defense Spending.
• The Powers That Be Should Enforce Laws to Hold Citizens Liable for Polluting the Local Environment.

That’s our list of the most pressing socio-cultural topics in the modern United States today. Unfortunately, while we are not bounded by scope, we are limited by time & space. Numerous subjects are ripe for vehement policy debates. However, we hope that we have mentioned the most pressing subjects & policy issues here. 

We wrap things up with a look at some expert tips on how to choose the best topic for your policy speech.

Choosing the Best Topic for Your Speech

• Know your audience. Get a clue about who they are & where they are coming from. Devise the best ways to change their opinions & perspectives. 
• What kind of topic can interest your target audience? Why should they be interested? What kind of research and approach is necessary to deliver an excellent policy speech on the subject? 
• How much information do you need to gather to develop your arguments and speech for a particular topic? Should it be short & concise or somewhat expansive? What information is necessary either way?
• The depth & breadth of research you can conduct, the availability of credible information sources, available time, the nature of your audience, and the assignment itself will all influence your topic selection.
• What tactics and argument paradigms are necessary to move the audience? Think about them carefully when picking a topic for your essay. 

And that’s about it for this write-up. Hope this was a useful read for anyone preparing for their policy speech assignment or debate. 

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