Topics for upcoming tournaments are listed on the home page!

This page archives previous tournament topics.

Desert Hot Springs High School, January 28, 2008

1. The US should substantially increase gas taxes. (pre-announced)
2. California should have drivers’ licenses for undocumented residents. (pre-announced)
3. The US should negotiate with terrorists. (impromptu)
4. The US should elect the president by popular vote. (impromptu)

Yucca Valley High School, March 1, 2008

1. Baseball leagues should ban aluminum bats. (pre-announced)
2. The United States should block Jihadi websites. (pre-announced)
3. California should legalize internet gambling. (pre-announced)
4. The United States should have a national identification card. (pre-announced)

Claremont McKenna College, April 5, 2008

1. The United States should adopt English as the official national language. (pre-announced)
2. The President should negotiate with dictators. (impromptu)
3. ‘Reality television’ does more good than harm. (impromptu)
4. The federal government should not give foreclosure relief to homeowners. (pre-announced)

League Championship, Desert Hot Springs High School, May 31, 2008

1. The Bear Stearns bailout does more harm than good. (pre-announced)
2. The gray wolf should be a federally protected species. (pre-announced)
3. The United States should implement its European missile shield. (pre-announced)
4. The United States should boycott the Beijing Olympics. (pre-announced)

Upland High School, October 25, 2008

1. Undocumented immigrants should pay out-of-state tuition at public universities. (pre-announced)
2. The United Nations should restrict the right of veto in the Security Council. (pre-announced)
3. It is unethical to eat meat. (impromptu)
4. The US government should use political assassination to protect national security. (impromptu)

Centennial High School, Workshop and Tournament, November 22, 2008

1. School should be year-round. (pre-announced)
2. US Supreme Court Justices should have term limits. (pre-announced)

Palm Springs High School, January 10, 2009

1. US Supreme Court Justices should have term limits. (pre-announced)
2. California’s ballot initiative process does more harm than good. (pre-announced)
3. The United States should have compulsory voting. (pre-announced)
4. Professional sports should legalize performance-enhancing drugs. (pre-announced)

Centennial High School, February 14, 2009

1. The US should negotiate with the Taliban in Afghanistan. (impromptu)
2. The Obama Administration should prosecute Bush Administration officials for war crimes. (pre-announced)
3. California should ban all cell phone use by drivers. (impromptu)
4. Scientists should clone Neanderthals. (pre-announced)

Desert Hot Springs High School, March 14, 2009

1. The Obama Administration’s stimulus bill will do more harm than good. (pre-announced)
2. The United States should not close the Guantanamo detention camp. (pre-announced)
3. California should criminalize spanking. (impromptu)
4. High school attendance should be voluntary. (impromptu)

HSPDP Championship, Claremont McKenna College, April 19, 2009

1. The United States should lift economic sanctions on Cuba. (pre-announced)
2. California should ban smoking in all public areas. (pre-announced)
3. Recycling does more harm than good. (pre-announced)
4. Eliminate super-majority legislative voting! (pre-announced)
5. The First Amendment should not protect hate speech. (pre-announced)

The Webb Schools, October 24, 2009

1. The United States Federal Government should ban assault weapons. (pre-announced)
2. The compassionate release of the Lockerbie bomber does more good than harm. (pre-announced)
3. NATO should withdraw from Afghanistan. (impromptu)
4. Barack Obama does not deserve the Nobel Peace Prize. (impromptu)

Desert Hot Springs High School, November 21, 2009

1. The President should not send a wreath to the Arlington Confederate Monument. (pre-announced)
2. US government bailouts for industry have done more harm than good. (pre-announced)
3. The United States should not have federal criminal trials in New York City for 9/11 suspects.(impromptu)
4. The US should reduce environmental protection to promote its economic development. (impromptu)

Palm Springs High School, February 6, 2010

1. The First Amendment should not protect depictions of animal cruelty. (pre-announced)
2. Schools should punish students for cyber-bullying. (impromptu)
3. A lottery of qualified candidates should be used for college admission. (impromptu)
4. The Obama Administration should release photographs of detainee abuse. (pre-announced)

Yucca Valley High School, February 27, 2010

1. Custody hearings should not take a child’s biological parentage into consideration. (pre-announced)
2. The United States should abolish the Senate. (pre-announced)
3. Lower the voting age to 16. (impromptu)
4. The Olympic Games should be abolished. (impromptu)

USWSDC Championship, March 27, 2010

1. Websites should pay consumers for data-mining. (pre-announced)
2. This House would establish gender quotas for legislative assemblies. (pre-announced)
3. This House supports compulsory voting in national elections. (pre-announced)
4. Tax carbon! (impromptu)

HSPDP Championship, Claremont McKenna College, April 23-24, 2010

1. Colleges should not accept AP credit. (pre-announced)
2. The United States should establish a national DNA database. (pre-announced)
3. Governments should use political assassination to protect national security. (impromptu)
4. Governments should increase the use of racial and ethnic profiling. (impromptu)
5. The United Nations should impose sanctions on Israel for future settlement construction. (pre-announced)
6. Final. China is more an enemy than an ally of the United States. (pre-announced)

Inaugural Invitational, CMC, October 30, 2010

1. Schools should abolish letter “D” grades. (pre-announced)
2. The US should not permit birthright citizenship. (pre-announced)
3. Public financing of elections is preferable to current campaign rules. (impromptu)
4. The United States should negotiate with the Taliban. (impromptu)

The Webb Schools, November 20, 2010

1. The US should grant clemency to Jonathan Jay Pollard. (pre-announced)
2. School districts should publish value-added scores of teacher effectiveness. (pre-announced)
3. The public should support TSA full body scans and extensive pat-down searches. (impromptu)
4. The United States should substantially increase taxes to balance the budget and eliminate debt. (impromptu)

Claremont McKenna College, January 8, 2011

1. Wikileaks disclosures do more good than harm. (pre-announced)
2. Resume the 6-party talks. (pre-announced)
3. Students should be allowed to sue their school for educational malpractice. (impromptu)
4. First Amendment free speech should not protect hate speech. (impromptu)

Upland High School, January 29, 2011

1. Students should be fluent in a foreign language to graduate from high school. (pre-announced)
2. Government should not fund public radio and television. (pre-announced)
3. The US should have a defined and limited presidential primary campaign season. (impromptu)
4. Americans should support uncivil political discussion. (impromptu)

Pan American Debating Championship, February 10-14, 2011

English language division topics

1. This House would prosecute spying by diplomats. (pre-announced)
2. War memorials do more harm than good. (pre-announced)
3. This House prefers stability to democracy in the Arab world. (impromptu)
4. Individuals should graduate from high school to be eligible to vote. (impromptu)
5. NATO should not develop a missile shield. (pre-announced)
6. The United Nations should restrict the right of veto in the Security Council. (impromptu)
7. Semifinals. This House opposes trial by jury. (impromptu)
8. Final. This House would ban international adoption of children. (pre-announced)

Spanish language division topics

1. Brasil debería ser un miembro permanente del Consejo de Seguridad de la ONU. (pre-announced)
2. Los Juegos Olímpicos hacen más daño que bien. (pre-announced)
3. El Libre Tratado Norteamericano de Comercio (LTNAC) debería extenderse a todas las Américas. (pre-announced)
4. Final. Esta Cámara apoya el voto obligatorio en elecciones políticas. (impromptu)

Compton High School, February 26, 2011