University of Richmond

Lincoln-Douglas Debate Topic Statements

Topic  |  Files

The 2009 URNDI will begin with the immigration topic (F below) and then move through the July list of topics as soon as it is released by the NFL.

2008-2009 NFL Lincoln Douglas Debate Ballot for Topic Selection

List of topics:

A. Resolved: Military conscription is unjust.

B. Resolved: On reservations, sovereignty claims by indigenous peoples ought to be prioritized above the plenary power of the United States federal government.

C. Resolved: In a democratic society, felons ought to retain the right to vote.

D. Resolved: A parliamentary form of government is preferable to the United States presidential system.

E. Resolved: United States law ought not recognize marriage.

F. Resolved: United States immigration policy ought to prioritize admitting skilled workers over reuniting families.

G. Resolved: The United States ought to submit to the jurisdiction of an international court designed to prosecute crimes against humanity.

H. Resolved: Public high school students in the United States ought not be required to pass standardized exit exams to graduate.

I. Resolved: The United States ought not issue torture warrants.

J. Resolved: Vigilantism is justified when the government has failed to enforce the law.

2008 Topics

Resolved: Governments ought to make economic reparations for their country’s historical injustices.

B. Resolved: Governments ought to make economic reparations for their country’s historical injustices.

D. Resolved: It is morally permissible to kill one innocent person to save the lives of more innocent people.
 
E. Resolved: In the United States, jury nullification is a legitimate check on government.
 
F. Resolved: Successor governments ought to pursue transitional justice through truth and reconciliation commissions rather than through criminal prosecution.

G. Resolved: International lenders ought to cancel the debt of highly indebted poor countries. 

J. Resolved: Public health concerns justify government violation of pharmaceutical patents. 

The following potential topic statements guided the 2007 URNDI for Lincoln-Douglas debate:

  1. In United States courts, victim impact statements ought to influence sentencing.
  2. The precautionary principle ought to guide environmental regulations.
  3. The actions of corporations ought to be held to the same moral standards as the actions of individuals.
  4. On balance, violent revolution is a just response to political oppression.
  5. The United States government ought to allocate humanitarian aid to foreign nations based on the need of recipients rather than its own interests.
  6. A just society ought not use the death penalty as a form of punishment.
  7. In the United States public university admissions, socioeconomic disadvantage ought to be a higher priority than race.
  8. In the United States, the federal government ought not limit the autonomy of local school districts to determine their own curriculum.
  9. The United Nations's obligation to protect global human rights ought to be valued above its obligation to respect national sovereignty.
  10. On balance, in its trade agreements the United States ought to value the welfare of workers in developing countries over its economic gains.