Whether you’re in high school or in college, there will be some point in time where you will be asked to write a persuasive speech. Knowing how to write a persuasive speech may come in handy during the course of your career, depending on which career you choose.
Writing a persuasive speech isn’t always easy. You’ll need to find a topic that will interest you as well as your audience, and sometimes that can be difficult to do.
There are so many options for you to choose when you’re trying to decide what to write about. So how do you choose the right topic?
Pick a topic that you have a genuine interest in; you’ll be doing a lot of research on that topic. If it’s a topic that you have an interest in, you’ll have more fun writing about that topic and writing may seem a bit easier. Your audience will also see that you are interested in the topic and you’ll have more enthusiasm when writing the speech and presenting it. You’ll also want to make sure to pick a topic that the audience will have an interest in, otherwise, you may lose their attention.
Choose a topic that you’re familiar with. This will make it easier for you to research and write about.
Also, make sure that you choose a topic that is relatable to your audience. People like to hear about solutions to issues within their community and country. It’s easier for your audience to connect with you when you’re speaking about an issue that they care about.
Ready to pick a topic?
We put together a list of persuasive speech topics covering a wide range of categories to help you write that perfect persuasive speech.
Arts/Culture
- Are paper books better than e-books?
- Should all students be required to learn an instrument in school?
- Should all national museums be free to citizens?
- Should art and music therapy be covered by health insurance?
- Why public schools need art classes more than ever.
- Should offensive language be removed from works of classic literature?
Economic
- Should the federal minimum wage be increased?
- Should tipping in restaurants be mandatory?
- Should all interns be paid for the work?
- Reasons to buy products manufactured in your country.
- Why the American retirement and pensions systems need to change.
- Why you should buy goods and produce from local producers and small sellers.
- How outsourcing work to foreign countries hurts our economy.
Education
- Should all schools require students to wear uniforms?
- Why students who bully others should be expelled.
- What are the best ways for schools to stop bullying?
- Why cell phones should be prohibited on school grounds.
- Ways to increase student interest in learning.
- Should students be required to complete community service hours before graduating?
- Why the arts and music programs are just as important as math and science.
Ethics
- Should people with more than one DUI lose their driver’s license?
- Should assisted suicide be legal for people who suffer from terminal illness?
- Should assault weapons be illegal or legal?
- Should the death penalty be abolished?
- Reasons why cannabis should be legalized or illegal?
- Reasons to go or not to go to war.
- Should product testing on animals be allowed?
Government/Politics
- Should voting be made mandatory?
- Should the President be allowed to serve more than two terms?
- Should there be term limits for Congress?
- How to nation’s justice system needs to be improved.
- Should people who receive state aid such as food stamps be required to have a drug test?
- Should convicted drug users be sent to a recovery program instead of prison?
- Why a wall should or should not be built between the United States and Mexico.
Health
- Should assisted suicide be legal?
- How eating fast food can do as much harm to your health as smoking or doing drugs.
- How going to the gym alone will not help combat obesity.
- Why insulin should be made free to anyone dependent on it.
- Should female minors be allowed to get birth control without telling their parents?
- Should stem cell research be allowed to help cure diseases?
- How regular exercise can improve your health.
- Should the US have a universal health care system?
Religion
- Should public prayer be allowed in schools?
- Does religion have a place in the government?
Science/ Environment
- Should animal testing be illegal?
- Why we should use reusable bags
- Should recycling be made mandatory?
- Should Pluto be considered a planet?
- Reasons why not or why you should donate your body to science.
- Should genetically modified foods be sold in stores?
- Should human and animal cloning be allowed?
Sports
- Should professional athletes be required to pass regular drug tests?
- Should college athletes be paid?
Technology
- Should self-driving cars be legal?
- Does technology make kids lazy?
- How technology has changed the way we communicate with our friends and family.
- Is telemedicine a good or bad thing?
- Would you let your small child use a tablet or smartphone? Why or why not?
- Do you think video games help children learn and develop thinking skills?
- Do video games make people more violent?
Extra Tips to Create Your Persuasive Speech
1.Know your position
When you begin writing your speech, you need to state your position on the subject from the start, whether you agree with the subject or you don’t agree. Use a strong and clearly worded statement in your opening paragraph stating why you agree or why you don’t agree with the subject
2. Know your audience.
It’s important to know who you will be presenting your speech to so you’ll know who you need to persuade. When you’re writing your speech, think about what your audience may already know about the topic and what areas of that topic they may care about the most.
3. Research your topic.
A strong argument requires solid evidence. Without evidence, your speech may not be very persuasive. Being able to give hard facts will make your speech more convincing and strong. Also, be sure to give facts from more than one source.
Test Prep Resources: Accuplacer test, TSI Practice test, Civil Service exam, GRE test
