Research Paper Topics
For more information on any of these topics, see Facts on File
Note: These are not topics that are already broken into subtopics. You will need
to figure out how you will structure your own essay.
Advertising in America
Advertising is pervasive in the U.S. But what impact does it have on the consumer?
Should certain types of advertisements—such as for prescription drugs, alcohol or
tobacco, and ads aimed at young people—be regulated? Or should companies be
allowed to present their products as they wish, leaving it up to the consumer to decide
whether to buy the product?
Youth-Oriented Advertising
Celebrity Endorsements
Anti-Drug Advertising
Liquor Advertising on TV
Tobacco and Alcohol Advertising
Prescription Drug Advertising
Negative Campaign Advertisements
Internet Advertising
Alcohol and Tobacco Issues
Although most medical evidence backs the claim that tobacco and excessive alcohol use
is harmful to one's health, imposing further restrictions on their use has raised protest.
A growing movement to impose smoking bans in public places—to protect nonsmokers
from second-hand smoke—has also sparked controversy. Should alcohol and tobacco
use be strictly regulated? Or is the decision to drink and smoke a personal one that
should be left up to each individual?
Drunk Driving
Smoking Bans
Alcohol Issues
Minimum Drinking Age
Tobacco and Health
Cigarette and Alcohol Taxes
Tobacco Litigation
Tobacco Settlement
Tobacco and Alcohol Advertising
Liquor Advertising on TV
Fraternities and Sororities
Animals and Animal Rights
Animals have played a variety of roles in humans' lives, whether as pets, food or in
commercial ventures. But is there a limit to how much people can use animals? To what
extent should people consider the rights of animals in their dealings with them?
Animal Dissection
Animal Population Control
Wildlife Relocation
Animal Testing
Factory Farms
Military Use of Dolphins
Animal Rights: Fur
Whaling
Zoos
Ivory Trade
Hunting Restrictions
Wolf Reintroduction Program
Endangered Species Act
Personhood for Primates
Pet-Owner Liability
Art, Entertainment and Popular Culture
Arts and entertainment are a vital part of many people’s lives; activities such as going
to museums and listening to music can be a source of pleasure or of education, or both.
But they are not without debate. Who owns "art"? Who should fund it? Are some
forms of artistic expression more valid than others? Can forms of expression considered
inappropriate by some be regulated?
Movie Ratings
National Anthem
Ownership of Cultural Artifacts
Hip-Hop Culture
Music on the Internet
Cultural Appropriation
Broadcast Decency Rules
Arts Funding
Arts Education
Beauty Pageants
Beauty and Body Image
The overall number of cosmetic surgeries in the U.S. has more than quadrupled in the
past seven years. More than 200,000 teenagers undergo cosmetic surgery each year,
while some 66% of high school girls are on diets at any given time. Why is the nation
seemingly obsessed with physical improvement? What role do beauty pageants and the
media’s focus on physical beauty play in presenting an unattainable ideal of beauty? Is
the rise in cosmetic surgery a trend that should be curbed, or is it a way of helping
people with cosmetic flaws improve their self-esteem?
Thin Fashion Models
Teens and Cosmetic Surgery
Breast Implants
Beauty Pageants
Eating Disorders
Obesity
Crime and Punishment
While most people agree that those who break the law should be punished, they
disagree over the best way to do so. Determining that punishment becomes particularly
controversial when dealing with youth and people with diminished mental capacity. Is
the current justice system in need of reform? Or does it adequately deal with
lawbreakers?
Boot Camps for Juvenile Offenders
Crime and Race
Death Penalty
Lethal Injection
Juvenile Death Penalty
Juvenile Justice
Self-Defense Laws
Teen Courts
DNA Exonerations
Mandatory Sentencing
'Three-Strikes' Crime Laws
Plea Bargains
Insanity Defense
Mentally Ill in the Legal System
Hate-Crime Laws
Sex-Offender Notification
Developing Countries and Poverty
As the global population continues to grow, so does the number of people living in
poverty worldwide. The U.S. contributes $16 billion in development assistance every
year, but should it do more? Who should be more responsible for fighting global
poverty and disease: the U.S. or international organizations?
U.S. Foreign Aid
Debt Forgiveness
Global Population Growth
Human Trafficking
World Bank
International Monetary Fund
Drug Patents & Developing Countries
Worldwide AIDS Epidemic
Diet and Nutrition
Nearly two-thirds of all Americans are considered overweight or obese, leading health
officials to declare an "obesity epidemic." Should the government take on a more active
role in the fight against obesity? Or is the battle against obesity a matter of personal
responsibility?
Local Food Movement
Obesity
Organic Food
Junk Food in Schools
Trans-Fat Bans
Fast-Food Litigation
Eating Disorders
Vegetarianism
Herbal Supplements
Food Safety
Genetically Modified Food
Education Issues
President Bush has made education a large focus of his presidency with his No Child
Left Behind Act of 2001, which aims to ensure that all students will be proficient in
reading and mathematics by 2014. But questions about the act have been raised and
schools have requested to opt out of it. What is the best way to ensure that students get
a quality education?
Special Education
School Safety
Middle School Reform
School Attendance Incentives
School Desegregation
School Uniforms
Corporal Punishment
Teachers' Unions
Merit Pay For Teachers
Education Standards
Teacher Standards
History Curriculum Reform
Textbook Content
Block Scheduling in Schools
Education Policy
Home Schooling
Homework
Student Achievement Testing
Intelligence Testing
Charter Schools
School Vouchers
Social Promotion
Tracking in Schools
For-Profit Public Schools
Year-Round Education
Single-Sex Education
Public-School Funding
Sex Education
Student ID Cards
Military Recruiting at High Schools
President Bush has made education a large focus of his presidency with his No Child
Left Behind Act of 2001, which aims to ensure that all students will be proficient in
reading and mathematics by 2014. But questions about the act have been raised and
schools have requested to opt out of it. What is the best way to ensure that students get
a quality education?
Education Department
Head Start Preschool Program
Education Issues: College
Getting to college takes studying and hard work. But it increasingly also takes a lot of
money, as college tuition costs have soared. How can college best be made accessible to
all?
College Rankings
Campus Policing
College Entrance Exams
College Tuition Costs
Affirmative Action
Affirmative Action for Low-Income
Students
Financial aid and Drug Convictions
College Grade Inflation
College Early Decision Policies
College Legacy Programs
Political Diversity in Higher Education
College Athletics Programs
Student-Athlete Compensation
Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC)
Fraternities and Sororities
Families and Marriage
With an estimated half of all first marriages in the U.S. ending in divorce and a growing
movement to legalize same-sex marriage, some people express concern about the
breakdown of traditional two-parent families in the U.S. Should gay marriage be
legalized, or would that harm the institution of marriage? Should it be more difficult or
easier for Americans to get divorced? When it comes to the welfare of children, should
government policies focus on attempting to reunite troubled families or is it better for
children to be removed from dysfunctional families and placed in foster care?
Same-Sex Marriage
Covenant Marriages
Polygamy
International Adoption
Adoption
Corporal Punishment
Homosexual Parenting
No-Fault Divorce
Child Support
Grandparents' Visitation Rights
Foster Care
Child-Welfare Policies
Domestic Violence
Family Leave
Genes and Genetic Engineering
More than 30 years ago, geneticists spliced a gene from a toad into a bacterium, laying
the groundwork for the revolutionary science of genetic engineering. Since then,
scientists have applied the technology to plants, animals and even people, but it has
raised a host of questions. Is genetic engineering a good way to improve people’s lives,
such as by using genetically modified crops to fight world hunger and by curing a
variety of diseases through gene therapy? Is altering beings’ genetic material essentially
"playing God"? Should genetic engineering be used to select the gender of one’s
offspring or to try to increase human life span? What are the implications of human
cloning?
Cloning
Genetic Testing
Genetic Engineering
Gender Selection Of Babies
Life Span Extension
Gene Therapy Research
Human Cloning
Human Genome Research
Genetically Modified Food
Health Care in the U.S.
It is widely acknowledged that the U.S. has the best health care system in the world;
renowned U.S. hospitals and treatment centers draw thousands of patients each year
from abroad. But the U.S. is also the only developed nation in the world that does not
provide universal health care to its residents—some 45 million Americans do not have
health insurance. And rising insurance premiums for doctors in certain states—the
result, in part, of a growth in the amount of money awarded in malpractice law suits--is
causing some doctors to relocate to states with lower premiums. Do Americans get the
best health care possible? How can the system be improved?
Vaccine Exemptions
Universal Health Care
Medicare and Medicaid Update
Managed Health Care
Medical Malpractice
Pharmacists and 'Right of Conscience'
Laws
Premium Medical Care
Patients' Rights Laws
Organ Allocation
Breast Cancer Screening
Alternative Medicine
Medical Resident Fatigue
Immigration Issues
The U.S. is a nation of immigrants, but not everyone agrees about whether that is a
positive or a negative thing. Are immigrants a boon to the U.S., adding to the cultural
and religious diversity of the country and providing a boost to the economy by taking
low-wage jobs that Americans do not want? Or do they strain public resources and take
jobs from American workers? Have immigrants been an unfair target of government
scrutiny in the war against terrorism?
Immigration
Immigrant Detention
U.S.-Mexico Border Enforcement
Immigration Services Reform
Skilled-Worker Visas
Bilingual Education
'Official English' Laws
Noncitizen Voting Rights
The U.S. is a nation of immigrants, but not everyone agrees about whether that is a
positive or a negative thing. Are immigrants a boon to the U.S., adding to the cultural
and religious diversity of the country and providing a boost to the economy by taking
low-wage jobs that Americans do not want? Or do they strain public resources and take
jobs from American workers? Have immigrants been an unfair target of government
scrutiny in the war against terrorism?
Civilian Volunteer Border Patrols
Immigration Law and Terrorism
Political Asylum
Haitian Asylum Policy
Intelligence Gathering
Intelligence gathering has long played a crucial role in U.S. policy, both foreign and
domestic. But some have criticized intelligence agencies' methods of collecting
information. Should there be restrictions on how intelligence officers can operate? Or
should they be able to use whatever means necessary, even if those means are
considered unethical? How effective and relevant are the U.S.'s intelligence gathering
agencies in the post-Cold-War world?
Ethics of Intelligence Gathering
Torture
Rendition of Terrorism Suspects
Assassinations
Intelligence-Community Reform
FBI Reorganization
FBI Scandals
Internet Issues
The Internet has revolutionized many aspects of daily life, as people increasingly use it
to communicate with one another, obtain information and shop. But the growth of the
Internet has also raised several questions, including to what degree Internet content
should be regulated, and how to protect sensitive online information and transactions.
Should the government have a say in what online content is acceptable? Or is online
communication essentially a form of speech, which is protected by the First
Amendment? Will greater regulation make the Internet more secure, or needlessly
restrict it?
Municipal Broadband Internet Access
Military Internet Security
Internet Gambling
User-Edited Online Content
Social Networking Web Sites
U.S. Internet Companies in China
Internet Control
Internet Filtering Software
Internet Regulation
Electronic Privacy
Computer Hacking
Internet Taxation
Music on the Internet
Internet Voting
Internet Campaigning
Internet Advertising
Land and Water Use
The federal government oversees many aspects of public life: It makes laws, determines
how the U.S. interacts with foreign nations, and seeks to provide for the poor. But to
what extent should government control extend to the land on which people live? Who
should be in charge of managing the nation's land, especially when that land could be a
valuable natural resource?
Desertification
Property-Rights Laws
Federal Land Use
Forest Management
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Logging in National Forests
Wetlands Regulation
National Parks Policy
Wildfire Prevention
Private Ownership of Public Space
Memorial Building
World War II Memorial
Water Privatization
Water Use in the West
Medical Ethics
Medical ethics encompasses a wide array of decisions that doctors and researchers have
to make. Is it ethical for doctors to perform abortions, or to help end the life of
terminally ill patients who are suffering? Is it ethical to test medications or treatments
on human subjects when their effects are still unknown?
Assisted Suicide
Genetic Testing
Stem-Cell Research
Gene Therapy Research
Euthanasia
Reproductive Technology
Human Trials
Organ Allocation
Medical Malpractice
News Coverage Issues
The Internet and growth in popularity of cable networks have dramatically changed the
nature of news coverage, giving people 24-hour access to the news. Does the around-theclock news coverage provide an easy and convenient way for people to become
informed? Or does the pressure on networks to rush to report events, perhaps even
before all of the facts are known, weaken the integrity of journalism? In addition to new
questions raised by the 24-hour news cycle, other, more long-standing questions remain.
For instance, Is there a bias in the media? Should reporters ever have to reveal their
sources?
National Security and the Media
24-Hour News Cycle
Prepackaged News Segments
Media Bias
Press Freedom
Online Journalism
Reporters' Testimonial Privilege
Confidentiality of Reporters' Sources
Wartime Journalism
Journalists' Safety
Public Broadcasting
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
More than nine billion trips were made on public transportation in 2003, and 587
million passengers traveled via airplane. Millions more traveled by automobile. How
great a role should the government play in funding and regulating mass transportation
and overseeing the nation's roads and highways? How can the safety of all travelers
best be assured in light of concerns about terrorism?
Infrastructure Upkeep
Transatlantic Flight Deregulation
Trucking Safety
Airline Bailouts
Airline Strikes
Airline Regulation
Aviation Safety
Air-Travel Delays
Traffic Congestion
Mass-Transit Security
Fuel Prices
Amtrak's Future
Auto Safety
Teen Driving
Sport Utility Vehicles
Mass-Transit Funding
Fuel Economy Standards
Gasoline Taxes
Speed Limits
All-Terrain Vehicle Safety
Population Growth and Control
The total global population surpassed six billion shortly before 2000, and is projected to
reach nine billion by the mid-21st century. Is the growth in population a problem that
should be addressed? Or is it simply a component of human progress? In the U.S.,
should the government promote family-planning efforts and birth control to reduce
teen pregnancy? Or does government involvement in promoting birth control violate
many people's religious beliefs?
Global Population Growth
Birth-Control Policy
Teen Pregnancy
Sex Education
Abstinence-Only Education
Prescription Drugs
Americans spent more than $170 billion on prescription drugs in 2004, according to the
National Association of Chain Drug Stores. But while Americans continue to buy
prescription drugs en masse, concerns are being voiced about the affordability and
safety of the drugs. Is better regulation of the prescription drug industry necessary? Or
is the industry already overregulated?
Prescription Drugs
FDA Drug Approval Process
Prescription Drug Pricing
Prescription Drug Advertising
Antidepressant Drugs
Drug Patents and Developing Countries
Alternative Medicine
Herbal Supplements
Prison Issues
With mandatory sentencing laws and a "get tough on crime" approach, the nation's
prisons have filled; in 2001, the number of people incarcerated in the U.S. passed two
million, and many prisons are operating over capacity. Much of the overcrowding has
been fueled by a recidivism rate of over 60%, sparking debate over whether the best
approach is to build more prisons or to focus on rehabilitating prisoners so they do not
return to crime once released from prison. Can criminals be truly rehabilitated? What
role can the prison system play in that process?
Prisoners' Rights
Prison Overcrowding
Prisoner Rehabilitation and Recidivism
'Three-Strikes' Crime Laws
Mandatory Sentencing
Parole
Postsecondary Prisoner Education
Prison Privatization
Privacy and Technology
With the rapid growth of technology and the Internet, personal information about
people is collected and stored easily today. People often leave "footprints" behind
without realizing it, such as an image captured by a surveillance camera or personal
data when they order something online. While that can bring security and convenience,
it also opens the risk of violating people's privacy and allowing their personal
information to be misused, such as for identity theft. Does privacy need to be better
safeguarded? How can such safeguards be achieved?
Biometrics
Commercial Personal Data Collection
Electronic Privacy
Computer Hacking
DNA Databases
Surveillance Cameras
National Identification Cards
Student ID Cards
Religion and Morality in Schools
Since the 1980s, debate over what should be taught in public schools has reached a
boiling point in several parts of the country. That debate grows particularly heated
when religion is at issue, as it is in the recent controversy surrounding the teaching of
evolution and creationism in the classroom. To what extent is religion permissible in the
classroom?
Religion and School Curriculum
School Prayer
Pledge of Allegiance
Ten Commandments in Schools
Character Education
Church-State Separation
Sports in Society
Sports are a big business in the U.S., as every year millions flock to stadiums and ball
parks to cheer on their favorite teams. But the image of sports has recently taken a hit;
the National Hockey League season was cancelled over a labor dispute, and it was
revealed that several prominent athletes have used performance-enhancing substances.
What role do sports play in society? What impact do sports have on young people?
Performance-Enhancing Substances
Race in Sports
Professional Sports Salaries
Cheerleading
Boxing Regulation
Professional Basketball Dress Code
Baseball's Future
Sports-Stadium Funding
Teenage Athletes In Professional Sports
Title IX
Student Athlete Compensation
Students' Rights
While most students would not argue against the importance of mandatory education,
many complain that their constitutional rights to free speech and privacy are unfairly
restricted while they are in school. Are measures such as random drug and weapon
searches and the prohibition of inflammatory statements in the best interests of the
students, creating a safe atmosphere for learning? Or are they an unfair violation of
constitutional rights?
Drug Testing
Campus Policing
Animal Dissection
School Uniforms
Students' Rights
Student ID Cards
Zero Tolerance
Pledge of Allegiance
Boarding Schools for Troubled Teens
Community Service Requirements in
Schools
Television Content
On average, teenagers spend more than 20 hours per week watching TV. And since
parents cannot always monitor what their children watch, concern about the influence
of TV over young people has sparked calls for tighter regulation of TV content. Is
regulation of TV content censorship? Or is it necessary to protect society?
Children's Television
Public Broadcasting
Broadcast Decency Rules
Television Content
Television Violence Update
Television-Ratings Code
Televised Executions
U.S. Influence in the World
As the sole remaining superpower, the U.S. plays a large role in the world. But some
argue that the U.S. plays too great a role. Should the U.S. play a leading role in the
affairs of other countries, or adopt a more noninterventionist approach? As a world
leader, how much responsibility does the U.S. have to countries in need? Is it beneficial
or harmful for the U.S. to attempt to spread its values to other countries?
U.S. Role In the World
U.S. Foreign Aid
Exporting Democracy
Nation Building
U.S. Commitment to Europe
U.S. Internet Companies in China
Tourism in Authoritarian Countries
Women's Issues
In the 20th century, women gained the right to vote and enter into many professions
formerly dominated by men. Women now run major companies, serve as high-ranking
public officials and play professional sports. But the inclusion of women in certain areas
of life, such as in the military, still sparks controversy. Have women achieved full
equality with men? Or are there challenges they still have to overcome, such as
objectification and sexual harassment?
Women in the Military
Women in the Workforce
Title IX
Affirmative Action
Sexual Harassment
Feminism
Treaty for the Rights of Women
Breast Implants
Single-Sex Education
Single-Sex Private Clubs
Breast Cancer Screening
Domestic Violence
Beauty Pageants
Teens and Cosmetic Surgery
Workplace Concerns
The American workplace is continually evolving: More people are working from home,
jobs are outsourced overseas, and the work force has become more diverse than ever
before. What is the best way to prepare today's young people for good jobs in
tomorrow's economy?
Paid Vacation Time
Mine Safety
Outsourcing White-Collar Jobs
Labor Unions
Religion in the Workplace
Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate Downsizing
Executive Pay
Tomorrow's Workforce
Women in the Workforce
Telecommuting
Sexual Harassment
Affirmative Action
Worker Safety
Ergonomic Standards
Sweatshops
Immigration
Skilled-Worker Visas
Contingent Workers' Rights
Youth Issues
Society generally recognizes people to be adults once they pass the age of 18. While
teens share several of the same concerns as adults, there are many issues that are
unique to young people. What should the age limit be on activities such as driving?
Should teens be treated differently than adults in the justice system? To what extent
should students enjoy the right to privacy in schools?
Video Games and Violence
Boot Camps for Juvenile Offenders
School Safety
School Uniforms
Teen Driving
Cellular Telephone Bans
Social Networking Web Sites
Minimum Drinking Age
Hip-Hop Culture
Bullying
Juvenile Justice
Juvenile Death Penalty
Teen Courts
Student ID Cards
Teen Curfews
Teen Gangs
Youth Depression
Teens and Cosmetic Surgery
Youth-Oriented Advertising