200 Position Paper Topics Categorized by Field, Difficulty, and Relevance

It’s time for another writing assignment. You’ve shown your professors that you have a knack for writing by scoring some good grades and even helping a few of your classmates. But now’s the time for you to really test your skills by writing a position paper.

As you look for paper help, keep reading this article for a definition of what a position paper is, followed by 200 position paper topics.

What Is a Position Paper?

A position paper, sometimes referred to as an “argumentative paper,” tests your research and debating skills as a writer. A position paper takes a position or side in an argument with the ultimate goal of convincing the reader to take the same position. A good position paper will follow a few guidelines.

1. The subject of a position paper is something where there’s often widespread disagreement. It’s okay to be controversial in position papers!
2. Position papers require a fair amount of research. Although the position you take in a position paper is your opinion, your opinion needs to be based on facts to make it credible and authoritative.
3. You have wide latitude when deciding on a topic. Position papers can involve definitions of terms, political ideas, ethical issues, or just about anything where there’s a significant difference of opinion. When considering a topic for a position paper, don’t limit yourself!

Now that you know what a position paper is, keep reading for 200 topic ideas that will help you in the brainstorming process.

Best Topics for Position Paper

• Should college be tuition-free?
• Should the US government invest more in public transportation?
• Should tobacco be illegal?
• Is it time to end the War on Drugs?
• Is the death penalty an effective crime deterrent?
• How much immigration is too much?
• Argue for rehabilitation or punishment in correctional systems
• Is the First Amendment absolute?
• Should the US reduce its military?
• Should gun laws be loosened in a certain country?

Good Position Paper Topics

• Should the government invest more or less in education?
• Best methods for home defense
• When are taxes too much?
• Should citizens be able to vote on all major issues?
• Should citizens be able to vote for candidates online?
• What should be done with the homeless problem?
• Alternative ways governments could’ve handled COVID-19
• What can be done to make the internet more accessible?
• Should the movie industry stay out of politics?
• Should the government do more for rural areas?

Easy Topics for Position Paper

• Should city governments enact teen curfews?
• Physical discipline of children
• At what age should the government recognize its citizens as adults?
• The argument for or against children having pets
• Should children be given firearms training?
• The best way to curb youth drinking
• Should puppy mills be banned?
• The best way to curb youth bullying
• Should pregnant mothers be allowed to choose who adopts their children?
• Should the death penalty be abolished or expanded?

Interesting Position Paper Topics

• The best way to communicate with someone – in person or electronically?
• Should the idea of “fat acceptance” be dropped?
• Should everyone have the same medical insurance?
• The benefits of a bachelor’s life
• Why studying classic literature is still useful
• Should politicians be forced to work “real” jobs?
• Should stem cell research be banned or promoted?
• Should we continue to drill for oil until it’s all gone?
• Should religious institutions receive tax-exempt status?
• Why board games are better than video games

Debatable Topics for Position Paper

• Should morals be taught in schools?
• Is DEI worth saving in the workplace?
• Should the minimum wage be raised or lowered?
• The influence of religion on government
• Should child labor laws be rewritten?
• Some alternatives to incarceration
• For or against hunting?
• Should seatbelts be mandatory?
• Space travel for civilians
• Eliminate or increase welfare programs

Argumentative Position Paper Topics

• Argue for teachers’ rights to carry guns in schools
• Argue for saving money by cutting spending
• Argue against a nation’s specific military intervention
• Argue on behalf of girls in martial arts
• Argue against public funding for television and radio stations
• Argue for higher pay for nurses
• Argue for a compromise between “green” and “cheap” energy
• Argue against a particular style of government
• Argument against a specific court ruling
• Argue on behalf of government spending for the arts

Controversial Topics for Position Paper

• Argue for or against transgender males competing in girls’/women’s sports
• Should parents who don’t pay child support be sent to jail?
• Should the legal voting age be lowered?
• Create an argument against democracy
• Create an argument in support of war
• Take a side for or against Palestine or Israel
• Argue in support of the incel movement
• Argue in support of eliminating all national borders
• What’s the limit on self-defense?
• Should the government enact higher tariffs?

Position Paper Topics by Education Level

Position Paper Topics for High School Students

• Should national service be mandatory?
• Argue for alternatives to letter grades
• Should violence on TV be curtailed?
• Should parents be more involved in their teens’ social lives?
• Should the government promote vocational schools?
• Promote the idea of weight training for high school students
• Argue on behalf of public transportation
• Should high schools have dress codes, or not?
• Should students be able to choose their schools?
• Are college entrance exams an accurate indicator of a student’s abilities?

Position Paper Topics for College Students

• Should studying abroad be part of every college curriculum?
• Should the legal voting age be increased to 21?
• Argue in favor of eliminating many humanities majors
• Should the legal driving age be increased to 18?
• The benefits of attending a religious-based school
• Should universities play a more active role against binge drinking
• Argue for or against contraceptives being handed out on college campuses
• Should campus political demonstrations be more tightly controlled?
• The merits, or not, of college faculty tenure
• Should the number of foreign students be decreased or increased?

Position Paper Topics by Subject Area

Position Paper Topics on Education

• Teacher pay should be based on student outcomes
• The benefits of online learning
• Should the government curtail the power of teachers’ unions?
• The benefits of traditional lecture courses
• Should art classes be promoted more at all educational levels?
• Defend a non-traditional method of teaching
• Argue on behalf of mental health support in schools
• Should governments increase funding for special needs programs?
• The benefits of Reserve Officer Training (ROTC) programs in schools
• Should teachers be required to take skill tests every year?

Position Paper Health Topics

• Consider that healthy people should be paid by insurance companies
• Should non-Western medicine and remedies be promoted?
• Should drug addicts receive the same medical care as everyone else?
• Should illegal immigrants receive health insurance?
• Argue for or against animal testing for medicine
• Argue in favor of eating a low-carb diet
• The benefits of a regular cardio routine
• Is nanotechnology the future of medicine?
• The best way to avoid major surgeries

Position Paper Topics About Mental Health

• Advocate for early mental health screening for children
• Is obesity a mental health problem?
• Should employers offer more mental health outreach to employees?
• Should psychology classes be mandatory in high school?
• The benefits of pets on mental health
• The negative, or positive, links between marijuana use and mental health
• Do psychiatrists overprescribe medication?
• The effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on greater society
• Should governments prevent people with learning disabilities from having children?

Position Paper Nursing Topics

• Should nurses be forced to work in potentially deadly situations?
• Should nurses be paid more?
• Should governments recruit potential nurses and pay for their education?
• Advocate for utilizing home nursing alternatives
• Promote the idea of nurses’ unions
• Advocate for private nursing companies
• Should nurses be given more or less power to prescribe drugs?
• The benefits of having more nurses in small towns
• Argue for making nursing school tougher

Policy Position Paper Topics

• Should governments promote nationalism?
• A policy to promote national unity
• A policy to decrease political party corruption
• Argue for or against a global government
• Should governments adopt a harder line against pollution?
• What should a government’s policy be toward a “rogue state”?
• Argue on behalf of a community policing policy in a particular city
• Explore the impact of low tax policies on the poor
• Should governments pursue a “peace at all costs” policy?

Position Paper Topics on Social Issues

• Should the government be involved in people’s bedrooms?
• Explore ways to reduce domestic violence
• Should the government do more to reduce racial discrimination?
• Should the government pay for more social workers?
• Argue that churches do a better job than governments at alleviating social problems
• Advocate for including people with disabilities more in society
• Should prisoners be totally isolated from society?
• Should governments promote religious schools?
• Argue for or against lowering the legal age of marriage

Position Paper Topics About Social Media

• Can social media lead to criminal behavior?
• Should governments limit children’s ability to access social media?
• Argue for or against increased social media in the classroom
• The benefits of using social media for a small business
• Explore how social media has been positive in society
• Should parents be more active in their children’s social media accounts?
• Are there some social media accounts that should be banned?
• Advocate for total free speech on all social media platforms
• Should social media platforms be considered public utilities?

Position Paper Topics About Technology

• Argue for Bitcoin becoming legal tender
• Should the government invest in driverless automobile technology?
• Should the government provide free internet access to all?
• Should internet providers be considered public utilities?
• Advocate for more digital privacy laws
• Argue for the positive or negative effects AI has had on society
• Argue for human colonization of the Moon
• Should the government build cities in the oceans?
• Argue that blockchain is the most important technology of the future

Position Paper Topics About Sports

• The best sport to play to lose weight
• Are professional athletes paid too much, too little, or just right?
• Should the government invest in sports programs to combat the obesity epidemic?
• Should college athletes be paid?
• The benefits that high school sports coaches have on society
• Should there be limits on how much high schools can spend on sports programs?
• Argue for or against legal sports betting
• Should horse racing be banned?
• Advocate for eSports being considered true sports

Science Position Paper Topics

• What should be done to increase youth interest in STEM subjects?
• Should evolution be taught as a scientific fact or a theory?
• Should the government invest more in research of alternative fuel sources?
• Argue for teaching practical science to young children
• Argue that science does not contradict religion
• The financial benefits of a science degree
• Advocate for increasing automation in the workplace
• Argue for or against genetically modified foods
• Should the government fund large-scale desalination projects?

Position Paper Topics for Criminal Justice

• What can be done about juvenile crime?
• Should first-time criminal offenders be given lighter sentences?
• Are privacy laws a hindrance to preventing crime?
• Argue for the construction of new prisons to combat crime
• Argue for the legalization of all illicit drugs to combat crime
• Should minors charged as adults for murder be eligible for the death penalty?
• What can be done to ensure that those with less money have access to good lawyers?
• Should cameras be allowed in courtrooms?
• Should police officers be required to have college degrees?

State Your Position!

Writing a position paper can be as fun and rewarding as it is challenging. Remember to keep an open mind when choosing a topic and don’t be afraid to go above and beyond to challenge your assumptions. Personally, when I write position papers, I like to take a position that’s opposite to what I believe.

Taking the opposite position is a good way to learn about the other side of an issue, which will help you if you ever find yourself in an argument on that particular topic. Who knows, after doing the research and writing the paper, you may even change your viewpoint. Change is a part of life, so don’t be afraid to change your opinions!

If you liked this article and found it helpful, check out some other recent articles by our team on other writing topics. The article on synthesis essay topics will help you brainstorm ideas for that type of essay. Also, be sure to read the article on using transition words to start a paragraph in an essay, which will make your writing clearer and flow better.

Good luck in your future writing endeavors!