Constructing a policy speech may appear to be very similar to creating a persuasive speech. Although it is true that a policy speech is a type of persuasive speech, and many of the rules for persuasive speeches will indeed apply, a policy speech is a very particular type of persuasive presentation, and the speaker needs to be aware of some important guidelines before choosing their topic.
A policy speech will essentially be a persuasive speech on some area of public policy. The subject can be an existing public policy, along with the speaker’s statements either supporting or opposing the policy. It may also be a proposed policy that the speaker believes is ineffective. Finally, the speech may concern a public problem and the speaker’s own ideas on how it could best be solved. This could be the speaker’s own ideas, or any combination of ideas already proposed by experts.
The speaker’s first challenge is to clearly describe the problem, and to persuade the audience to care about seeking a resolution. If the audience does not understand why the issue is important to society, and how it affects them personally, the rest of the speech is unlikely to be successful. The chosen problem may be a well-known controversial issue, or it may be a new concern that is unfamiliar to the audience. Regardless, the key to a successful speech is getting the audience to understand the problem, and to instill in them a desire to solve it.
The second part of the speech will present the policy in question. The speaker will share their opinion on the procedure, specifically whether or not they believe it will be effective. It is important to remember that this should be an educated opinion, not simply an emotional viewpoint. For example, a speaker should not argue an abortion topic from an emotional perspective, but rather with scientific facts and reliable researched data.
The speech’s topic should concern a problematic subject area that will elicit audience participation in solving it. It should also be a topic in which the speaker can become highly proficient, and there should be adequate research and data to back up any argument for or against the subject. At the end of the speech, the speaker’s goal may be to ask for passive agreement, or to call for the audience to take immediate action.
Please also see other topic ideas: list of persuasive topics, list of informative topics, and list of argumentative speech topics.
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List of policy persuasive speech topics
- Adoptees Right-to-Know Law
- Affirmative Action
- Aggregate productivity
- Agricultural Policy
- Agricultural subsidies damage African nations
- Art Censorship
- Attendance Policies (School, Work, etc.)
- Ban car racing in mass pollution areas
- Break Periods
- Censorship of Music
- Change K- School Start Times
- Client Complaints Procedures
- Climate Change Policy
- Company policy on computer usage
- Controlling the transportation fairs
- Corruption and bribery run today’s economy
- Crime Prevention
- Defense budget priorities
- Defense budget reduction
- Do you think immigration laws need to be revised
- Domestic Violence Drug Policy
- Downsizing Schools/Classrooms
- Drug Testing In The Workplace
- Election reform
- Emergency Procedures
- Eminent Domain
- Environmental sciences
- Equal Employment Opportunities
- Expanding Oil and Gas Drilling
- Female Genital Mutilation
- Feminists should be terminated
- Financial Assistance for Students
- Flood victims’ reforms
- Foreign Policy
- Freedom of Expression / Freedom of Speech
- Gambling Age should be Lowered
- Global Warming Laws
- Harassment Precautions
- Health Care Policy
- Hygiene Standards
- Identification Protocols
- Immigration Policies
- Job Discrimination based on Hair Color/Style
- Language Policy
- Legalizing prostitution could avoid campus date rape incidents
- Legalizing the sale of human organs could help reduce the lack of organ donors
- Maintaining Discipline in the Campus
- Medical Examination
- Merit Pay for Teachers
- National Tobacco Settlement
- Obstruction of Justice Laws
- Our constitution should protect hate speech
- Our foreign agenda for the United Nations
- Parents should be held responsible for their children’s actions
- Parliamentary terms should be limited
- Pension reform
- Police Brutality
- Policy to avoid betting in sporting events
- Political organizations should be forbidden at campuses
- Pornography on the Internet
- Prisoners’ Reforms
- Privacy Codes
- Racism and Racial Slurs (1st Amendment)
- Recycling Rules
- Regulations on applying safety devices
- School physical education should be required
- School Uniforms
- Sensor policy on the use of internet
- Sex education should stay the responsibility of the parents
- Sexist images of women should be banned
- Should our prison system change
- should teacher be graded
- Skateboarding Policies
- Smokers should be treated as drug addicts
- Social Security Reform
- State and church should be combined
- Sticking to the scheduled work hours and no two hour lunches
- Taxes (i.e. “sin” taxes, car taxes, taxation of the super rich)
- Teachers and Tenure
- Technical Loopholes in Law
- Teen Dating Violence Laws Strengthened
- The morning-after pill should be freely prescribed in drugstores and pharmacies
- The Patriot Act
- There is nothing wrong with the contents of Ten Commandments
- Trying Children as Adults
- U.S. policy toward Cuba
- VA Demerit Point System (driving)
- Videotaping In The Workplace
- Visitation Rules at your University/College
- Voter registration and absentee ballot
- Voting System (electoral college)
- Welfare mothers should be treated as working mothers
- Welfare reform
- What should be the minimum age for the voter?
- Whistleblower Procedure
- Why meals in school should be free
- Why restaurants who fail the health inspection the first time should be closed down
- Women in the Military
- Work Hours Plans
- Good governance means openness, transparency and accountability.
- Involvement of animals in research should be minimized, there are alternatives.
- Warrantless search and seizure must be allowed in the war on drugs and narcotics.
- We must ensure greater protection for marine environment biodiversity trough international protocols.
- There is nothing wrong with Double Dipping in collecting retirement pensions and company paycheck at the same time.
- We should spend 0.7 % of our gross national income on projects of international development.
- Guarantee free personal care for people with highest needs and serious diseases.
- Why invading North Korea is a no go plan.
- Tax exemptions on church property should be used for charitable and community work only.
- Terrorists should be tried in military tribunals and not in the regular criminal justice system.
- Why cities should insist on having their own local economic development policy.
- It is an illusion that green jobs are contributing to the economy and environment.
- Regulations to encourage healthy weight conditions among our youth.
- Stop clothing and textiles sweatshops.
- Support scholarship programs for street kids and at-risk kids.
- Eliminate weapons-usable materials from stores and shops.
- Administrative divisions ought to provide meaningful opportunities for disabled persons to access.
- The Kyoto Protocol does not effectively address carbon emission.
- Sanctions on Myanmar are largely ineffective.
- Western politicians should do more for the people on the African continent.
- Provide everywhere in our town access for people with disabilities. Parking, sanitary and access to a building.
- All voters should be required to show a photo identification or a fingerprint.
- Limit the President’s power to impose political sanctions on foreign nations. Using the blocking of assets method and trade restrictions often are effective.
- Everyone should have free access to some health care services.
- Urban shelters could help the homeless survive.
- We should spend more money to improve highways and railroads.
- We should not allow that the poor sell their organs for money.
- Housing, hiring and education must be equal for all.
- The government should spend more money to explore space solar systems.
- Corporation should have an accountability policy.
- It should be more difficult to get a divorce.
- Garbage recycling should be required.
- Sex-segregating classes improve achievements.
- Media producers should not prosecute students for downloading music education.
- K-12 students should learn a foreign language.
- Improving the economic infrastructure is the key to Middle East stability.
- Why smokers deserve rights.
- Stop child slave labor.
- Prohibit airliners to charge extra carry-on luggage fees.
- Offer appropriate and affordable housing to all citizens, just like companies do with expat housing for their overseas workers.
- Initiate a self-regulatory policy for the media.
- Nationalize oil spilling companies and seize all oil resources.
- Form a military alliance with East Asian countries.
- Enact laws to fight corruption in Africa to ensure economic growth and prosperity.
- Abolish diplomatic immunity for criminal activities.
- Guarantee fundamental rights for victims of cybercrime.
- Discontinue medically drugs that are unnecessary.
- Shut down all domestic internet traffic for state security reasons.
- Punish severely pupils taking drugs.
- Promote world literacy by adopting a school in development nations.
- Implement bullying policies.
- Ensure that the foods served are nutritionally balanced.
- Enact harsh penalties against public offensive behavior.
- Provide safe alternatives to regular vehicular travel.
- No-fly lists of airliners do have a lack of accuracy.
- We need an international forestry agency.
- Water is a hot issue in the Middle East.
- An international certification system for diamond exploration prevents conflict-diamonds trade.
- Russia is a growing threat.
- Cut import taxes for tourists in towns that need more income revenues.
- Impose a second home ownership tax.
- The government should cooperate with China.
- Police and community should join efforts to prevent crime.
- Employers should have the right to know a co-worker has HIV.
- Why China’s one-child policy violated basic human rights.
- The European Union have a federal president.
- The use of drugs in sport should be legalized.
- Parents should have to obtain a license for having children.
- Recycling should be the cornerstone of the environment policy course of action.
- Should we outlaw modifying genes or should we allow biotech interventions?
- Every nation should accommodate asylum seekers who are entering the country with a legal visa?
Issues of housing
should teachers get graded