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IDEA Youth Forum 2010
The 16th annual Forum takes place in the Netherlands!
More about this event
International Public Policy Forum
The only contest that gives high school students across the globe the opportunity to participate in written and oral debates on issues of public policy! And for HUGE prizes!
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2011 Bosnia and Herzegovina Leadership Program
Exact dates TBA. Eighteen high school students and three teachers from Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) attend the highly interactive Youth Leadership Program and accompanying Teacher Professional Development Program, in Salem, Oregon, and Washington, DC.
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Debatabase Themes
 Search Junior Topics
Aboriginals, Treatment of
created: 01/28/03, modified: 01/28/03
Should aboriginals be treated differentially?
Abortion
created: 09/29/00, modified: 04/13/09
Should abortion be permitted?
Abortion, Parental Consent
created: 12/02/02, modified: 06/08/05
Should parental consent be required for underage pregnant women to have abortions?
Abortion, Partial Birth
created: 12/02/02, modified: 12/02/02
Should partial-birth abortion be banned?
Academic qualification ensures success in life?
created: 05/21/09, modified: 01/14/10
Academic qualifications are commonly felt to give a person the best chance of success in life. How far is this true?
Adoption of Children by Same Sex Couples
created: 10/27/00, modified: 05/18/09
Should gay couples be given the same legal rights as heterosexuals in adopting children?
Adoption, International
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 04/06/09
Should couples be banned from adopting children overseas?
Advertisements do more harm than good
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 12/08/07, modified: 06/12/10
Is having widespread advertising good for a society?
Advertising, Targeting of Children
created: 01/04/03, modified: 01/04/03
Should there be a ban on television advertisements aimed at children?
Affirmative action in education
created: 09/05/09, modified: 09/05/09
Should universities use positive discrimination to increase diversity?
Afghanistan, Invasion of
created: 02/19/02, modified: 07/24/06
Should the USA and its allies have invaded Afghanistan?
African Affairs, Intervention in
created: 11/01/00, modified: 07/14/09
Should African disputes and conflicts be handled by African countries themselves, rather than by external international organisations?
African Languages in African Schools
created: 10/31/00, modified: 05/20/09
Should native tongues take precedence in African schools, or should English and other non-African languages be the languages of the school room?
African Union
created: 05/17/03, modified: 07/24/06
Should countries in Africa become a political and economic union?
Age Discrimination
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 04/06/09
Should age discrimination be made illegal in the workplace?
Age of Consent, Lowering Of
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 04/04/09
Should age of consent laws be made more liberal?
AIDS Drugs for Developing Countries
created: 09/19/00, modified: 04/12/09
Should AIDS drugs be made cheaper for developing countries?
Alcohol
created: 11/13/00, modified: 08/22/09
Should the sale and consumption of alcohol – the world’s favourite drug – be further restricted, or even banned?
Alternative Vote
created: 06/07/10, modified: 08/20/10
Should the current electoral system be replaced with the Alternative Voting System?
American way of life, rejection of
created: 12/12/05, modified: 01/05/06
Should we reject the American way of life?
Anarchism
created: 06/24/01, modified: 08/28/09
Is Anarchism a valuable political ideology?
Animal Experimentation
created: 06/28/00, modified: 04/07/09
Is it morally acceptable to experiment on non-human animals to develop products and medicines that benefit human beings?
Animal Rights
created: 06/30/00, modified: 04/09/09
Do non-human animals have rights?
Animals in Sports and Entertainment
created: 06/30/00, modified: 04/08/09
Should human beings be allowed to use other animals as objects of sport and entertainment?
Anorexics, Force-Feeding of
created: 07/20/02, modified: 07/20/02
Should the medical profession force-feed anorexics as part of their treatment?
Antarctic Exploitation
created: 02/01/04, modified: 07/24/06
Should the present ban on exploiting the resources of the Antarctic be maintained?
Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOS) [UK]
created: 01/15/06, modified: 04/24/06
Should Anti-Social Behaviour Orders be scrapped?
Armed Police
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 04/04/09
Should a police force be routinely armed?
Arms Trade, role of the United Nations and US interests
created: 01/15/06, modified: 07/24/06
Should the US push the UN to restrict arms trading to rogue nations?
Arranged Marriages
created: 11/13/02, modified: 11/13/02
Should arranged marriages be outlawed?
Arts Subsidies, Abolition of
created: 04/24/01, modified: 08/26/09
Should government subsidy of the arts be ended?
ASEAN, Abolition of
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 04/04/09
Should the Association of Southeast Asian Nations be abandoned?
Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate
created: 12/01/05, modified: 07/24/06
Should the USA pursue the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate as a response to climate change concerns rather than working through the UN?
Assassination of a Dictator
created: 10/27/00, modified: 05/18/09
Can the assassination of a dictator be justified?
Assisted Suicide/Voluntary Euthanasia
created: 11/01/00, modified: 07/14/09
Should assisted suicide be legalised?
Asylum seekers, welcome for
created: 12/29/07, modified: 07/26/10
What obligations should nation-states have to those seeking asylum?
Attorney-Client Privilege
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 04/04/09
Should the attorney-client privilege be abolished?
Aviation, international taxation of
created: 01/06/06, modified: 07/24/06
Should aviation fuel for domestic and international flights be taxed to combat climate change? Could such a tax be used to fund development aid? Are there viable alternatives?
Balance in the media
created: 09/04/08, modified: 06/01/10
Should news broadcasters be required to be balanced and impartial in their reporting of events?
Ban Cheerleaders from professional sporting events?
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 01/31/10, modified: 01/31/10
Should cheerleaders be banned from performing at professional sporting events?
Bank Bailouts
created: 06/12/09, modified: 05/31/10
Should the government bailout banks and financial institutions?
Beauty Contests
created: 05/17/03, modified: 05/17/03
Are beauty contests harmful?
Beijing Olympics, Boycott
created: 09/09/07, modified: 06/19/10
Should we refuse to send a team to the Beijing Olympics in 2008?
Bilateral vs Multilateral Aid
created: 09/12/05, modified: 07/24/06
Should the USA prefer to give aid money bilaterally (directly to individual countries or projects) or multilaterally (channelling it through United Nations agencies, World Bank, NGOs, etc.)?
Bill of Rights [UK]
created: 08/07/01, modified: 10/29/09
Should the UK have a Bill of Rights ?
Biodiversity and Endangered Species
created: 06/30/00, modified: 04/08/09
Should we be trying to prevent species becoming extinct? If so, why?
Biofuels
created: 08/21/07, modified: 08/21/10
Are biofuels a better alternative to fossil fuels? Should their use be encouraged by government regulations and subsidy?
Biological parenthood, should not be taken into account in custody hearings
created: 10/04/09, modified: 10/04/09
Should judges be allowed to take into account whether or not a parent is biologically related to a child when making decisions in a custody hearing?
Blood Sports
created: 12/02/02, modified: 12/02/02
Should blood sports be banned?
Boarding School
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 04/04/09
Is boarding school beneficial to children?
Boxing, Abolition of
created: 11/13/02, modified: 01/16/06
Should boxing be banned?
Boxing, ban (Junior topic)
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 01/19/06, modified: 01/19/06
Should boxing be banned?
Breath Tests, Random
created: 01/15/06, modified: 11/30/-1
Are random breath tests for drivers a good idea?
Bribery / Corruption
created: 09/17/03, modified: 07/24/06
Is it ever acceptable to pay a bribe? Should companies who pay bribes abroad be prosecuted for it in their own countries? Should the ones who give bribes be treated equally to those who take bribes?
Britain’s EU Rebate, end
created: 01/04/06, modified: 11/30/-1
Should Britain give up its annual rebate on its payments to the European Union?
Broadcasting, reintroducing the Fairness Doctrine
created: 08/27/07, modified: 08/16/10
Should the Fairness Doctrine be reintroduced in the USA?
Busing
created: 09/01/09, modified: 09/01/09
Should children be ‘bused’ to schools outside of their neighbourhood, to ensure diversity within schools?
Calendar Reform
created: 11/06/00, modified: 08/19/09
Should the current Gregorian calendar be reformed? Should worldwide calendars be standardised?
Cameras in Courtrooms
created: 09/26/00, modified: 04/12/09
Should cameras be placed in courtrooms so that criminal trials can be televised?
Campaign Finance Reform
created: 09/17/03, modified: 09/17/03
Should limits or regulations be placed on how candidates raise funds, and/or spend them, during political campaigns?
Can africa develop?
created: 08/28/10, modified: 11/30/-1
Canadian Senate Elections
created: 06/12/09, modified: 06/12/09
Should the Canadian Senate be elected?
Cannabis, Legalisation of
created: 11/07/00, modified: 08/19/09
Should Cannabis/Marijuana be legalised?
Capital Punishment
created: 11/13/00, modified: 08/22/09
Is it ever justifiable to execute criminals?
Capitalism vs Socialism
created: 09/13/05, modified: 07/24/06
Which is the superior system – capitalism, or socialism?
Carbon Emissions, Market vs. Regulatory Approaches
created: 09/30/07, modified: 08/21/10
Do market approaches have greater potential to reduce carbon emission than regulatory approaches?
Catholic Church’s Contraception policy
created: 08/01/06, modified: 08/27/10
Should the Roman Catholic Church change its current position of forbidding the use of contraception?
Celebrities, should get greater protection?
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 01/31/10, modified: 01/31/10
Should celebrities have greater protection from the media?
Censorship of the Arts
created: 07/20/00, modified: 04/09/09
What is the right balance to strike between freedom of and restrictions upon artistic expression?
Chapter 11-style Bankruptcy Provisions
created: 01/14/06, modified: 11/30/-1
Should countries adopt U.S.-style provisions which allow companies to trade in bankruptcy?
Chechnya, Intervention in
created: 04/23/01, modified: 07/24/06
Should outside nations or international organisations become involved in the military conflict in the Russian province of Chechnya?
Child Curfews
created: 04/24/01, modified: 08/25/09
Should young people be subjected to night-time curfews as a way to reduce crime?
Child Labour
created: 12/02/02, modified: 12/02/02
Is the imposition of sanctions on states the best way to end child labour?
Child Offenders, Punishments for
created: 05/03/01, modified: 08/26/09
Is stricter punishment the answer to juvenile crime?
Child Performers, Banning
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 02/28/09
Should children be allowed to work in the performing arts or professional sports?
Child Soldiers, Prosecution
created: 09/05/09, modified: 09/05/09
Should countries prosecute child soldiers for the crimes they committed during wartime? Should there be an international minimum age of criminal responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity?
Children, Choosing Sex of
created: 09/13/05, modified: 11/30/-1
Should parents be allowed to select the gender of their offspring?
Children: To Have Or Not To Have
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 02/28/09
Should you never have children?
China and the World Trade Organisation
created: 05/03/01, modified: 07/24/06
Should China be allowed to join the World Trade Organisation?
China Human Rights Abuses, U.S. Trade Barriers
created: 09/12/06, modified: 08/26/10
Should the United States use trade barriers to decrease human rights abuses in China?
China, Fear of
created: 11/01/00, modified: 07/12/09
Does China give the rest of the world reasons for fear, in political, economic or social terms? Or is the ‘Terror from the East’ merely a myth ?
Civil Disobedience
created: 11/03/00, modified: 08/16/09
When is it justifiable for protesters and activists to break the law for the sake of their cause?
Clash of Civilisations: Myth or Reality?
created: 04/20/07, modified: 08/21/10
Is the idea that we are experiencing a clash of civilisations between Islam and the Christian West a myth, or does it have a basis in reality?
Classics (Latin and Ancient Greek), should be taught in schools
created: 06/29/06, modified: 08/27/10
Should school pupils be able to study Latin and Ancient Greek at school? If so, should these subjects be compulsory?
Co-curricular activities in schools
created: 01/02/09, modified: 01/02/09
Should schools and colleges increase the importance placed on co-curricular activities, so that they are formally recognised as equal to the academic curriculum?
Coal, use of
created: 09/08/06, modified: 08/26/10
Should the US Rely More Heavily on Coal Energy?
Coalition Government
created: 10/04/01, modified: 10/04/01
Is coalition government preferable to government by a single political party?
Colonialism: Compensation for
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 07/24/06
Should former colonial powers pay reparations to former colonies for their past activities?
Commonwealth, Abolition of
created: 06/24/01, modified: 08/28/09
Should the Commonwealth be abolished?
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
created: 01/15/06, modified: 07/24/06
Should the United States ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty?
Compulsory Voting
created: 10/03/00, modified: 04/18/09
Should voting in elections be compulsory?
Condoms in Schools
created: 09/17/03, modified: 09/17/03
Should publicly supported education programs include the distribution of condoms?
Confederate Flag, Banning of
created: 09/17/03, modified: 09/17/03
Should the Confederate flag be banned?
Congo, UN Intervention in
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 07/24/06
Is the UN failing in the Democratic Republic of Congo?
Congressional redistricting in the USA
created: 02/21/08, modified: 07/26/10
Should electoral districts for the US House of Representatives be drawn by an independent authority or by state legislatures?
Contraception for Under-Age Girls [UK]
created: 11/01/00, modified: 07/12/09
Should doctors be allowed to prescribe contraception for girls under the age of 16?
Corporal Punishment (for Adults)
created: 11/15/00, modified: 08/23/09
Is physical force a justifiable method of punishing criminals?
Corporal Punishment (for Children)
created: 11/15/00, modified: 08/23/09
Is physical force a justifiable method of punishing children?
Corporal Punishment in Schools
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 08/24/09, modified: 08/24/09
Should children be hit in school as a punishment?
Corruption, Benefits of
created: 06/12/06, modified: 08/28/10
Should public corruption be accepted as a normal state of affairs in countries at a certain stage of development?
Cosmetic Surgery
created: 11/03/06, modified: 08/26/10
Should cosmetic surgery be banned?
Counter Terrorism, UN Committee
created: 01/15/06, modified: 07/24/06
Should the USA more vigorously support the UN's Counter Terrorism Committee?
Covenant Marriage
created: 06/12/06, modified: 08/28/10
Should covenant marriages be supported in preference to traditional marriages? Should the state promote covenant marriage?
Creationism in Public Schools
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 07/30/10, modified: 07/30/10
What should state-funded schools teach about the origins of mankind? Should the teaching of creationism be allowed in classrooms alongside, or as an alternative to the theory of evolution?
Creationism vs Evolution
created: 12/02/02, modified: 12/02/02
Should schools be allowed to teach creationism alongside evolution as part of their science curriculum?
Criminal Responsibility, Age of
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 09/06/09, modified: 09/06/09
Should the age of criminal responsibility be raised to 16 or even 18 across the world?
Criticism is better than praise
created: 09/02/10, modified: 11/30/-1
Only strict mother can teach a good child.
Cuba, Dropping of US Sanctions
created: 10/13/02, modified: 07/24/06
Should the United States drop its sanctions on Cuba?
Cultural Treasures
created: 11/02/00, modified: 08/12/09
Should cultural treasures be returned to their country of origin?
Date Rape
created: 05/17/03, modified: 05/17/03
Should there be a separate criminal offence of date rape?
DDT in the Developing World
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 07/24/06
Should the developing world use DDT?
Dealing with climate change - regulations versus market methods
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 10/07/07, modified: 10/07/07
Do market approaches have greater potential to reduce carbon emission than regulatory approaches?
Debate, Limits of
created: 05/17/03, modified: 05/17/03
Are certain topics inappropriate for debate?
Debt Relief following natural disasters
created: 12/07/05, modified: 11/30/-1
Whether the United States should provide debt relief through the UN to countries affected by natural disasters
Democracy
created: 11/03/00, modified: 08/16/09
Is democracy, as is so often assumed, really the best form of government?
Democracy Promotion
created: 04/02/07, modified: 08/21/10
Should the United States promote democracy internationally?
Democracy, Imposition of
created: 02/01/04, modified: 07/24/06
Can, and should, democracy be imposed on countries?
Democracy: Pace of Development
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 02/21/09
What is the right pace for democracy to develop?
Detention on the Grounds of Mental Illness
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 02/20/09
Should the government have the power to detain people identified as having dangerous personality disorders?
Developing World Debt
created: 10/03/00, modified: 04/17/09
Should developed countries cancel the debts of the poorest nations?
Devolution
created: 06/24/01, modified: 08/28/09
Is devolution (in Scotland and Wales) to be regretted? (UK specific)
Digital Rights Management (DRM) Technology
created: 06/04/07, modified: 08/21/10
Should media companies and software producers be allowed to use Digital Rights Management technologies in order to protect their media from illegal use, duplication and reproduction?
Direct .vs. Indirect Aid
created: 05/23/06, modified: 08/28/10
Should foreign aid donor nations and the World Bank continue to give the majority of their aid through the direct channel of Official Development Assistance (ODA), or should they instead give that aid indirectly to Charities, NGO’s, PVO’s and microfinance initiatives? (NB. See also Bilateral .vs. Multilateral Aid)
Direct Taxation [UK]
created: 08/07/01, modified: 10/28/09
Should direct taxation be abolished?
Direct vs. Representative Democracy
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 09/27/09, modified: 05/31/10
Is direct democracy preferable to representative democracy?
Disestablishing the Church of England [UK]
created: 10/02/00, modified: 04/14/09
Should we disestablish the Church of England?
Disillusionment in Central and Eastern Europe
created: 11/03/06, modified: 08/26/10
Are individual and social disillusionment having a significant impact on Central and Eastern European transitions to democracy?
Divorce
created: 11/03/00, modified: 08/16/09
Should divorce be made even easier to obtain, or are there social and moral reasons to discourage it?
DNA Database for Criminals
created: 10/04/01, modified: 12/31/09
Should we create a database of DNA that can be used by police authorities in order to apprehend criminals?
Do It Yourself / Home Improvement
created: 05/24/08, modified: 06/04/10
Is trying to improve your home yourself worthwhile, or should building, decoration and interior design work be left to paid professionals?
Dollarization
created: 01/04/03, modified: 07/24/06
Should countries change their official currency to the U.S. dollar?
Double Jeopardy Rule, Abolition of
created: 05/17/03, modified: 05/17/03
‘Double jeopardy’ means being tried twice for the same offence. The ‘double jeopardy’ rule means that an individual cannot be tried again for the same offence if acquitted. Should the rule be scrapped?
Downloading music without permission is an example of theft and is immoral
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 01/09/10, modified: 05/31/10
Is downloading music without permission from the internet wrong?
Driftnets
created: 12/31/07, modified: 07/26/10
Should there be a worldwide ban on the use of driftnets to catch fish, including within each country’s Exclusive Economic Zone?
Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
created: 06/13/06, modified: 08/28/10
Should the United States Congress allow drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?
Drinking age, lowering of
created: 11/03/06, modified: 08/26/10
Should the legal age for drinking alcohol be lowered?
Driving Age, raise to 18
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 12/31/08, modified: 12/31/08
Should the age at which you can legally drive be raised to 18?
Droit de suite (resale royalty)
created: 02/21/08, modified: 06/06/10
Should visual artists be entitled to a royalty every time a work is re-sold?
Drug Patent Laws
created: 10/13/02, modified: 10/13/02
Should the pharmaceutical patenting system be liberalised?
Drug testing, mandatory for public officials
created: 04/24/06, modified: 08/30/10
Should continued office for public officials be dependent on (successfully) taking a drug test?
Drug-Testing in Schools
created: 11/06/00, modified: 08/19/09
Should school students face mandatory drug-tests?
Drugs in Sport
created: 09/29/00, modified: 04/13/09
Should the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport be legalised?
Drugs, legalisation of
created: 12/29/07, modified: 07/26/10
Should governments legalise all drugs?
E.U. to impose sanctions on Israel
created: 01/31/10, modified: 01/31/10
Should the E.U. impose economic sanctions on Israel? Would that have a beneficial influence on the peace process in the Middle East?
Economic Development vs the Environment
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 06/05/07, modified: 06/19/10
Is the economic development of developing countries more important than protecting the environment?
Education Vouchers
created: 11/13/02, modified: 07/24/06
Should a voucher system be used to introduce choice and competition between schools?
Education, local or national control of
created: 07/11/09, modified: 05/31/10
Should education be locally controlled or nationally controlled?
Electoral College (US), Abolition of
created: 05/17/03, modified: 05/17/03
Should the US adopt a different method of electing its President?
Emergency Contraception
created: 05/17/03, modified: 05/17/03
Should the morning-after pill be banned?
Energy Crisis: Nuclear vs Renewable Sources
created: 07/04/00, modified: 04/09/09
Is nuclear power the best way to meet the ever-increasing energy needs of the planet, or do alternative energy sources provide a viable alternative?
England, gaining its own Parliament
created: 09/14/09, modified: 09/14/09
Should England, like Scotland and Wales, have its own elected legislative assembly?
English language spelling reform
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 08/26/08, modified: 06/01/10
Should we change the way words in the English language are spelled, to make them more like the way they are spoken?
Environmentally Linked Aid
created: 06/30/00, modified: 04/07/09
Should developed countries force developing countries to protect the environment by making it a condition of aid?
Equal Maternity and Paternity Leave
created: 09/05/09, modified: 09/05/09
Should parents be forced to take equal maternity and paternity leave?
Estate Tax
created: 05/28/08, modified: 07/26/10
Should there be a tax on property at the time of death?
Ethical Foreign Policy
created: 04/02/02, modified: 07/24/06
Is it possible for a modern government to pursue an active foreign policy with ethics at the centre? Should governments always try to do the moral thing?
EU - Mediterranean partnership
created: 06/07/10, modified: 08/20/10
Should the EU offer a meaningful partnership to Mediterranean non-EU countries?
EU Common Foreign Policy
created: 11/07/07, modified: 08/21/10
Could or should the EU have a common Foreign Policy?
EU Constitution
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 02/20/09
Should the European Union (EU) adopt a Constitution?
EU Council of Ministers (EU), Voting by
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 02/20/09
Should all remaining areas of unanimous decision-making be replaced by majority decision making in the European Union’s Council of Ministers?
EU President, Direct Election of
created: 08/14/02, modified: 08/14/02
Given the EU’s recent expansion and growth as an international body, is it time it had a directly elected leader?
EU Reform Treaty, hold referendum on
created: 11/27/07, modified: 08/21/10
Should member states each hold a referendum on whether to ratify the EU’s Lisbon Reform Treaty?
EU Working Language
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 02/20/09
Should the EU introduce one working language?
EU, lift ban on arms sales to China
created: 12/06/05, modified: 07/24/06
Should the European Union lift its ban on member states selling arms to China?
Euro: To Join Or Not To Join?
created: 07/20/02, modified: 07/20/02
Do the benefits of joining the euro outweigh the costs?
European citizenship, EU should promote
created: 10/18/09, modified: 10/18/09
Should the EU invest resources in the promotion of European citizenship?
European Common Agricultural Policy
created: 08/08/00, modified: 04/11/09
Should the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy be scrapped in favour of free trade?
European Defence Force
created: 08/08/00, modified: 04/09/09
Should the European Union have its own standing army?
European defence spending
created: 12/02/06, modified: 08/25/10
Should European nations spend more on defence?
European Federalism
created: 09/12/00, modified: 04/12/09
Should the European Union become a federal superstate, with consequent loss of national sovereignty for member countries?
European Parliament, Powers of
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 02/20/09
Should the European Parliament be given greater powers in the European Union (EU)?
European Union and the UN Security Council
created: 06/07/10, modified: 08/20/10
Should the EU have a permanent seat in the EU Security Council? Should this come at the expense of the existing permanent seats held by the UK and France?
European Union carbon emissions targets, modify
created: 10/29/08, modified: 06/01/10
Should the EU accept that the targets it has set for reducing carbon emissions are unrealistic and damaging, and amend its plans accordingly?
European Union Constitution
created: 12/02/06, modified: 08/25/10
Whether European Union member countries should vote for the proposed EU constitution
European Union Expansion
created: 08/21/00, modified: 04/11/09
Should the EU expand to include all those European states which wish to join?
European Union Stability and Growth Pact
created: 09/17/03, modified: 09/17/03
Does the EU Stability and Growth Pact need reform or abolition?
European Union, end the free movement of labour?
created: 09/04/08, modified: 06/01/10
Should countries within the European Union restrict the movement of citizens from other EU nations?
European Union: New Members
created: 09/17/03, modified: 07/24/06
Should the countries of Central and South-East Europe join the European Union?
Exams
created: 11/03/00, modified: 08/15/09
Should examinations be replaced with other forms of assessment?
Extraordinary Rendition
created: 11/10/07, modified: 08/21/10
Is the practice of extraordinary rendition a useful and necessary policy in the fight against terrorism?
Extremist Political Parties, Banning of
created: 08/14/02, modified: 07/24/06
Should extremist political parties be banned from standing for political office? Does their right to have their say outweigh the harm and offence that they cause?
Extremist political parties, government employees membership of
created: 10/04/09, modified: 12/30/09
Should governments prohibit their employees from being members of extremist political groups?
Factory Farming
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 02/20/09
Should ‘factory farming’ be banned?
Failed States, intervention to prevent
created: 01/15/06, modified: 07/24/06
Should the USA work together with the UN to prevent the collapse of third-world states?
Faith Schools
created: 04/02/02, modified: 04/02/02
Should the state fund schools run by particular faiths?
Falkland Islands, return of
created: 10/29/06, modified: 08/26/10
Should the United Kingdom return the Falkland Islands to Argentina?
Fashion, Images of Women in
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 02/15/09
How do popular consumerist images of women affect women?
Fat Tax
created: 02/01/04, modified: 11/30/-1
Should there be a tax on fatty foods?
Federal Government
created: 11/07/00, modified: 08/19/09
Is a confederation the best way to run national or supra-national affairs?
Female Genital Mutilation, ban
created: 03/29/07, modified: 08/21/10
Should Global Human Rights Organizations Order the Absolute Prohibition of FGM?
Feminism
created: 05/17/03, modified: 05/17/03
Is feminism still relevant?
File-sharing
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 02/14/09
Should unregulated distribution of copyrighted works over Internet be allowed?
Fish farming, banning or severely restricting of
created: 08/01/06, modified: 08/27/10
Should fish farming be banned or severely restricted? Or should it be encouraged?
Flag Burning, Prohibition of
created: 10/13/02, modified: 10/13/02
Should flag burning as a form of protest be prohibited?
Flat Tax
created: 10/13/02, modified: 10/13/02
Are flat taxes the best system?
Food labelling
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 12/28/09, modified: 12/28/09
Would warning labels on food make people eat better?
Football (soccer), restrictions on overseas players
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 06/01/08, modified: 07/26/10
Should the game of football adopt FIFA’s six-plus-five plan for a maximum of five foreign players in a club side? Should the European Union change its rules to allow this?
For money or love?
created: 08/25/10, modified: 08/25/10
Is love more important than love in marriage?
Foreign Investment, Limitations on
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 02/14/09
Should a cap be placed on the level of foreign investment in a country’s businesses and land?
Foreign languages, compulsory in schools (JUN)
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 08/01/06, modified: 08/27/10
Should all school pupils be made to learn at least one foreign language?
Foreign-born Presidents
created: 08/02/05, modified: 11/30/-1
The US Constitution prohibits people originally from other countries from being President. Should it be amended to change this?
Forestry, Preservation of
created: 01/28/03, modified: 01/28/03
Should governments prohibit logging?
Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA)
created: 01/28/03, modified: 07/24/06
Should countries in the Americas agree to the FTAA?
Freedom of Speech, Restrictions on
created: 11/07/00, modified: 08/21/09
Is it ever right for Governments to restrict freedom of speech?
Gambling and casinos
created: 10/29/06, modified: 08/26/10
Should gambling be banned or severely restricted? Or should casinos be encouraged?
Gangsta Rap, Censorship of
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 02/14/09
Should the government censor lyrics of songs that are violent or expletive, for example “gangsta” rap?
Gay Marriages
created: 11/01/00, modified: 05/28/09
Should homosexual couples be allowed to marry?
Gays in the Military
created: 11/10/00, modified: 08/20/09
Should gays and lesbians be allowed into the armed forces?
Gene Patenting
created: 10/02/00, modified: 04/14/09
Should genes be patented?
Genetic engineering of animals
created: 12/28/09, modified: 12/28/09
Should we ban the genetic engineering of animals?
Genetic Screening
created: 11/03/00, modified: 08/14/09
Should we intervene in the genetic makeup of our children? Should genetic screening be used to produce genetically healthy or even "designer" babies?
Genetically Modified Food
created: 06/30/00, modified: 04/07/09
Are there environmental, moral, or health issues associated with genetically modified food? Should it be banned?
Geneva Convention
created: 09/14/09, modified: 05/31/10
Should governments respect the Geneva Conventions in the War on Terror?
George W. Bush
created: 05/03/01, modified: 07/24/06
Is George W. Bush good for America, and for the wider world?
Giving versus receiving
created: 12/23/08, modified: 12/23/08
Is it better to give or to receive?
Global Fund, US support for
created: 01/15/06, modified: 07/24/06
Should the USA increase its financial commitment to the Global Fund to better fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria?
Global Tax
created: 12/06/05, modified: 11/30/-1
Should the United States support a global tax?
Global Warming: Is More Action Needed?
created: 07/04/00, modified: 04/09/09
Although still a controversial subject, there is a growing consensus that global climate changes are being caused by environmental pollution, especially by greenhouse gases. Do we need to take more urgent action to halt this trend?
Global warming.
created: 07/30/07, modified: 11/30/-1
Should people have a limit of carbon emiisions they make - and should they go over the limit, pay a huge tax?
Globalisation: Marginalisation of the Poor
created: 06/24/01, modified: 08/28/09
Has the rise and spread of trans-national companies exacerbated global economic inequalities?
Goat, give at Christmas
created: 01/03/07, modified: 08/23/10
Is it a good idea to give as gifts the donation of farm animals for developing world communities?
God, Existence of
created: 04/02/02, modified: 04/02/02
Does God exist? If so, can we prove he does? How can we know anything about God? Is it sacrilegious to even ask? This can only be the briefest of surveys.
Governments bailouts
created: 01/09/10, modified: 05/31/10
Should governments ever bail out private corporations facing bankruptcy?
Graduate Tax
created: 04/24/01, modified: 08/25/09
Should Higher Education be funded by a tax on graduates?
Greenhouse Gas: Trading of Quotas
created: 07/04/00, modified: 04/09/09
Should countries be allowed to buy greenhouse gas quotas from other countries and so, in effect, pay for the right to pollute more? Or should polluters simply be heavily taxed if they exceed their own quotas?
Grey Imports
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 02/06/09
Should retailers be allowed to import for resale “grey” goods from abroad?
Gun Control
created: 10/02/00, modified: 04/14/09
Should laws be passed to limit gun ownership further?
Habeas Corpus, Restrictions on
created: 07/30/10, modified: 07/30/10
Should the ancient right of Habeas Corpus be limited or suspended as part of efforts to combat terrorism?
Harmonisation of Taxation within the European Union
created: 09/12/00, modified: 04/12/09
Should the EU further restrict the powers of its member states to set their own tax rates? Should proposed harmonisation measures be passed by majority voting or remain subject to national vetoes?
Hate Crimes
created: 09/17/03, modified: 09/17/03
Should acts of hate be criminalized? What acts should be considered hate crimes?
Hate Speech on Campus
created: 08/31/00, modified: 04/11/09
Is it correct for university authorities to ban hate speech?
Health Care, Universal
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 04/10/08, modified: 07/26/10
Should the United States introduce a universal health care system?
Higher Education / University / Third Level Education– Should it be free?
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 01/06/10, modified: 05/31/10
Should we charge students for third level / higher education? Or is it a right which should be provided in the same way as other more basic forms of education?
Highrise Housing
created: 12/30/06, modified: 08/23/10
Should highrise housing be encouraged?
History, dangers of teaching in schools
created: 06/29/06, modified: 08/28/10
Is it dangerous to teach History to school pupils?
HIV, Compulsory Disclosure to Employers
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 02/04/09
Should HIV positive workers have to tell their employers of their status?
Hollywood’s Influence
created: 11/01/00, modified: 05/28/09
Does Hollywood have a negative impact on the world?
Holocaust denial, criminalization of
created: 09/02/06, modified: 08/27/10
Should denial of the Holocaust be illegal?
Home Schooling
created: 05/17/03, modified: 05/17/03
Should parents be allowed to educate their children at home?
Homework, ban
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 07/29/08, modified: 07/26/10
Should students be given homework tasks to complete outside school? Or are such tasks pointless?
House of Lords: Reform [UK]
created: 10/02/00, modified: 04/14/09
Should the House of Lords continue in its present form? Or should it become a partly or entirely elected chamber?
Housewives, should be paid for their work
created: 12/29/07, modified: 06/12/10
Should family members receive a wage for the work they do in the home?
Human Cloning
created: 09/26/00, modified: 04/12/09
Should human cloning be banned ? Should reproductive human cloning always be prohibited?
Human Organs, Sale of
created: 10/04/01, modified: 12/30/09
Should we legalise the sale of human organs?
Human Rights
created: 04/02/02, modified: 04/02/02
Do Human Rights exist? What are they? Why do we have them?
Human Rights: Imposition by Force?
created: 11/01/00, modified: 05/28/09
Should force be used to protect human rights?
I am Happier than my Forefather
created: 09/05/10, modified: 11/30/-1
well this topic cover a broad area,we need to think deep and answer ourselfs that are we really happier than our forefathers? don't you think that with all the advancements and comforts our lives have become way more complcated?
Iceland, join the EU
created: 05/26/09, modified: 05/26/09
Should Iceland apply to join the European Union? And should the EU fast-track an Icelandic application to let the North Atlantic country in as soon as possible?
Identity Cards
created: 10/02/00, modified: 08/16/09
Should everyone have to carry an identity card?
Identity Cards, introduce
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 02/23/07, modified: 08/23/10
Should governments introduce identity cards and require each citizen to carry one?
IMF: help or hindrance?
created: 10/30/07, modified: 08/21/10
Do IMF policies actually provide the help they promise?
Immigration Laws, Relaxation of
created: 04/24/01, modified: 08/25/09
Should governments in rich countries relax the laws controlling immigration?
Immigration Reform in the USA
created: 07/30/10, modified: 07/30/10
Should the United States do more to prevent illegal immigration and seek to identify and expel illegal aliens? Or should it pursue immigration reform, for example by granting an amnesty for existing illegal immigrants, and offering legal guest worker programs?
Immunity from Prosecution for Politicians
created: 09/12/05, modified: 11/30/-1
Should serving heads of state or members of Parliament/Congress enjoy immunity from some or all prosecution during their office?
Impact of Free Trade
created: 04/02/02, modified: 06/21/05
Will free trade benefit third world countries? Does it harm developed countries? Could it serve a universal good? Is free trade a realistic goal?
Incest, Legalisation of
created: 10/07/04, modified: 10/07/04
Should sex between (some types of) blood relatives be legal?
India – USA nuclear deal, support
created: 10/26/08, modified: 06/01/10
Should the deal on nuclear cooperation between India and the USA be supported by the new US administration? Is it worthy of international acceptance and support?
India Must fall in line with the developed nations and accept legally binding emissions reductions.
created: 03/09/10, modified: 07/26/10
Intellectuals in Politics
created: 10/30/06, modified: 08/26/10
Should intellectuals be more involved in politics?
Intelligence agencies and democracy
created: 06/07/10, modified: 08/20/10
Do domestic intelligence agencies have a legitimate role in a democracy?
International Atomic Energy Authority and the USA
created: 01/14/06, modified: 06/29/06
Should future US counter-proliferation efforts be directed through the IAEA?
International Community
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 02/04/09
Is the modern international community able to survive?
International Criminal Court
created: 02/19/02, modified: 06/20/05
Should the United States or any other State continue to reject the International Criminal Court (ICC)? Is the ICC both dangerous to democracy and doomed to fail?
International Sporting Events are a Waste of Resources
created: 03/17/10, modified: 11/30/-1
Internet Censorship
created: 11/03/00, modified: 08/14/09
Should governments censor material on the world wide web?
Internet, a force for Democracy?
created: 06/04/07, modified: 08/21/10
Has the global spread of the internet aided democratisation, increased freedom and reduced human rights abuses, or is it at best ineffective and at worst a weapon in the hands of repressive governments?
Internet, brings more harm than good
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 06/07/10, modified: 08/20/10
Has the arrival of the internet done more harm than good?
Internment
created: 02/01/04, modified: 11/30/-1
Should governments have the power to intern suspects without trial?
Iran, getting tough with
created: 10/13/06, modified: 11/30/-1
Should the West take tougher measures against Iran for its alleged nuclear weapons programme?
Iran’s right to possess nuclear weapons
created: 08/18/10, modified: 08/20/10
Does the Islamic Republic of Iran have the right to develop nuclear weapons, or are the USA and its allies justified in placing sanctions on Iran as a result of suspicions about its nuclear program?
Iraq, Invasion of
created: 07/20/02, modified: 06/21/05
Should the overthrow of the present regime in Iraq be attempted through military intervention?
Iraq, withdrawal from
created: 12/01/05, modified: 12/08/05
Should the USA and its allies withdraw their forces from Iraq immediately?
Irish football team, united
created: 04/27/06, modified: 08/29/10
Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland currently have a football team each. Should they combine?
Is Audio better than Video or Vice-versa??
created: 08/19/10, modified: 11/30/-1
Lets discuss bullet points regarding the Topic? Quotes will be highly appreciated..
Is political correctness killing romance?
created: 06/15/07, modified: 06/16/07
Is the need for eqaulity causing a rift between the genders?
is south african education system effective
created: 06/30/10, modified: 11/30/-1
Is Terrorism a Muslim Monopoly?
created: 03/19/08, modified: 11/30/-1
Ignoring hundreds of incidents of killing, includign political killings, social killings, economical killings yet, wars among various groups,focus remains on Islamic terrorism.Is terrorism a Muslim Monopoly? Did it begin with Muslims as forefront?Can we ingore state sponsered terrorism/
Islam and Democracy
created: 02/01/04, modified: 06/29/06
Are we experiencing a 'clash of civilizations', or can Islam and democracy co-exist?
Islam, Fear of
created: 05/03/01, modified: 07/24/06
Is Islam, especially as embodied in its militant forms, something to be feared as a threat to global peace and stability?
Islamic economic system is the best alternate to conventional banking system
created: 04/15/09, modified: 11/30/-1
Islamic economic system is in focus.There is no other alternate economic system which offers a win win situation to all the participants. This economy system is not only borrowing and lending but also endorses compulsory charity to the poor and the needy.
Islamic Revolution In Iran is Justified
created: 08/20/10, modified: 11/30/-1
Israel and the Palestinians, US policy towards
created: 07/30/10, modified: 07/30/10
Should the USA change its policy towards Israel and the Palestinians?
Israel’s security wall/barrier, dismantle
created: 01/27/06, modified: 08/31/10
Should the Israeli security wall/barrier be taken down?
IVF, state funding for
created: 10/12/09, modified: 10/12/09
Should the state provide funding for couples who are unable to conceive naturally to have IVF treatment?
Ivory Trading
created: 11/02/00, modified: 08/12/09
Should the present international ban on trading elephant ivory be lifted?
Japan, amend constitution to allow normal military role
created: 04/24/06, modified: 08/29/10
Should Japan’s constitution be amended to allow her a normal military role in world affairs?
Judges, Election of
created: 02/01/04, modified: 11/30/-1
Should the judiciary be elected?
Just War
created: 08/18/10, modified: 08/20/10
Is going to war ever justifiable? Can criteria be identified to ensure that violence is only ever a last resort?
Kashmir
created: 05/17/03, modified: 05/17/03
Should India and Pakistan allow a plebiscite on self-determination in Kashmir?
Kosovo, Independence for
created: 01/04/03, modified: 01/04/03
Should Kosovo become an independent state? Or should it remain a part of Serbia within the Serbia-Montenegro federation, but with some autonomy?
Kurdish Independence
created: 01/04/03, modified: 01/04/03
Should the Kurds finally be granted their own sovereign homeland? Or should they be content with greater autonomy within existing states?
Labour standard and trade agreements
created: 12/28/09, modified: 12/28/09
Should labour standards be incorporated in international trade agreements?
Landmines, United States production and use of
created: 09/12/05, modified: 07/24/06
Should the USA discontinue the production of landmines, and sign the Ottawa Convention?
Languages, Preservation of
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 02/04/09
Should governments take steps to keep their threatened languages alive?
League of Democracies
created: 09/03/08, modified: 06/01/10
Should democratic countries unite in a League of Democracies in order to act together in the international arena?
Legalise vs Ban
created: 01/18/09, modified: 01/18/09
How far should the government interfere in people’s private lives? Should activities that many people think are wrong still be legal?
Legislation vs Individual Freedom
created: 09/17/03, modified: 09/17/03
How far should the state intervene in the lives of its citizens?
Licensing Laws: Reform of [UK]
created: 10/02/00, modified: 04/13/09
Should the opening hours of pubs and bars be extended?
Life on Mars
created: 11/15/00, modified: 08/22/09
Has there ever been organic life on Mars?
Mandatory Retirement
created: 11/02/00, modified: 08/12/09
Should the government enforce a mandatory retirement age? Is there an age when one is "past it"?!
Mandatory Sentencing
created: 01/28/03, modified: 01/28/03
Is mandatory sentencing a good idea?
Marijuana for Medical Purposes
created: 02/01/04, modified: 11/30/-1
Should marijuana be made legal for medical purposes?
Marriage
created: 11/02/00, modified: 07/23/09
Is marriage an outdated institution? Is co-habitation replacing the institution of marriage, and will this affect the security and stability of children?
Mayors, Direct Election of
created: 02/19/02, modified: 02/19/02
Should mayors be directly elected?
Means Testing for Benefits
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 02/04/09
Should government benefit programmes be subject to means testing?
Media does more harm than good.
created: 09/01/10, modified: 11/30/-1
Mercenaries
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 02/04/09
Should mercenaries be recognised as a legitimate part of warfare and given the same rights as soldiers?
Mercury Production
created: 06/23/05, modified: 06/23/05
Mercury levels in our environment are at an all-time high, and scientists are regularly discovering new threats it poses to our health.
Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays?
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 12/30/09, modified: 12/30/09
Should the Christian religious festival of Christmas be celebrated in public? Or should we be careful to avoid giving offence to those of other faiths, or of no faith, at this time of year?
Mexico City Policy and US funding for UNFPA
created: 01/14/06, modified: 11/30/-1
The USA should restore funding to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and abandon its Mexico City Policy.
Microsoft, breaking up of
created: 09/12/05, modified: 11/30/-1
Should Microsoft be broken up into two or more separate companies?
Migration
created: 01/04/03, modified: 07/24/06
Is large-scale migration, especially from the developing world to developed countries, a force for good? Should it be encouraged or do both developed and developing countries have an interest in restricting the flow of migrants?
Military recruiting in schools
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 12/19/08, modified: 12/19/08
Should the military be banned from visiting schools to promote the armed forces and recruit new soldiers, sailors and airmen?
Millennium Development Goals and US leadership
created: 01/05/06, modified: 11/02/06
Should the USA should provide more leadership towards meeting the United Nations Millennium Development Goals?
Mini-nukes
created: 05/22/06, modified: 08/29/10
Should the United States conduct research into mini-nukes?
Minimum Voting Age of 16
created: 11/03/00, modified: 08/14/09
Should the minimum voting age be reduced to 16, or remain at 18?
Minimum Wage
created: 10/13/02, modified: 10/13/02
Should minimum wages be instituted?
Minority Schools
created: 01/04/03, modified: 01/04/03
Should there be public schools open to only one race?
Mobile phones, use by children
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 06/05/07, modified: 06/19/10
Should children be allowed to own and use mobile phones (cellphones)?
Mobile Telephones, Banning of Use in Cars
created: 10/13/02, modified: 10/13/02
Should drivers be prohibited from using mobile ‘phones?
Models, minimum weight
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 04/29/07, modified: 06/19/10
Should there be a minimum weight limit for professional models?
Money and talents
created: 09/25/07, modified: 11/30/-1
Is high salary necessary for attracting talents?
Mosquito ultrasound device
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 06/21/08, modified: 07/26/10
Should we allow the ultra-sonic Mosquito device to be used to make young people move away? Or should it be banned?
Multi-speed Europe
created: 03/31/10, modified: 05/31/10
Should Europe continue with political integration at different speeds for different Member States?
Multiculturalism vs. Integration
created: 04/02/02, modified: 04/02/02
Should societies integrate their immigrants into one, national life-style? Or should they instead embrace all the different cultures represented in the country?
Multilateralism vs Unilateralism
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 02/04/09
Should states act (impose sanctions, declare war) unilaterally, or should they try to get international support for their actions?
Museums, Entrance Fees to
created: 06/24/01, modified: 08/27/09
Should museum entry be free?
Muslim Head Covering, Banning of
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 02/04/09
Should the Hijab be banned in schools, public buildings or society in general?
Myanmar (Burma)
created: 11/07/00, modified: 11/07/00
Should international sanctions against Myanmar (Burma) be lifted?
NAFTA
created: 08/14/02, modified: 07/24/06
Is a large North American free trade bloc a laudable project? Should it be supported, or is free trade in this area a curse rather than a blessing?
NASA, Government funding for
created: 06/12/08, modified: 06/04/10
Should the National Aeronautics and space administration (NASA) be government funded?
Nation States, future of
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 07/20/07, modified: 08/21/10
Does the traditional nation state have a future?
National Lotteries
created: 11/02/00, modified: 07/23/09
Should national lotteries be abolished?
National Missile Defense
created: 09/12/06, modified: 11/30/-1
Should the United States deploy a National Missile Defense?
National Service / Conscription
created: 11/02/00, modified: 07/22/09
Should National Service be reintroduced?
National Testing
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 06/20/07, modified: 08/21/10
Should the USA abandon national testing in schools? Or should testing be extended so that the federal government sets the same tests for every school?
Nationalism
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 01/10/09
Is nationalism always a force for bad, or can it sometimes bring benefits?
NATO membership, extend to Georgia and Ukraine
created: 09/28/08, modified: 06/01/10
Should the former Soviet states of Georgia and Ukraine be granted NATO membership, despite Russian opposition?
NATO, Disbanding of
created: 11/01/00, modified: 05/27/09
Should NATO be disbanded?
NATO, Expansion of
created: 02/19/02, modified: 07/24/06
Should NATO Expand to the East ? Will the proposed NATO expansion consolidate or eliminate stability in Europe ?
Nazi War Criminals
created: 11/03/00, modified: 08/13/09
Should we continue to prosecute Nazi war criminals?
Negative Political Advertising, Banning of
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 12/29/08
Should negative advertising in political campaigns be banned?
Negotiating with Terrorist Groups
created: 10/31/00, modified: 05/18/09
Should governments negotiate with terrorists?
New Labour Landslide [UK, 1997]
created: 11/03/00, modified: 11/03/00
Specifically, was the 1997 New Labour Landslide good for Britain? Generally, are the ‘landslide’ majorities sometimes produced in first-past-the-post elections good for democracy?
North American Economic and Security Community
created: 01/04/06, modified: 07/24/06
Should the United States, Canada and Mexico come together to form a North American Economic and Security Community?
Northern Cyprus, Recognition of
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 12/29/08
Should the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus be afforded official recognition as a sovereign state?
Northern Ireland
created: 06/24/01, modified: 06/24/01
Is the Good Friday Agreement the best way forward for Northern Ireland?
Nuclear Weapons Testing
created: 10/13/02, modified: 07/24/06
Should we have a total ban on the explosion of nuclear devices for testing purposes?
Nuclear Weapons, Abolition of
created: 10/12/00, modified: 04/18/09
Should Nuclear Weapons be abolished?
Nursery Education for Free
created: 04/24/01, modified: 08/24/09
Should the state provide free nursery education for all children?
Offshore Drilling
created: 08/18/10, modified: 08/20/10
Should the United States allow more drilling for oil in inshore coastal waters?
Olympic Dream
created: 11/03/00, modified: 08/13/09
Is the Olympic Dream Dead?
Olympic Games, Hosting of
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 12/28/08
Is it worth hosting the Olympic games?
Open source software
created: 09/02/06, modified: 08/27/10
Should governments choose open source software in order to encourage its use?
Opinion Polls, Restriction of
created: 11/04/07, modified: 08/21/10
Does the publication of opinion polls distort the democratic process?
Ordination of Gay Priests
created: 11/10/00, modified: 08/20/09
Should Christian churches allow gays and lesbians to be ordained as priests?
Organ Donors, Opt-Out By
created: 05/17/03, modified: 05/17/03
Should organ donation registers move from an opt-in to an opt-out system?
Organ transplants, deny to those not registered as donors
created: 09/05/09, modified: 05/31/10
Should only those on the organ donors register be eligible to receive organs in a transplant operation?
Outing of Gay Celebrities
created: 11/06/00, modified: 08/18/09
Is it justifiable to force gay and lesbian celebrities out of the closet, in the interests of gay rights?
Outsourcing
created: 09/12/05, modified: 07/24/06
Is outsourcing (and “offshoring”) a positive phenomenon?
Overpopulation and Contraception
created: 10/02/00, modified: 04/13/09
Is there a global crisis of overpopulation? Is so, is increased use of contraception the solution?
Overseas Manufacturing, labor standards
created: 08/19/10, modified: 08/20/10
Do American companies with factories overseas exploit workers with low pay and poor conditions? Should American consumers continue to buy products made in such factories? Should the US government seek to include labor standards in the terms of trade deals with foreign governments?
Oxbridge, Abolition of [UK]
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 12/28/08
Should the college fee be abandoned and the special privileges of Oxford and Cambridge be revoked?
Pacifism
created: 11/06/00, modified: 08/18/09
Is the rejection of all violence a valid principle by which to live?
Paedophiles, Electronic Tagging of
created: 12/02/02, modified: 12/02/02
Should convicted paedophiles be electronically tagged?
Palestinian Authority, International funding of
created: 02/27/06, modified: 08/30/10
Should the EU, USA and other western donors continue to give money to the Palestinian Authority after Hamas’ January 2006 election victory?
Pardoning of soldiers executed for military offences during the First World War
created: 11/03/06, modified: 08/26/10
Should soldiers who were executed for military offences during the First World War be pardoned?
Parentage, Right to Know
created: 01/28/03, modified: 01/28/03
Do children have the right to know their biological parents?
Parental Responsibility
created: 09/17/03, modified: 09/17/03
Should parents be held morally and legally responsible for the actions/needs of their children?
Parenthood: Right or Privilege?
created: 01/28/03, modified: 01/28/03
Is parenthood a privilege or a right?
Parenting Classes, make compulsory
created: 09/27/09, modified: 12/31/09
Should parents be required to attend parenting classes before being permitted to raise children?
Part-time work for High School students
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 05/11/09, modified: 05/11/09
Should High School (secondary) students be banned from working in part-time jobs?
Peace Corps, beefing up
created: 09/12/06, modified: 08/26/10
The US should increase the number of people serving in the Peace Corps
People Power
created: 05/17/03, modified: 05/17/03
Is ‘people power’ a legitimate and valuable means of shaping public policy?
Performance-Related Pay
created: 10/27/00, modified: 05/17/09
Should professionals be paid according to their performance?
Petrol-Free Cars, Goverment Incentives for
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 12/23/08
Should the government use tax or policy to encourage the use of cars which are not fueled by petrol?
Pets, would not keep (JUNIOR)
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 05/02/06, modified: 08/29/10
Should we keep animals as pets?
Pharmaceuticals, advertising of
created: 09/02/06, modified: 08/27/10
Should drugs companies be allowed to advertise prescription drugs direct to the public?
Physical Education
created: 09/17/03, modified: 09/17/03
Should Physical Education in schools be compulsory?
Physical Education, Compulsory
created: 02/01/04, modified: 11/30/-1
Should Physical Education in schools be compulsory?
Plea-Bargaining: Abolition of
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 11/29/08
Should ‘plea bargaining,’ by which people plead guilty to lesser offences in order to get lesser sentences, continue?
Politicians’ Outside Interests
created: 11/02/00, modified: 07/19/09
Should elected representatives be banned from pursuing outside interests?
Politics and Special Interests
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 06/18/07, modified: 06/19/10
Are special interests damaging American politics? Should special interest groups be banned from giving campaign donations and from lobbying politicians for their causes?
Polygamy
created: 05/17/03, modified: 05/17/03
Should marriage to more than one person be legal?
Pornography
created: 11/06/00, modified: 08/17/09
Should pornography be banned for moral, religious, feminist or crime-prevention reasons? Or is censorship of this sort ill-advised?
Positive Discrimination/Affirmative Action
created: 10/03/00, modified: 04/17/09
Should the use of positive discrimination be increased?
Pre-emptive Action, Doctrine of [US]
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 11/29/08
Should the US adopt a foreign policy which advocates pre-emptive action?
Pre-Nuptial Agreements, Ban
created: 08/31/09, modified: 08/31/09
Should married couples be prevented from entering into pre-nuptial agreements to determine property division on separation?
Precautionary Principle
created: 06/23/05, modified: 07/24/06
A groundbreaking new model for environmental policy risk evaluation, the Precautionary Principle is highly controversial - how should the US and the UN approach it?
Preventive War
created: 06/23/05, modified: 07/24/06
A current preventive war doctrine targets 'rogue states' that pursue or possess programs for WMD. As North Korea, Pakistan, and Iran, all develop into unique and complicated situations, should a doctrine of preventive war be appropriate for the US and acceptable to the UN?
Previous Convictions: Disclosure in Court
created: 01/28/03, modified: 01/28/03
Should a defendant’s previous convictions be made known in the course of a trial?
Priestly Celibacy
created: 06/13/06, modified: 08/28/10
Should Catholic priests still be required to take a vow of celibacy?
Primaries in US Elections
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 11/27/08
Should the state ‘primary’ selection process for party nominees for the US Presidency be abandoned?
Prison, limiting to violent offenders
created: 08/27/09, modified: 08/27/09
Are prisons appropriate for non-violent offenders, or should they be given alternative punishments?
Prisoners, right to vote
created: 06/29/06, modified: 08/27/10
Should people serving prison sentences be permitted to vote in elections?
Privacy vs Security
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 08/20/10, modified: 08/20/10
Should Americans be prepared to give up some privacy in return for greater security? Or has the government already gone too far in invading our personal freedoms?
Private Lives of Public Figures
created: 09/29/00, modified: 04/13/09
Should the private lives of public figures be open to press scrutiny?
Private/Public Education
created: 10/02/00, modified: 04/13/09
Should parents have the right to educate their children privately?
Privatisation of the NHS [UK]
created: 11/02/00, modified: 07/18/09
Should the NHS be privatised?
Privatisation of the State
created: 01/28/03, modified: 07/24/06
Should the state be fully privatised?
Progressive Tax Rate
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 11/27/08
Should the tax rate be progressive?
Property Rights for Unmarried Cohabiting Couples on Separation
created: 08/31/09, modified: 08/31/09
Should unmarried couples have to divide their property or compensate each other when they separate?
Proportional Representation
created: 10/26/00, modified: 04/19/09
Should a more proportionate system of voting be used to elect political representatives?
Prostitution
created: 09/26/00, modified: 04/12/09
Should prostitution be legalised ? Do the benefits of legalisation or decriminalization outweigh the possible dangers?
Protectionism
created: 09/17/03, modified: 07/24/06
Should governments favour a country’s industries by means of protectionist measures?
Public Control of Broadcasting
created: 06/24/01, modified: 08/27/09
Should government ownership of the broadcast media be ended?
Punishing parents who smoke around children
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 01/09/10, modified: 05/31/10
Should the state pass laws to punish parents who smoke in the home?
Quebec, Independence for
created: 01/28/03, modified: 01/28/03
Should the province of Quebec secede from Canada?
Ransom Payments, criminalising
created: 09/26/09, modified: 05/31/10
Should the payment of ransom be a criminal offence?
Reality Television
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 11/04/08, modified: 06/01/10
Is Reality Television rubbish? Does it have a negative effect on society? Should it be banned?
Rebuilding after disasters, Government Role in
created: 08/21/10, modified: 08/21/10
What role should the federal government have in rebuilding after disasters? Does its intervention do more harm than good, or is a national government the only actor able to plan strategically and direct the appropriate level of resources to areas of need?
Recall elections
created: 10/29/09, modified: 10/29/09
Should voters be able to pass remove elected representatives from office through recall elections?
Referendums
created: 10/03/00, modified: 04/17/09
Should the use of referendums be increased?
Rehabilitation vs Retribution
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 11/22/08
Should the criminal justice system focus more on rehabilitation than retribution?
Religion, source of conflict or of peace?
created: 08/21/10, modified: 08/21/10
Is religion largely a force for peace in the world, or does it often cause war and conflict?
Religious Belief
created: 11/17/00, modified: 08/23/09
Are religious beliefs irrational or rational? Have they done more harm than good?
Religious beliefs/practices override government laws
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 10/04/09, modified: 10/04/09
Should religious groups be able to use their own rules instead of the laws of the country they live in? Should exceptions to the national law be made to make room for religious practices?
Religious Leaders in Politics
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 11/21/08
Should religious ministers be allowed to hold political office?
Religious Slaughter of Animals
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 11/21/08
Should the religious slaughter of animals be banned?
Repatriate all Illegal Immigrants
created: 10/04/09, modified: 10/04/09
Should governments repatriate all illegal immigrants to their countries of origin?
Republic or Monarchy?
created: 10/03/00, modified: 04/17/09
Should the monarchy be abolished?
Retirement Age, Raising of
created: 09/17/03, modified: 09/17/03
Should the state retirement age be raised?
Right to Roam
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 11/21/08
Should everyone have access to the countryside, even when it’s privately owned?
Road Charging
created: 07/20/02, modified: 07/20/02
Is road charging the solution to congestion problems?
Road Map to Middle East Peace
created: 02/01/04, modified: 07/24/06
Should the world, Israel and the Palestinians support the “Road Map” plan for Middle East peace?
Roma, Recognition of Right to Nationhood
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 11/21/08
Should the Roma be officially recognised as a non-territorial nation?
Rural Development
created: 02/28/07, modified: 08/21/10
Should rural areas maintain their traditional agricultural role?
Russia: strong leadership vs. democracy
created: 01/15/06, modified: 11/30/-1
Does Russia needs a strong leader more than a liberal democracy?
Russian Oligarchs, Taming
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 11/21/08
Should the power of Russia's rich and influential business leaders be curbed by the state?
Sado-Masochism
created: 10/04/01, modified: 12/30/09
Should sado-masochism be legalised?
Safe sex education in schools
created: 05/28/09, modified: 05/28/09
Should "safe sex" be promoted in schools through sexual education classes? Or are lessons that stick strictly to human biology or use abstinence-based programmes to be preferred?
Salary Capping
created: 11/06/00, modified: 08/17/09
Should a mandatory maximum salary be imposed by governments?
Sanctions vs Engagement in International Affairs
created: 10/03/00, modified: 04/17/09
Should we attempt to democratise states through engagement, free trade and conciliation or by the use of punitive sanctions and belligerence?
Santa Claus, belief in
created: 12/15/05, modified: 11/30/-1
Should we believe in Santa Claus?
SARS Screening
created: 09/17/03, modified: 09/17/03
Should SARS screening be permitted at the airports? Is it a legal act to screen the passengers before the flight?
SATs: Abolition of [UK]
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 11/03/08
Should we abolish SATs in the UK?
Schengen Agreement
created: 01/15/06, modified: 11/30/-1
Should the Schengen Agreement be dissolved?
School attendance, should be voluntary
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 09/26/09, modified: 09/26/09
Should schoolchildren be allowed to chose whether to attend school or not?
School Prayer, Prohibition of
created: 10/13/02, modified: 10/13/02
Should formal prayer in schools be prohibited?
School Uniform
created: 11/01/00, modified: 05/27/09
Should schools require their students to wear a school uniform?
School Uniform (JUNIOR)
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 04/27/06, modified: 08/29/10
Should school uniform be got rid of?
School-Leaving Age, Raising of
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 11/03/08
Should everyone be forced to stay at school until they are 18?
Science: a Threat to Society?
created: 08/07/01, modified: 10/28/09
Science has shown itself capable both of killing and curing – on balance, for which does it have more potential?
Scottish constituencies, prevent MPs voting on non-Scottish issues
created: 12/01/06, modified: 08/25/10
Should MPs representing Scottish constituencies be banned from voting on matters that do not directly affect Scotland?
Scottish Independence
created: 11/03/00, modified: 08/12/09
Should Scotland become an independent nation?
Second Home Ownership
created: 12/30/06, modified: 08/25/10
Should a tax be imposed on second home ownership?
Security vs. Liberty
created: 11/13/02, modified: 07/24/06
Are security measures justified to the extent that civil liberties can be sacrificed?
Selective Education
created: 10/13/02, modified: 10/13/02
Are selective schools better for children? Should they be supported and funded by the government, or is it better to have a standard system for all children, regardless of ability?
Selective schools
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 12/30/08, modified: 12/30/08
Should children go to different schools depending on their academic ability?
Self-defense
created: 09/12/05, modified: 10/28/05
Should the law punish those who use force to defend themselves against criminal acts?
Self-Determination and Nationalism
created: 10/13/02, modified: 07/24/06
Is self-determination a human right? Can it be reconciled with the needs of international order?
Sex change operations, public provision of
created: 12/30/07, modified: 06/10/10
Should sex change operations be provided at public expense?
Sex Changes, Legal Recognition of
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 12/29/08
Should individuals who have undergone a sex change receive official documents (birth certificate, passport, driving licence etc.) reflecting their new gender?
Sex Education
created: 10/27/00, modified: 05/17/09
Should children be given sex education in schools, or should this be the responsibility of the parents? How should it be taught?
Sex Education, Abolition of (UK)
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 11/03/08
Should the practice of sex education classes for children under the age of consent in Britain’s schools be abandoned?
Sex Offenders, Castration of
created: 08/07/01, modified: 10/22/09
Should men found guilty of sex crimes be chemically castrated?
Sex Offenders, Naming and Shaming
created: 11/06/00, modified: 08/17/09
Should sex offenders be named and shamed?
Sharia law, should be granted legal recognition
created: 05/04/08, modified: 07/26/10
Should states with significant Muslim minorities grant some recognition for Sharia law to govern aspects of their affairs within their legal systems.
Shopping Centres, Out of Town
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 12/29/08
Are out of town shopping malls and hypermarkets a positive development?
Shopping local
created: 10/18/08, modified: 06/01/10
Should we try, as far as is possible, to buy only locally-produced goods?
Should teachers be allowed to carry guns in school with them?
created: 04/09/08, modified: 04/10/08
Should teachers be allowed to carry guns with them to school? what about if a school shooting breaks out the teacher can us it to defend herself? But what is a student like a 2-4 grader find the gun in her desk and it is not on safety or the kid hits the safety button turning safety off and accidentally shoots some one or them self?
Should the U.S. have a military draft?
created: 11/17/09, modified: 11/30/-1
The U.S. is going back and forth on whether the government should reinstate the draft for men at or above 18 years old.
Single Superpower, benefit of
created: 07/21/07, modified: 06/19/10
Does the world benefit from having a single superpower?
Single-Sex Schools
created: 11/10/00, modified: 08/20/09
Do boys and girls benefit more from being taught together or separately?
Slavery, reparations for
created: 04/24/06, modified: 08/29/10
Should countries that benefited from slavery compensate the descendents of slaves?
Smacking Children, Banning of
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 11/03/08
Should there be an outright ban on the smacking or spanking of children?
Smokers, refusing or significantly limiting state medical care for
created: 06/27/06, modified: 08/28/10
Should those who choose to consume tobacco products be denied, or have greatly limited, access to state healthcare provisions?
Smoking
created: 07/04/00, modified: 04/09/09
Should there be further restrictions on the advertising, selling, and smoking of tobacco? Should it be banned?
Smoking, ban in public places (JUNIOR)
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 09/02/06, modified: 08/27/10
Should smoking be banned in public places?
Social Europe
created: 12/01/06, modified: 08/25/10
Whether a Social Europe can be maintained under current economic pressures
Social Security Privatization
created: 08/11/09, modified: 05/31/10
Should Social Security be privatized?
Socialism, is it now irrelevant?
created: 12/29/07, modified: 07/26/10
Does socialist political thought still have a place in an increasingly capitalist and globalised world?
South Korean Army
created: 11/04/08, modified: 02/21/09
Should the South Korean army be voluntary?
Sovereign Debt Restructuring
created: 11/10/07, modified: 08/21/10
Is the IMF-proposal on sovereign debt restructuring a good idea?
Sovereign Wealth Funds
created: 11/16/08, modified: 11/16/08
Should we be worried about the size and influence of Sovereign wealth funds as they buy stakes in companies across the globe? Should governments act to regulate such funds and to restrict their activities?
Space Exploration
created: 11/06/00, modified: 10/23/08
Should mankind invest in the exploration of space?
Space Flights, Manned
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 12/29/08
Should governments be sending people into space?
Speed Cameras
created: 02/01/04, modified: 11/30/-1
Should cameras be used to catch speeding motorists?
Sperm and egg donors, anonymity
created: 05/11/09, modified: 05/11/09
Should donors in cases of assisted conception be covered by anonymity, or should the children involved have the right to know who their biological parents really are? Should the name of the donor be recorded on the birth certificate?
Sponsoring a child (Junior topic)
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 01/19/06, modified: 01/19/06
Is sponsoring a child in a developing country a bad idea?
Sport, benefits of (JUNIOR TOPIC)
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 02/01/06, modified: 08/31/10
Is sport really good for us?
Sports, Equal Prize Money for Men and Women
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 11/03/08
Should Wimbledon and other sports competitions offer equal prize money for men and women?
State Funding of Elite Athletes
created: 08/01/06, modified: 08/27/10
Should the state financially support elite athletes or should it leave them to compete for a limited pot of funding from charities and sponsorship?
State Funding of Political Parties
created: 11/06/00, modified: 08/17/09
Should political parties be funded by the state rather than by individual and corporate donations?
Statute of limitations
created: 07/13/09, modified: 05/31/10
Should we repeal all statutes of limitations on criminal offenses?
Stem Cell Research / Therapeutic Cloning
created: 10/04/01, modified: 12/30/09
Should medical research involving the use of human stem cells be permitted? Should clinical treatments that utilise these cloned cells be allowed?
Student Loan Collections
created: 03/16/10, modified: 11/30/-1
The government can keep your tax check if you default on your federal student loans. Is this right?
Student Lockers, schools' right to search
created: 01/15/06, modified: 04/24/06
Do schools have the right to search students’ lockers?
Subsidizing Poor Communities
created: 01/06/07, modified: 08/23/10
Should governments subsidize poor communities?
Sudan: increased military presence in
created: 01/15/06, modified: 11/02/06
Should the international community send more military troops to Sudan? Should the USA do more to support UN peacekeeping in Darfur?
Suicide
created: 01/04/03, modified: 01/04/03
Should suicide be a criminal offence?
Sunday Entertainment and Shopping
created: 06/24/01, modified: 08/26/09
Should shops and other commercial services be able to open on Sundays?
Surrogate Mothers
created: 11/06/00, modified: 08/17/09
Should surrogate motherhood be allowed?
Switzerland and Norway, join EU
created: 05/11/09, modified: 05/31/10
Should Switzerland and Norway seek to join the European Union?
Taiwan
created: 05/03/01, modified: 05/03/01
Should Taiwan declare independence?
Taliban
created: 02/19/02, modified: 07/24/06
Was the Taliban regime in Afghanistan uniquely terrible?
Tax on Foreign Exchange Dealings ("Tobin Tax")
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 12/29/08
Should a global tax on foreign exchange dealings (i.e. the Tobin tax) be introduced?
Television
created: 09/17/03, modified: 09/17/03
Is television a malign influence on society?
Ten Commandments: Display in Schools
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 11/03/08
Should the Ten Commandments be displayed in schools?
Term Limits for Elected Representatives
created: 11/01/00, modified: 05/27/09
Should we place restrictions upon the length of time served in office by elected representatives?
Terrorism, Justification for
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 07/24/06
Can terrorism ever be justified?
Terrorism, should not be allowed publicity
created: 11/02/07, modified: 06/19/10
Should terrorist acts be allowed publicity through the internet, media, news services etc.?
Terrorists should be treated as prisoners of war
created: 10/04/09, modified: 10/04/09
Should those suspected of or convicted for terrorist offences receive the same protections as those which apply to prisoners of war?
That all school age children should play a musical instrument!!
created: 04/03/10, modified: 11/30/-1
The UN Global Fund
created: 06/23/05, modified: 07/24/06
The UN Global Fund is an ambitious initiative to combat AIDS, Malaria, and other diseases. How should the US define its contribution to the Fund?
This House Regrets The Invention Of Television
created: 01/22/09, modified: 01/27/10
An argumentative presentation where both the sides of TV, harms and benefits, are debated,
Three Strikes
created: 01/04/03, modified: 01/04/03
Should so-called "three-strikes" laws be repealed?
Tobacco Regulation: Addictive Drug
created: 01/12/08, modified: 07/26/10
Should the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have the power to regulate tobacco as an addictive drug?
Tobacco, End of EU Subsidies
created: 10/13/02, modified: 10/13/02
Should the European Union stop subsidising tobacco?
Top sportsmen and women, state funding for
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 08/25/08, modified: 07/26/10
Should the state use tax-payers’ money to support top sportsmen and women?
Torture in Interrogation
created: 06/23/05, modified: 06/29/06
As the stakes of the war on terror are raised, are the US' use of torture, and its attitude towards UN's Geneva convention justified?
Tourism
created: 07/20/02, modified: 07/20/02
Do the benefits of tourism outweigh the costs?
Trade vs Aid
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 10/30/08
Should the developed world focus on enabling trade or donating aid as a way to help the developing world?
Trial by Jury
created: 10/03/00, modified: 04/15/09
Should the right to trial by jury be decreased?
Truancy, punish parents
Debatabase Junior Topic
created: 05/11/09, modified: 05/31/10
Should the parents of children who don’t go to school be punished?
Truth and Reconciliation Commissions
created: 11/30/-1, modified: 10/30/08
Are truth and reconciliation commissions the best way for countries to deal with violent pasts and political crimes?
Turkey, EU Membership for
created: 12/02/02, modified: 07/24/06
Should the European Union commit itself to including Turkey in the future, offering it a starting date for accession negotiations?
Two-Party System
created: 09/17/03, modified: 09/17/03
Is a two-party system preferable to a multi-party system?