List of Persuasive Essay Topics

Persuasive Essays are very similar to the argumentative essay. Their goal is to convince or persuade someone to your particular viewpoint on a certain subject. These can be very interesting and exciting topics for the students to engage in as there are no two students that are exactly alike. You can give the same assignment to two different students and the odds are quite high that they will each come back with a different perspective on the same material. Persuasive speech is about expressing a personal opinion about a topic and putting it into a clear and logical presentation for the reader.

Since a persuasive essay is about your feelings on a particular subject, the choice of the topic is a key factor in the paper. The writer should only choose topics that is not only of interest to him or her but is a point of interest for the reader as well. The best way to choose a topic is to begin with an area of interest that has wide appeal to many.

Social Issues

1. The use of surveillance cameras and your right to privacy
2. The issue of illegal aliens
3. Unemployment
4. Modern tech etiquette
5. Workplace environment
6. Sexual Harassment
7. Freedom of press
8. Student rights as opposed to search and seizure
9. Homelessness
10. Poverty

These are topics that are of major concern in most areas around the country. Chances are if one of these topics were chosen for an essay, the reader would most likely be equally interested as well.

Medical Issues

Another subject that makes for great expository papers is the field of medicine. Each year, advancements in medical science raises new issues that would not have even been heard of a generation ago. Students today will have to decide on these points in the very near future and set the pace for the generations to follow.

1. Human cloning
2. Artificial organs
3. Organ donations
4. New medicines
5. Nanotechnology
6. Genome mapping
7. Free medical treatments for all
8. Family planning
9. The cost of medicine
10. Health insurance

As you can see, the topic can run the gambit in many different directions. The choice to speak on a medical topic could open up a lively discussion where many different sides can be revealed in a persuasive essay.

Education

The future of education could also open up a number of different controversial topics that a student could choose to write about.

1. The Internet classroom
2. Home schooling
3. Ebooks as opposed to traditional textbooks
4. Incorporating technology in the classroom
5. Are school standards being lowered by technology?
6. Should students be separated by gender?
7. How to deal with students with disabilities and learning disorders in the future?
8. How can schools help to reduce the problem of gang violence?
9. New educational programs
10. How will schools have to change to keep up with modern advancements?

Miscellaneous Topics

It really doesn’t matter what type of topic is chosen for your persuasive essay but it should be something that the student feels strongly about.

1. Intelligent design or creationism
2. Protecting endangered species
3. A 4-day workweek
4. Should everyone be required to donate organs?
5. Do we need tougher laws or better education?
6. Are video games safe?
7. What will happen if we have a worldwide Internet failure?
8. What can be done to reduce poverty?
9. How to make the most out of social networking?
10. Should the death penalty be changed?

There are of course, hundreds more topics that can be used for the persuasive essay. The amount of knowledge the writer has, his amount of passion, and his own realm of imagination is the only limit. Once a topic is chosen, with a well organized research plan is developed and the student should be able to gain a wealth of information to support their chosen argument.

It is important to recognize that there is no exhaustive list of possible essay topics that can be used in the classroom, these are only meant as a means to spark the interest of both student and teacher in a wide range of subjects. The teacher should always remember to use her best judgment when assigning a topic to the student. Emotional feelings are involved and some issues may be more sensitive than others, which could cause problems if extra care is not taken.