Debates

Browse active challenges, live debates, and finished matchups.

There are 83 finished debates.

Finished
Updated 5 months ago

Resolved: Democracies ought to prioritize the protection of civil liberties over national security when the two are in conflict.

This debate examines whether democracies should place greater importance on safeguarding individual civil liberties, such as freedom of speech, privacy, and due process, than on measures aimed at protecting national security, such as the overall safety of its citizens, when the two are in conflict.

Published 5 months ago Ultrarated
6/6 args 38 3
Finished
Updated 5 months ago

This House believes that geoengineering is an unacceptable risk.

This debate requires a mutual acceptance that climate change is a thing that is happening, with the debate itself stemming from whether geoengineering is an appropriate way to tackle it given the risks. Geoengineering includes a set of technologies that have much wider reaching effects, for better or worse, and functions more as an intervention rather than a preventative measure as other methods do. Is the risk of investing time and resources into it, as well as the broader impacts of testing it, worth it for the potential benefits?

Published 5 months ago Ultrarated
5/6 args 18 3
Finished
Updated 5 months ago

Resolved: The United States federal government should require technology companies to provide lawful access to encrypted communications.

Encrypted communications are widespread in our everyday lives. Though they offer privacy, this same privacy can be a hindrance to law enforcement who seek to investigate criminals through their digital activities. On the other hand, forcing technology companies to create a backdoor into encrypted communications could lead to unintended consequences and loss of trust. How should we prioritize and weigh these interests?

Published 5 months ago Ultrarated
5/6 args 9 3
Finished
Updated 5 months ago

Is Trump psychologically and tempermentally fit to serve as president?

This debate addresses whether Donald Trump possesses the psychological stability, emotional regulation, judgment, and temperament necessary to effectively and responsibly hold the presidency. Unlike debates about specific policies, this topic focuses on personality, mental health, character traits, and decision-making patterns—whether Trump's psychological profile makes him suitable for an office wielding enormous power over nuclear weapons, military decisions, and national policy.

Published a year ago Rated
3/6 args 1 3