Research Paper and Argument Topics

1 The University Writing fondness Beca habituate writers need readers look for make-up and product line Topics Race and Ethni urban center G give the sacker and Sexuality Multiculturalism and Diversity ad and Marketing Economic Issues Environ workforcetal Issues Media Issues Consumerism and Convenience Culture TV and buck Sports and Entertainment Race and Ethnicity Should racial profiling be a let law enforcement insurance policy in whatsoever aras? Should Affirmative Action for commonwealth of matter university enrollment be move?Should the primary order of usual civilize funding (property taxes in individual give lessons districts) be revise to become more than(prenominal) fairness in schools? If a university offers African-the Statesn Studies or grim Studies as courses, should it also offer European-American Studies or White Studies? How do sure tv platforms perpetuate racial or ethnical stereotypes? Should schools only obtain textbooks that o ffer revised or choice perspectives on historical events? What should be done rough racial disparities in the sendencing of woefuls? Should the American giving medication overcompensate reparations and return land to Native Americans?Should hate groups corroborate the right to give literature on university campuses? If research shows that veritable racial or ethnic groups receive poorer medical care on aver epoch, how should this problem be turn? Should government organizations adopt staff that accurately reflect the racial, ethnic, and sex activity oddment in society? Criminal Justice Religion The Political procedure pedagogics National/Inter subject field Policies UCF Issues well-bred Liberties Counter-Culture Issues Youth Issues Local ambit Issues Gender and Sexuality What should be done to eliminate salary disparities in the midst of men and women?What should be done to create equity in executive man epochr positions for women in particular corporations and industries? Should women be allowed in armed function combat? To what close? Is healthcare for women underfunded? In what ways? Should insurance companies that cover the cost of sildenafil prescriptions also be required to cover birth control and tied(p) examinations for women? are homosexual characters and topics appropriate for prime season telecasting? In what ways does gender mash a division in bookman success and instructor attention in the classroom? Should the Equal Rights Amendment be revived and do part of the Constitution? UWC at UCF (407) 823-2197 ttp//uwc. cah. ucf. edu WUWC ArchiveUWC BackupUWCHANDOUTSPublic Handouts aerial up not on Lit RacksResearch base and literary argument Topics NEW. docx Jun-14 2 Should the Family and Medical Leave Act be extended beyond 12 weeks? Should prostitution be legalized? Under what conditions? How does vulgarism differ from prostitution? Is it contradictory that one should be legal piece of music the an separ ate(prenominal) is not? Should homosexual marriage be permitted in Florida? Should homosexual couples in Florida be legally allowed to adopt? Multiculturalism and Diversity Should English be do the official language of the united States?Should ESL students be taught confine courses in their native language? Should high school history classes and social studies curricula be formd to reflect diversity and multicultural perspectives? Should Columbus Day be stop in upgrade of a new post-colonial perspective? Should Christmas, Easter, and other spiritual observances be considered matter holidays? Should the United States rent a more miserly or more relaxed immigration policy? Advertising and Marketing How do real kinds of advertizement perpetuate gender, racial, or religious stereotypes?How do certain kinds of advertising befuddle claims of patriotic values? How do mass trade and manufacturing affect originality and creativity in the arts and other fi elds? Does the American consumerist society conflict with democratic values? In what ways? How does advertising treat convenience as necessity? ar certain kinds of advertising un estimable? Should proceeds placement in television, film, and other media be controlled? Should product advertising and selling be permitted in ordinary schools? Should communities retain the appointee rights to baseball parks and football stadiums, or should transactiones be allowed to acquire these rights?Does the mold industry bear whatever responsibility to provide healthy, realistic corporeal role models for young women? Is the use of sexual imagery in ad campaigns un honourable? Should baccy and liquor advertising be allowed on television? Should all billboard advertising of alcohol be banned? Should tobacco and alcohol companies be allowed to use ad campaigns that could be considered minor-friendly? Why are alcohol companies now allowed to advertise on television under certain conditions ( after primetime, with responsible deglutition messages in some ads, etc. )? Economic Issues Should the topical anaesthetic anaesthetic sales tax be increased/decreased?Should sin taxes on alcohol and tobacco be increased to help pay for the sort magnitude costs of medical care? Should Florida increase the use of toll roadstead to pay for local road improvements? Do local power and receipts companies operate as monopolies? Should purchases made over the Internet be ratable? Should the government provide financial assistance to people whose retirement pecuniary resource were invested in the stock of companies that may contrive use unethical score practices (i. e. , Enron, Arthur Andersen, etc. )? UWC at UCF (407) 823-2197 http//uwc. cah. ucf. eduWUWC ArchiveUWC BackupUWCHANDOUTSPublic HandoutsLit not on Lit RacksResearch Paper and blood Topics NEW. docx Jun-14 3 beg for or against the earning potential vs. risk of investing in a certain kind of stock. Argue f or or against a polemical trade tariff or tax. Mevery stock analysts describe the character of todays stock market as completely several(predicate) from the stock market of twenty or thirty years ago. Argue for or against this assertion. Does America perplex a responsibility to assist its industries financially and politically if other countries industries receive similar assistance from their own governments?Argue for or against federal Reserve strategies that attempt to keep inflation low. Large corporations such as Walmart and Barnes & Noble engage been criticized for driving mom-and-pop shops out of business. Is this a valid criticism when considering the reputation of supply and demand? A few years ago, the U. S. can issued a new form of dollar coin. Argue for or against the continued use of this new currency. Should the United Kingdom join other E. U. countries in converting its currency to Euros?Environmental Issues Should national environmental po licy focus on developing more oil resources or developing renewable brawn sources? Should our national energy policy focus on building more nuclear power plants? How does overseas oil dependency watch our economic formation and/or international policies? Should genetically engineered food be labeled other than? How do city zoning laws and ordinances affect instruction and conservation? Which civic policies should be changed to encourage conservation preferably than new land development? Should recycling be compulsory? How should recycling efforts be funded?Should fines for littering and dumping be stronger? Should fines and penalties for merged pollution be more punitive? Should the fuel ability of SUVs and pick-up trucks be raised(a)? Should the government offer tax credits for the purchase of hybrid or alternative energy vehicles? Should the designations of be and threatened species be changed? Should loss of economic/industrial benefits be considered when land is pres erved for endangered species? Should more civilian oversight be created to monitor government and military pollution? Should environmental studies become a mandatory part of cultivation curricula in public schools?Should third-world countries be held to the same levels of pollution control as more advanced nations? Argue for or against new environmental regulation concerning a limited industry (e. g. , clear-cutting for raising cattle vs. tropical come down forest protection). Argue for a specific regulation that will make a certain business or industry more environmentally safe. Media Issues How does profit motive in media corporations influence what and how information is broadcast? What ethical considerations or conflicts of interest exist for a corporate media intelligence agency furrow?How and why do certain media outlets throw to sensationalism in news showworthiness reporting? UWC at UCF (407) 823-2197 http//uwc. cah. ucf. edu WUWC ArchiveUWC BackupUWCHANDOUTSPub lic HandoutsLit Not on Lit RacksResearch Paper and Argument Topics NEW. docx Jun-14 4 Is the Internet a positive development for news reporting? Does it represent a more democratic medium of information? How does specific media bias affect how news is interpreted and delivered? How has the conglomeration of media companies influenced radiocommunication and TV content? Do cable companies represent a monopoly?Should more customer options be available with cable television? Should cable work be offered on an a la carte system (for example, gainful $40 a month for 40 channels individually chosen by the consumer)? Should a stricter rating system be imposed upon television syllabusming? Should tabloid television be scheduled only for modern night time slots? Should parental locks be optional or mandatory on televisions? Consider media influence on national political campaigns cubic decimeter or a hundred years ago in analogy with such influence today. Should new regula tions be imposed to make original campaign coverage more equitable?Should music-sharing programs that facilitate piracy on the Internet be outlawed? Should websites that allow the remedy download of bootlegged celluloids be turf out down? Do production companies have the right to shut down websites that allow the free download of sound or television set clips from their media? Consumerism and Convenience Culture Should the official work week be runty/extended? How is shopping an American cultural value? Which American or cultural values does the mall represent? How does the concept of consumer credit influence our economy?How does American consumer culture deal with the concept of death? How are the values, expectations, and rituals of specific holidays such as Christmas, Valentines Day, and Mothers Day influenced by consumer culture? What role does product packaging play in consumerism? What role does the national debt play in consumers spending awareness? Consider the issue of disposable products and packaging and their impact on the marketplace as well as the environment. Argue for or against new regulation. TV and Film Should televised sexual and violent content be censored by the government?Are mandatory ratings a form of censorship? Is there a gender-based double standard regarding nudity, sex, and ratings on television? Which values do reality television shows appeal to? How have they changed television viewing? What does the trend towards voyeuristic TV programs reveal about modern American culture? To what extent has television as a source of entertainment changed American neighborhoods and leisure activities? Which values/philosophies/worldviews are verbalized by a certain television program? What impact has 24-hour news coverage had on our TV watching habits?How has it changed our view of information? How does MTV contribute to celebrity and image-selling? How has the television as an invention changed American household and family flavour? Why are the TV and film industries considered so hard to abeyance into? UWC at UCF (407) 823-2197 http//uwc. cah. ucf. edu WUWC ArchiveUWC BackupUWCHANDOUTSPublic HandoutsLit Not on Lit RacksResearch Paper and Argument Topics NEW. docx Jun-14 5 Because celebrities are so often in the public spotlight, do they have ethical responsibilities to set good examples for young people?In the past, the Screenwriters Guild of America has pushed for the credit A Film By directors name to be banned. Why would the SGA want this, and is this a justify request? Do scriptwriters have a right to be allowed on the set of a movie they wrote, or is this a privilege to be allowed at the discretion of the director? Sports and Entertainment How has the increase in ticket prices and athlete salaries negatively bear upon lord sports? Should professional tennis players only be able to use personalized/custom-made rackets?In World Cup soccer matches that end in tie s, should penalty kicks be discarded for some other method of determining a winner? Should professional sports leagues such as the NBA, NFL, and MLB set in motion a promotion/relegation system that rewards strong squads from lesser leagues with promotion, dapple relegating poor teams to a lower division? What changes, if any, should be made to NBA rules to preserve the integrity of the sport? Do celebrity athletes bear any responsibility for being role models for children? Should the instant replay remain in effect in the NFL? Should it be extended to other sports as well?Should teams with potentially offensive logos and nicknames ( standardized the Cleveland Indians and Washington Redskins) change their names to be more racially sensitive? To what level should collegiate sports be funded? What is their affinity to academics? Should college athletes be paid to play? Does Title IX actually advertise gender compeerity in college sports? Should GPA standards for college athletes be raised or more rigidly enforced? How have professional sporting events been negatively influenced by entertainment, including Jumbotrons, music, and crowd-pleasing activities?Should certain kinds of performance-enhancing drugs be allowed in different sports? Should creatine be banned from Major League Baseball? Should women be allowed to play in professional sports leagues that have no female league equivalent (NFL, NHL)? How have the quaternary major professional American sports (baseball, basketball, football, and hockey) affected the rise of other sports such as soccer and lacrosse? How have ESPN and other media sources influenced (positively or negatively) professional sports in the last twenty years? Should communities bear all, part, or none of the burden of financing new sports arenas for professional teams?Criminal Justice Should the criminal sentencing work at be reevaluated or changed because of racially unfair sentences? Which changes should be utilise to preve nt prison rape? How has the proliferation of privately funded prisons changed the criminal justice system in America? Should certain non-violent crimes be penalizeable by fines rather than jail time? Are state-mandated three-strikes policies unfair? UWC at UCF (407) 823-2197 http//uwc. cah. ucf. edu WUWC ArchiveUWC BackupUWCHANDOUTSPublic HandoutsLit Not on Lit RacksResearch Paper and Argument Topics NEW. docx Jun-14 Should children who commit certain crimes be treated as large(p)s? If so, should there be a lower age peg down to this policy? Are exile programs (where a criminal is sent to prison in a distant state) fair? What kinds of rights should criminals have? Which conditions of enslavement are fair? Are certain kinds of working pileus punishment brutal and unusual? Should capital punishment be suspended because of racial disparities? Should capital punishment be suspended because of the chance of executing an innocent person? Should prison be punitive or re habilitative in nature?Now that genetic/DNA evidence is admissible in court, should arguable closed cases be re-opened? If someone has already been executed, should his or her case be re-opened under certain circumstances? Should some kind of reparation be made to the families of the wrongfully accuse? Should there be a limit to the number of death row appeals that can be made? Presuming that capital punishment is allowable, what types of crimes should this apply to? Only murder? Treason? Is societys obligation to entirely remove a criminal from society, to actually punish the criminal for crime, or a combination of both?Considering this, what is the purpose of the death penalty in America today? Should the legal requirements for obtaining a search authority be changed? If an officer finds something that s/he was not looking for (e. g. , narcotics in an machine that was being searched for firearms), why should or shouldnt the officer have the right to reach the accused into cus tody? Consider the issue of reasonable suspicion in your discussion. Why are lawyers stereotyped as sharks? Is this a fair representation, and if not, why is it so prevalent? Many consider todays justice system to be too slow.What improvements could be made to expedite the system without sacrificing due edge? any(prenominal) states have harsher penalties than others for drunk driving. Consider the policies of a particular state and argue for a change in the penalties. Define terrorist. Under what circumstances, if any, is terrorism acceptable? Should terrorists be tried in a military or civil court? When tried in our court system, should the citizens of other countries have the same rights as citizens of the United States? Argue for or against an amendment to the statute of limitations for a particular crime. Religion What, if anything, should constitute acceptable prayer or moments of serenity in public schools? Should religious schools be required to teach health/ sexual education from a non-religious perspective? Should religious phrases be removed from American money? Should government provide faith-based organizations with funds to help the wiped out(p)? Should evolution be the official curricular focus of public schools regarding human race origin? Should faith-based organizations be given tax exempt status by the government, even if the organization does not provide any concrete services for the needy (food, shelter, etc. )?Should the Orlando-based Holy Land theme park be given tax exempt status because it is run by a faith-based organization? UWC at UCF (407) 823-2197 http//uwc. cah. ucf. edu WUWC ArchiveUWC BackupUWCHANDOUTSPublic HandoutsLit Not on Lit RacksResearch Paper and Argument Topics NEW. docx Jun-14 7 Is the government justified in denying the Wiccan religion exempt status because it fails to meet one of the government regulations in defining a religion that of congregating at a regularly scheduled time and place? H ow has the role of the Catholic Church been affected by the new accusations of sexual abuse by priests?Argue for a specific change in church policy regarding these crimes. Are public school overwinter holidays still generally organized around Christian holidays rather than those of any other religions? Argue for or against a change in policy. On campus, faith-based organizations can receive funds as part of a club. Does this hunt the withdrawal of church and state? Should Christmas, Easter, and other religious observances be considered national holidays? The Political Process Should the Electoral College be discarded in favor of a simple popular vote in presidential elections?Do alternative political parties in America receive fair intercession during elections? Should third party candidates be allowed to participate in national debates? How do the media help or hinder third parties? Should they receive equal and free airtime on major networks? Should the campaig n financing system be reform? Should presidential candidates be barred from spending their own money for their campaigns? What is the kinship between personal campaign finance and free speech? Should harm of senators and congressmen be further limited?Should a national form of health care be created, or should health care remain a private industry? Examine the historical reversal of the value systems of Republicans and Democrats. Should a particular Congressional District be reallocated? Argue for a policy change that would make the American democratic sour more efficient. Are checks and balances a crucial element in American government? Does this process work as it was originally intended? Has the executive branch of the American government gained too much power in the last cardinal years? Cite specific examples in your argument.How has/will new technologies like the Internet change the political process? How can the voting process in national elections be made less confusing? Education Is standardized state or national testing (such as the FCAT or SAT) helping or hurting American schools? Is the electric current system of public school funding (primarily through property taxes) unfair? Does it contribute to divergence in the public school system? Should tracking be used in determining courses for public school children? Should magnet and charter schools be encouraged or discouraged?Should the system of busing students to school be amended? Should local school districts be redrawn to create schools that are more equal? Should federal school vouchers be used at religious schools? How does the separation of church and state apply to this issue? Consider the needs of a teachers salary vs. the realities of the funding schools now have. Argue for a change in education budget allocation. Do teachers in classrooms of thirty or forty children accomplish their intended tasks as educators? Should they be expected to? UWC at UCF (407) 823-2197 http//uwc. ah. ucf. edu WUWC ArchiveUWC BackupUWCHANDOUTSPublic HandoutsLit Not on Lit RacksResearch Paper and Argument Topics NEW. docx Jun-14 8 Some standardized tests scores factor in to how much money a school will receive in the next fiscal year. Is this an ethical way to demand accountability from a school, or does this further punish lower-performing schools? Consider the benefits and drawbacks of a home-school education vs. a public school education. Conservatives, liberals, and radicals all have different ideas about the purposes of a public education.Research some(prenominal) perspectives and argue for or against a particular viewpoint. How necessary are the arts in the public school system? Argue for or against a change in funding for a particular district. National/ outside(a) Policy In which situations, hypothetical or actual, is U. S. military intervention in other countries justifiable? In which situations is it not? Does the threat of terrorism warrant the susp ension or curtailment of civil liberties? What policy should the American government have towards international political crises? To the Middle East?To Israel? To Tibet? What should our policy be towards trade with China? Should the United States support the involution of NATO to include the Baltic states? Should mandatory military service be required for all men and women in America? What are the ethics involved when considering the separation of powers and allowing a Presidential Line Veto? Is shuttle diplomacy a get around alternative to gunboat diplomacy in the modern world? Consider the CIAs pre-September eleventh policy of non-assassination and its post-September 11th policy of pro-assassination. Argue for or against this new stance.Does the United States have a right to preemptively protect itself from terrorist attacks by attacking nations accused of sponsoring terrorism? Not considering the United States, what is the most powerful nation on the planet? Explain the criteri a used in making this judgment. Should the United States change its policies on educating foreign nationals and issuing student visas? UCF Issues What is the best solution to the lay issues on the UCF campus? Should the GEP (General Education Program) be changed? What courses should be added or dropped?Should the composition program at UCF be changed? How? Should the course be worth a different number of credits? Is the concept of UCF as a metropolitan university a good idea for the future of the school? Should Greek Park expansion take place, even if it means developing environmentally delicate areas? Is corporate funding of university research a good idea? Should public universities have the right to sell the names of campus buildings to corporations? Argue for or against the UCF football program joining the MAC. Should UCF fund the mens basketball team more heavily?Should UCF devise a different scheduling method for classes held in modules and take-away trailers? UWC at UCF (407) 823-2197 http//uwc. cah. ucf. edu WUWC ArchiveUWC BackupUWCHANDOUTSPublic HandoutsLit Not on Lit RacksResearch Paper and Argument Topics NEW. docx Jun-14 9 Should the tradition of not stepping on the Pegasus symbol in the scholar Union be reevaluated? Argue for or against more university funding for student services such as the Student Academic Resource Center and the University Writing Center. What purpose does the campus newspaper serve, and how well does it achieve its purpose?Civil Liberties Should people between the ages of 18 and 20 be allowed to drink adult beverages that contain a lowered alcohol content? Should legal hangmans halter production be reassessed by the Florida legislature? Under which conditions (if any) should medical cannabis use be legal? Under what rationale have some states gone against federal regulations and fought to allow medical marijuana use? Do terrorist attacks justify any suspension of civil liberties in the name of nati onal safety? Should prison sentences for non-violent victimless crimes be commuted to community service or alternative methods of punishment?Is there such a thing as a victimless crime? What rights do airplane passengers give up by allowing themselves to be checked before boarding? Argue for or against a specific passenger check policy. What rights do people lose when on public school property? Is the suspension of these rights valid? Proponents of a lowered drinking age sometimes note the disparity between the draft age (18) and the legal-drinking age (21). Argue for or against the validity of this comparison. Counter-Culture Issues Should people under eighteen years of age be required to have parental allowance to get tattoos and piercings?Is ear piercing of children of a certain age child abuse? Should rave clubs have limits on their operating hours? Why have recent raves been shut down in the Orlando area? Was this action justified? Do owners of raves have a right to opera te a business that can be potentially harmful to youth? Youth Issues Should the lower limit age for attaining a drivers license be increased? Should this be a national standard? Should the mandatory age for quitting school be raised or lowered, or is the current age of sixteen justified? Should data processor skills be a fundamental part of education curricula?Local empyrean Issues What kind of public transportation system would be best for Orlando? Would light or high speed rail best serve the interests of Orlando residents? Should local zoning restrictions be changed to encourage community development? How do current zoning restrictions limit or control growth? Should police patrol the University Drive area more stringently? Should regular speed traps be a part of this patrol? UWC at UCF (407) 823-2197 http//uwc. cah. ucf. edu WUWC ArchiveUWC BackupUWCHANDOUTSPublic HandoutsLit Not on Lit RacksResearch Paper and Argument Topics NEW. docx Jun-14 0 How does traf fic light time influence traffic in the UCF area? Should traffic light patterns be recalibrated to help reduce congestion? Should Alafaya Trail be expanded to four lanes from McCollough Road through Oviedo? Should off-campus UCF housing be restricted because of conflicts with local neighborhoods? Are the policies of local apartment complexes fair? How should they be changed? Should new development in the Orlando area face more stringent environmental considerations? Should carpool restrictions be lay on certain Orlando highways for certain times of the day?Should Orlando campaign for a professional baseball team? A professional football team? Would having a professional basketball team contribute to the prestige of the city? How does tourism in Central Florida affect local communities? Should legalized gambling in the form of casinos be considered as an economic boost to this area? Should dancers be allowed to perform nude in local establishments? UWC at UCF (407) 823-2197 http//u wc. cah. ucf. edu WUWC ArchiveUWC BackupUWCHANDOUTSPublic HandoutsLit Not on Lit RacksResearch Paper and Argument Topics NEW. docx Jun-14