Speeches about health care can center on patient care, ethics and a government-run health care system. In topics about patient care, speakers can address long-term care for elders, cancer prevention programs and the shortage of health care workers. Regarding ethics, speakers can talk about pharmaceuticals to increase multiple births, physician-assisted suicide and stem cell research. An argumentative speech about a government-run health care program can focus on who will pay, what toll it will take on the current system, how it will improve overall care and how insurance companies will function in the future. Speakers can also address legal issues and costs such as malpractice costs and how these affect the overall cost of the health system. Typically health care issues also cross into religion and politics, depending on the type of information.
Speech topics about social issues benefit from government research and statistics that can show trends regarding the war on drugs, poverty and homelessness. Speakers can give an overall history of the problem, resources the government dedicates over time and the most effective programs that produce the best results. Other topics about social issues include help from nonprofits, churches and private foundations. These types of topics often work well with speakers who bring personal knowledge and experience to the topic, later proving themselves as a success story; those who went through a drug treatment program, became educated to get a better job or lived as a homeless person.
Environmental issues can focus on informing audiences about environmental problems and government intervention to curb future problems. Using research to show the benefits of community clean-ups and recycling, speakers can use practical examples of how companies use recycled products and how it lessens the burden on landfills. Research, studies and theorists on both sides of the political aisle can argue about the information of issues such as global warming, water pollution and drilling offshore for oil. Speeches can also center on the number of laws the government passes to protect land and animals from development. Persuasive speeches on these topics can attempt to change the viewpoints about whether global warming exists, the extent of clean water problems in parts of the world and the economic benefit to drilling off the coast for oil exploration.
Education speech topics can help teaches become better educators; help students become better learners and parents more involved in education. Using research and studies, speech topics can address issues such as classroom overcrowding, charter schools, online classes and longer school days. In speaking to students, research can show what happens to those who don't do well in school and the qualities it takes to become a successful college student. In addressing parents, a well-researched speech can show the rising cost of a college education, how parent involvement improves a child's grades and the benefits of home schooling. In addition, topics can also include academic dishonesty, bullying, cheating and school vouchers.