Last Year's Topics/Motions

For schools that are new to the tournament (or perhaps US tournaments in general), it may be helpful to see last year's motions. The members of the topic committee will be similar this year,

FINALS

1. This House supports the new contract between the University of California and teaching assistants.

1. This House, as the President, would decide to destroy the ship. (Info-slide: You are the US President. Satellites have discovered that an alien ship is flying towards earth but appears to be unarmed. You can destroy this ship with a 100% chance of success.)

1. This House regrets Marbury v. Madison, (Info-slide: Marbury v. Madison (1803), was a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case that established the principle of judicial review in the United States, meaning that American courts have the power to strike down laws and statutes that they find to violate the US Constitution.)

ELIM 3

1. This House supports the narrative that morality is culturally relative.

1. The United States should deploy nuclear missiles in South Korea.

1. Non-disclosure agreements in schools do more harm than good. (Non-disclosure agreements are legally enforceable contracts that create a confidential relationship between a person who has sensitive information and a person who will gain access to that information.)

ELIM 2: Social Media

1. Major decisions made by social media platforms should be voted on by their users.

1. This House would hold social media companies responsible for the spread of misinformation and hate speech on their platforms.

1. The rise of the social media “influencer” has done more harm than good.

ELIM 1

1. This House believes it is immoral to have children.

1. The industrial revolution did more harm than good.

1. The growth of private equity has done more harm than good.

ROUND 5: TOGETHERNESS

1. This House, as the government of a developed nation, would break up news monopolies using anti-trust laws.

1. The concept of private property does more harm than good.

1. This House prefers a world with open borders.

ROUND 4:Strikes at 2:40 PST (or sooner if everybody is ready)

1. The common belief in free will does more harm than good.

1. The African Union should withdraw from the International Criminal Court, and create a similar international court.

1. This House would ban the paying of ransoms to hostage-takers.

ROUND 3

1. This House regrets the US federal government’s decision to impose a contract for railway workers. (In order to avert a strike, the government imposed a deal that had been approved by 8 of 12 unions, but rejected by 4.)

1. Assuming equal screen time and character complexity, This House would rather play a hero in a movie than a villain.

1. This House, as a wealthy individual, would use that wealth to become a vigilante (e.g. Batman) in areas of high crime and a corrupt police force (e.g. Mexico City).

ROUND 2: LDCs

This House, as a less developed country, would assume state control over all universal resources (ie, energy, water, health care)

When in conflict, less developed countries ought to prioritize investment in establishing democracy (e.g. spending on election safeguards) over economic development.

This House, as a less developed country with a reputation as a tax haven, would take steps to become less of a tax haven.

ROUND 1

The rise of artificial intelligence has done more harm than good.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

The United States should replace the patent system with a system of monetary prizes for innovation. (A patent for an invention is the grant of a property right for 20 years to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling the invention in the United States or importing the invention into the United States.)