Category: Essays on Controversial Topics
Browse our collection of essays on controversial topics. Each topic in this category represents a controversial issue and thus is a good choice if you are looking for argumentative or persuasive essay topics. When writing an argumentative essay or a persuasive essay you should focus on picking a topic that is current and relevant to society and can be argued logically.
While a strong interest in a topic is important, it’s not enough to be interested. You have to consider what position you can back up with reasoning and evidence. It’s one thing to have a strong belief, but when shaping an argument you’ll have to explain why your belief is reasonable and logical. As you explore the topics, make a mental list of points you could use as evidence for or against an issue.
Census 2000 identified 6.8 million Americans, or 2.4 percent of the total U.S. population, as multiracial. Of these, 93.3 percent identified with two races, 6 percent identified with three races, and 0.6 percent identified with four races. Though not the first time the U.S. Census Bureau counted multiracial …
Generally defined, murder is the unlawful killing of one human being by another. Although precise legal definitions may vary somewhat across jurisdictions, murders are usually classified into two categories: first-degree murder and second-degree murder. First-degree murder is unlawful killing involving malice aforethought (i.e., intent to kill) and premeditation. …
Developed to measure victimizations that were both reported and not reported to police, the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) began in 1972 and has been conducted annually since that time. Sponsored by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, it relies on a national probability sample of about 50,000 non-institutional …
Nation building is a term used in conflict resolution to explain the actions of the international community in postwar societies. In this context, the term refers either to a preventive measure to avoid the breakup and social fragmentation of the state or to an element of post-conflict peace-building …
Scorn for the Native Americans’ ways of life became apparent soon after their first encounters with Europeans. Disparagement of, and disrespect for, tribal cultures continued thereafter and, unfortunately, still continues today. For centuries, much of what people have known about Native Americans has rested on misinformation, stereotypes, and …
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the United States pursued a strategy of ethnic cleansing to force hundreds of linguistically, culturally, and politically distinct indigenous peoples with their own rich histories of alliances, trade, and cultural exchange onto Indian reservations—remote, poor vestiges of their vast former holdings. The …
Nativism refers to the beliefs and policies favoring native-born citizens over immigrants. Nativism emerged in dramatic fashion in the mid-19th century as Europeans arrived in large numbers from countries other than Great Britain and the Netherlands. Roman Catholic settlers in general and the Irish in particular were among …
The social and behavioral sciences have in recent years played host to what has come to be called the “nature versus nurture debate.” This is the question of to what degree our genes (“nature”) explain human differences in certain phenotypic variables such as intelligence, personality predispositions, criminal tendencies, …
The Neighborhood Watch program is a crime prevention effort that has been in existence across the United States for more than 30 years. Founded in 1972 by the National Sheriffs Association, it originally aimed to deter an increasing residential burglary problem that was affecting many towns and cities …
The neo-Malthusian movement is one of the most prolific and fatalistic groups among public intellectuals examining the fate of the environment. This movement’s ideology rests on the premise that an out-of-control rate of population growth is one of the single most important factors adversely impacting human deprivation and …
Neurosis is a mostly outdated term that has had a number of meanings throughout the history of psychology. Its usage continues today, although more so in everyday language than in academic or clinical language. Coined in 1769 by William Cullen, a physician and professor in Scotland, the term …
NIMBYism (Not In My Backyard) refers to the protectionist attitudes of, and oppositional tactics adopted by, community groups facing an unwelcome development in their neighborhoods. NIMBYism is an acute sociopolitical problem since it typically involves opposition to projects that place most of the burden on those living closest …
President George W. Bush signed No Child Left Behind (NCLB) into law on January 8, 2002, declaring a new era in U.S. public education. The legislation enjoyed overwhelming bipartisan support in the post-September 11, 2001, context. Since then, support has eroded and the policy has been criticized on …
Nonrenewable resources are all those materials and energy sources consumed by our industrial society at a rate that exceeds the rate at which natural processes can renew those resources. This contrasts with renewable resources such as food and timber, which, presumably can be replaced continuously at the same …
Descriptive norms are typical patterns of behavior, generally accompanied by the expectation that people will behave according to the pattern. Injunctive norms are prescriptive (or prescriptive) rules specifying behavior that persons ought (or ought not) to engage in. Such norms are usually informal, emerging from and operating through …
Given the immediate explosive and incendiary force of the atom and the long-term human and environmental consequences from release of radiation, curbing nuclear weapons use has been of special concern since Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Atomic energy can serve military purposes (weapons of mass destruction and powering submarines) or …
Nursing homes are facilities that have at least three or more beds at which health care workers (nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses, and registered nurses) regularly provide nursing care services for persons unable to care for themselves due to physical or mental health problems, cognitive impairment, or disabilities. …
The United States is now the fattest country in the world. In July 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that more than 60 percent of U.S. adults and 25 percent of children were overweight or obese, making obesity one of the major health challenges …
The term obscenity denotes offensiveness to modesty or decency, typically in terms of human communication about sex or sexuality. As a legal concept, the term long resisted clear definition, especially during a 16-year period between 1957 and 1973 when the U.S. Supreme Court encountered the issue repeatedly. No …
Occupational safety and health deals with reducing and eliminating all work safety hazards, including illnesses, diseases, stress, injuries, and repeated trauma. The field of occupational health comprises multiple specialty areas such as statistics, social sciences, health sciences, ergonomics, safety engineering, and biohazard waste and control. Individuals pursuing this …
