200 Topics for a Position Paper: Fresh Ideas and Prompts in 10 Subject Categories

A position paper (also called a point-of-view piece) is a type of essay that presents your stand on an arguable issue. The goal of a position paper is to convince your audience that your point of view is defensible, valid, and worth listening to. A position paper can be semi-formal, for example, a letter to the editor. It can also be issued by a large organization representing the interests and opinions of a social group, official beliefs, or corporate values.

A position paper is similar to a debate speech or an argumentative essay. However, position papers are usually more nuanced and restrained. The focus is not to persuade the audience that your way of looking at the problem is the right one but rather to invite them to look at the issue from where you stand, which is reflected in the name. A position paper does not argue. Instead, it presents the case from your side or the perspective of the group you speak for.

Writing a good position piece is not easy because it requires you to carefully balance objectivity with empathy and assertiveness with intellectual humility. The best way to write an effective position piece is to consider both the side you represent and the side of your target audience. Considering your audience does not mean you will have to play up to their beliefs. It means that you should be informed enough to address the issue in a manner most understandable for your audience and be able to refute likely counterclaims.

This is why it is vital to start with choosing the right topic: one that is interesting for you, narrow enough to be manageable in an essay, and provides enough material to support your point. To help you with that, we have gathered about 200 good position paper topics in 10 main categories.

Position Paper Topics for High School

Here are some more straightforward position essay ideas to start your journey as an essay writer. If they don't look challenging enough, try defending some unexpected, unorthodox position on the topic, or move straight to college topics or subject-specific sections below.

1. School uniforms create an environment of equality and reduce bullying; it's time we get them back
2. We should all learn foreign languages to be more open-minded
3. Code-switching is exhausting and vernacular students shouldn't be expected to do that in class
4. Group projects are a waste of time and should be assigned less
5. We need more liberal arts education classes for mental wellbeing and emotional equilibrium
6. We need multiperspectivity when learning about world history
7. Basic concepts of nutrition should be taught in school
8. Barbie dolls are a toxic influence on child's body image and should be revamped or banned
9. PE programs should include holistic practices, such as meditation and yoga
10. The "eccentric genius" trope is harmful and causes gifted students to hide their intelligence
11. "Moody teen" phenomenon is simply sleep deprivation, and starting the school day later will fix that
12. There is no such thing as "just a meme" or "only a joke": comedy can be ethical or unethical
13. Cheerleading is a real sport and must have a place in the Olympics
14. Dangerous sports should not be allowed in school
15. Mandatory national service: should it be an obligation of citizenship?
16. Distance learning was a silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic, so we should keep it: agree or disagree?
17. Is progressive tax fairer than a proportional tax?
18. What is the appropriate age to own a smartphone and access social media?
19. Child beauty pageants are unethical and harmful
20. Plastic surgery is not empowering and distorts body image

Position Paper Topics for College Students

Topics for college are a bit more complicated and require more research, making them even more interesting and worth exploring. Some of the issues below might even deserve a small project of their own. What is your stand on the following?

1. The use of torture during interrogation is inexcusable, and we must call for transparency and accountability for the CIA torture program during the "war on terror"
2. Gender equality in political representation is crucial for a thriving society
3. America as a religious refuge is a myth, and modern-day discrimination shows it
4. Religious organizations should be required to pay taxes like everyone else
5. We need new models for state university success
6. Disturbing and threatening anti-smoking ads are ineffective and traumatizing
7. Unpaid internships are exploitation and must be banned
8. Tests for sexually transmitted diseases must be a legal requirement for the marriage license
9. Why the United States should never allow their Presidents to serve a third term
10. Birth control pills should be available over the counter
11. Leaked nudes must undermine the reputation of the person who violated the trust, not the victim's
12. Digital blackface in reaction gifs: a false understanding of POC existence
13. The legal driving age in the US must be raised to lower fatal crashes rates
14. The US should adopt a mandatory vacation to improve the effectiveness and mental health of the citizens
15. Pressure to succeed academically on the children of immigrants is detrimental to their mental health and social life
16. Ever and again: why we must always be wary of the recrudescent Nazism
17. Where should we draw the line in genetic research and experiments?
18. We should remove barriers to jail voting for eligible but excluded inmates
19. Euthanasia for terminally ill patients: people should have the legal right to go with dignity
20. We should limit the maximum period of time that information can remain classified

Topics for Position Papers About Education

Education might be one of the most challenging position paper topics for students to explore because being deeply embedded in the process makes changing perspectives tricky. If, for example, you need to write a piece representing a particular issue that the administrator or instructor might face, you will need not only to research and conduct interviews but also to check your bias as a party with stakes in the matter. Still, we believe that you can handle the following topics with flying colors.

1. Parental expectations and involvement in their children's K12 education and the outcomes
2. Challenges arising from funding cuts and growing classes: burdens faced by teachers
3. Sexism in school dress codes and ways it harms students
4. Progress-tracking, rubrics, grading systems: challenges of dated approaches and ways to seek new ones
5. Building community and support network for homeschooling parents
6. Multiculturalism and holiday programs in schools
7. Cancel culture on campus and self-censorship in academia
8. Religious freedom, secularity, affiliation, teacher's authority, and conflicts with parents
9. Prestige, popularity, profits: figures behind the college ranking inflation
10. Students' records access: privacy vs. better service through data collection
11. Should we encourage more high school students to participate in apprenticeship programs and other alternatives to college?
12. The school day starts too early, and it disrupts family life
13. Standardized testing is an unreliable predictor of college success and must be exchanged for a new admission rubric
14. Should schools revise the grade level system and lean more ability-grouping and tracking?
15. We should teach more applicable life skills in high school
16. Why do most students hate group work, and what can we do to change that?
17. Should the administration limit resources students can access from the school Wi-Fi?
18. Should school cafeterias adopt fully vegan menus, or should they keep meat and dairy options as well?
19. When students need to hire help from an online essay service, it's a symptom of an outdated teaching system
20. Remedial courses are ineffective and should be eliminated

Health Care and Nursing Position Essay Topics

Since health is something we all care about and want to preserve, the below selection of topics for a position essay will be interesting for any student, regardless of their intent to pursue a career in medicine or a related field.

1. We should cut down on antibiotics prescriptions in pediatrics and search for less harmful anti-inflammatory treatments
2. Environmental pollutants and their potential impact on fertility
3. Addressing the nutritional habits of parents with small children in low-income communities for childhood diabetes prevention
4. Ethical dilemmas of perinatal diagnosis
5. A healthy mind in any body: the importance of maintaining mental health in children with chronic illnesses and disabilities
6. The health care we need vs. the health care we can afford: difficult choices and alternatives of low-income patients
7. Diet as a crucial metric and diagnosis aid
8. Big data and health care: ethical dilemmas and perspectives
9. Merits of non-pharmacological treatments for bipolar disorder
10. The emotional strain of nursing and ways to address the underlying problems
11. Why we need state-sponsored universal healthcare for a better economy
12. The importance of educating communities on vaccination
13. The necessity of achieving equitable access to HIV treatment
14. Confronting racism: disparities in healthcare and preventive treatment
15. An overlooked epidemic: migraines and chronic headaches
16. Anxiety and procrastination as manifestations of physical illness
17. Optimizing postnatal care with the focus on the new mother's wellbeing
18. Treatments for mental health disorders during pregnancy and lactation
19. AI for improved recognition of sensory system changes in older patients
20. Health care for homeless individuals: ethics, challenges, solutions

Position Paper Ideas on Social Issues

Inequality, civil rights, education, climate change, overpopulation, migrant crisis, poverty, homelessness, mental health – despite the length that society already went to solve its most pressing problems, there is still much work left to do. Below you will find a position paper topics list on current social issues. If you need a sample paper to learn more about the format, order a custom essay or look for a similar topic in our free essay examples library.

1. Meeting urgent nutritional needs of refugees
2. Providing education and healthcare for children fleeing conflict and war
3. Addressing the effects of climate change in the most vulnerable communities
4. Child marriage and teenage pregnancies: educational disaster following COVID-19 school lockdowns
5. Child labor and trafficking: plummeting family income in the wake of the global pandemic
6. Why health insurance should cover birth control
7. Ethical dilemmas in assessing and reporting domestic violence and abuse
8. An ecosystem approach for successful re-integration of returning citizens
9. AI and the future of workforce: planning training to prevent unemployment
10. Risks and perspectives of digital state and government virtualization
11. The importance of sustainability culture in early education
12. Addressing military spouse unemployment
13. Income security and retirement prospects of the Millennials
14. Trying times: wealth inequality and a poorer future for the United States
15. Minors should not be treated as sex offenders for sending nudes to each other
16. Agile and people before processes: approaches to government transformation
17. Keeping the balance between optimization and uncharted waters of innovation in the workplace
18. The paradox of homelessness in advanced economies
19. Inclusive design in public spaces and normalization of disability through visibility
20. Public transportation is the future of sustainable mobility: why we should stop prioritizing private cars

Controversial Position Argument Essay Topics

This section presents some of the classical argumentative and debate topics. However, as you choose which one of them to address for your assignment, don't forget that the goal of the position paper is to present your case in an understandable, relatable, preferably non-militant way. Even if (or especially so when) the issues you are going to explore are controversial and highly polarizing.

1. Women in combat roles: is the requirement to pass the same physical tests as men discrimination or fair treatment?
2. Religious freedom vs. public safety: the issue of niqabs and identity checks
3. Protecting reproductive freedom following the Roe vs. Wade overturned
4. The customer is always right: should a business retain a right to deny services based on the owner's religious beliefs?
5. Should university professors provide trigger warnings for their class topics and courses?
6. Sport is about body, not identity: why transgender athletes should compete based on biological sex
7. Should gender identity be added to anti-discrimination laws?
8. Should government initiate a buyback of assault weapons or increase background checks instead to prevent further mass shooting tragedies?
9. Leveraging big data for criminal investigation vs. protecting the privacy
10. Machine learning our bias: how to design digital tools that actually advance equity
11. Why we need state-sponsored employee sensitivity training (LGBTQ, race, age, gender, harassment, etc.)
12. Toys are toys: why workplace diversity starts in the cradle
13. Social responsibility: the rise of the new business or an empty promise of a marketing façade?
14. Fast fashion: a wasteful and exploitative practice or affordable alternative for low-income consumers?
15. Systemic racism in social care and policies to address it
16. LGBTQ adoption rights: should straight couples get preference?
17. When hate speech laws are exploited to censor and restrict the freedom of expression
18. Should consensual incest between adults be decriminalized in the USA?
19. Ethical concerns in setting limits for irreversible gender reassignment treatments
20. Should transgender people be expected to disclose their biological sex on dating profiles?

Position Paper Topics on Economics

Through studying economics, students gain an understanding of what drives people, businesses, markets, societies, and governments and shapes the world we live in. Even if you don't plan a career in economics, you will find these topics fascinating and enlightening.

1. Spatial distribution of innovation and inequality in the USA
2. Economic initiatives for renewable energy and sustainable production
3. How science and technology changes influence the production, distribution, and consumption of food in the USA
4. Fixing international trade to distribute wealth and minimize disparities
5. New tax policies, their predicted and possible unpredicted outcomes
6. The history of fixed one-price policy
7. Comparative economic development of Eurasia and Africa
8. Fallacies of public goods theory and real-life impact of biased discourse
9. Promoting benefits and reducing the adverse socio-economic impact of globalization
10. Inappropriate planning is a central problem of urban economics
11. Mathematical tools for economic policy decision-making
12. Poor financial decisions based on personal biases during economic crises and possible solutions
13. The effects of corruption on emerging economies and ways to mitigate it
14. Mitigation of risk aversion in financial risk management
15. Modern perspectives and criticism of business cycle theory
16. Main problems with general equilibrium theory
17. Impact of the banking system on the economy: ways to reduce adverse effects
18. Current issues of occupational regulation and licensing of immigrant workers
19. Sustainability of green practices and changes to market microstructure
20. Econometric detection of bubbles and crashes

Ideas for Position Papers on Psychology

Psychology is another subject area that is equally fascinating, challenging, and popular among non-professionals. Here are some of the topics that can be investigated by psychology majors and non-specialists alike.

1. LGBTQ teens and suicide prevention
2. Professional advocacy for gender non-conforming youths
3. Subtle discrimination and its effects on mental health and wellbeing of stigmatized groups
4. Mental health and climate change: addressing the adverse effects and inequities
5. The psychology behind xenophobic attitudes: an evolutionary perspective on prejudice
6. Why companies benefit from supporting employee's psychological wellbeing
7. Likely adverse mental health outcomes of restricting access to safe abortion
8. High school accommodation for teens on the autism spectrum
9. Specific issues and challenges of male depression
10. Challenges of overcoming ableism and negative reactions to disability
11. Benefits and risks of using medicinal marijuana for anxiety disorders
12. Managing traumatic stress and guiding emotional recovery from natural disaster
13. The vicious circle of weight stigma, stress, and comfort eating
14. Cognitive problems in children caused by excess body fat and an unhealthy diet
15. Dealing with psychological complications of COVID-19
16. Combat-induced PTSD: killing vs. witnessing
17. The social behavior theories behind war crimes
18. Shyness across cultures: context and explanations
19. Disastrous effects of chronic sleep deprivation on American society
20. Psychological factors of opioid misuse: ways to prevent addiction to prescription drugs

Position Paper Topics on Criminal Justice

Crime and law are often found at the center of controversy and heated public debate. This is why it is all the more important to maintain leveled discussion in order to find the best solutions. Practice your eloquence on these topics.

1. Bias behind the lack of prosecutions for financial and corporate crimes
2. Closing loopholes in domestic human trafficking laws
3. Working in communities toward delinquency prevention
4. Freedom of the press vs. the confidentiality of juvenile offenders
5. Juvenile justice dilemmas with teacher victimization at school
6. Ethical issues of interrogating vulnerable suspects in hospitals
7. Should convicted murderers receive parole?
8. Irreversibility and lack of deterrent effect: the death penalty has no place in a civilized world and should be abolished
9. Ethical and legal dilemmas of prison psychiatry
10. Mental health assessment of sex offenders
11. Balancing motivation to change and public safety: probation and parole regulations
12. Policing procedures and use of lethal force in the era of Black Lives Matter
13. Ethical use of data mining in law enforcement
14. Benefits of community-based alternatives to incarceration
15. Ethics of genetic information use in forensic science: legal and social implications
16. Bias in court cases selection and judicial citations
17. Current issues of high-speed vehicle pursuits
18. Mental health needs of law enforcement officers: tracking and prevention
19. Limitations of crime mapping and their real-world consequences
20. Criminal justice responses to wildlife crimes

Position Paper Topics on Environment

Climate change, deforestation, conservation of endangered species, and technologies for a more sustainable future have come to the forefront of public, political, and scientific discourse and keep growing in urgency. Here are the position topics on some of today's most pressing environmental issues.

1. Drinking water laws acting in the US are inefficient and need amendments
2. Our state needs more stringent drinking water regulations that baseline EPA requirements
3. On the necessity of financing educational programs to inform local communities about lead in drinking water
4. On the necessity to increase the protection of coastal waters, lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands in our area
5. Hydraulic fracturing is endangering drinking water resources and must be more regulated
6. Existing AC and refrigeration systems still using ozone-depleting substances must be withdrawn from the circulation of heavily taxed
7. Our state needs better air quality management policies
8. Urban architecture improvements that need to be introduced to reduce the adverse effects of heat waves on public health
9. On the necessity of improved pest-control measures for reducing pest-related diseases propelled by climate change
10. Steps that need to be taken for ragweed control in our area
11. US Government must push for a greener transportation sector to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, even if it leads to unpopular decisions like raising gasoline and diesel prices
12. Tax deductions must be increased to encourage electro cars ownership
13. Waste sorting in our area is logistically unsustainable
14. The landfill near our town is a public health hazard and must be modernized
15. Reasons why the local community is hesitant to embrace renewable energy sources and how it could be stimulated
16. Why the majority of Republicans do not support the US rejoining the Paris Agreement
17. Not only "cute and cuddly" animals need protection to survive
18. The most vulnerable groups who are at risk due to climate factors
19. Conflicts between whistleblower protection and non-disclosure agreements in the environment protection sphere
20. Farmer's dilemma: chemical fertilizer application vs. soil pollution

Phew, that was a lengthy one. Still, it is possible that you didn't find any attention-grabbing prompts fitting your assignment and personal academic interests. If that's the case, our expert helpers can offer their brainstorming powers for your benefit and craft a personalized suggestions list. Also, you can order a customized sample without specifying any title – your assigned writer will come up with the fitting topic. Don't hesitate to contact our support team if you have any questions. Stay curious and love writing!