An argumentative research paper expresses your view of a controversial topic.
Some papers that are written for school take a persuasive approach, allowing a student to argue his position on the topic. Any topic that is debatable makes a suitable choice for this type of research paper. However, it is important to choose a topic that is important to you and one about which you have strong feelings.
Politics
The topic of politics is always a hot-button issue that some people feel very strongly about one way or another. Under the area of politics, you can choose from narrower topics, such as the effectiveness of the two-party system, term limits within government positions, government control of health care and the effectiveness of the checks and balances system in place within the American government.
Church and State
A person's religion is a personal choice and decision. There are many aspects of religion that can be debated and many people have a strong feeling one way or the other. This makes it a broad topic to use for an argumentative paper. Some of the narrow topics in this category include prayer in public schools, religious involvement in government and school vouchers for secular education.
Personal Rights
In a country that was founded by immigrants from various parts of the world, you would think that issues of race and gender would not be a problem. However, that is not yet the case in the United States. This topic can be narrowed down into potential arguments, such as gay marriage, bilingual education, diversity in school curriculums and salary differences between males and females.
Media
The media is often the source of controversy. They often give a view of certain topics that lean heavily to one side or the other and sometimes cover things that some people feel is inappropriate. Students can cover this topic in an argumentative research paper covering areas, such as the rating systems, the impact of 24-hour access to news, what is allowed on television and whether or not parental locks should be mandatory on televisions.
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