About us

Debate Central is an online resource created and maintained by the National Center for Policy Analysis for high school students researching the nationwide high school debate topic. Our primary objective is to provide students from disadvantaged and low-income school districts with cost-free access to the best debate material available.  In so doing, we work to expose debaters to multiple perspectives on each topic and equip them with a deeper, well-rounded understanding of major public policy issues.

The 2009-2010 national high school debate topic is "Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase social services for persons living in poverty in the United States."  We provide high school students with hundreds of links to relevant resources, background materials from leading scholars and access to advice from a diverse array of experts on national service.

The website is an invaluable service for high school debaters nationwide, as well as hundreds of thousands of students in high school speech and government classes.  The content is offered to debaters at no charge, making Debate Central the largest free collection of information targeted to high school debaters.

Debate Central maintains ties with the high school debate community through close relationships with the National Federation of State High School Associations, the University Interscholastic League and the Texas Forensic Association.