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Does content moderation protect democracy or threaten it? Two debaters take assigned sides on the defining free speech question of the digital age. You pick the winner.
A live online debate night for the Chicago Debate Club. Watch real debates, argue the motion yourself, and vote the winner. Hosted by John Connor.
A live online debate night for the Austin Debate Club. Watch real debates, argue the motion yourself, and vote the winner. Hosted by John Connor.
The US has a shortage of 7 million housing units. Single-family zoning, which covers 75% of residential land in most American cities, legally prohibits apartments, duplexes, and denser housing on most urban land. Should it be abolished — or is it protecting neighborhoods that communities built? Two debaters, opposing sides — you score who makes the stronger case.
Is extreme wealth a reward for value creation or a symptom of a broken system? Two debaters, assigned sides, real cross-examination. You pick the winner.
A live online debate night for the New York City Debate Club. Watch real debates, argue the motion yourself, and vote the winner. Hosted by John Connor.
An open session with John Connor, the founder of SuperDebate. Bring your questions, plan your next debate, get hands-on help starting a club in your city or on your campus, or just meet other people who love organized argument. Organizers, debaters, first-timers, and the simply curious are all welcome. Come once or come every time.
If science lets you give your child a healthier, longer, smarter life before birth — is it wrong not to? Two debaters, assigned sides, cross-examination. You pick the winner.
32 states and DC now have some form of voucher or education savings account program. Arizona's universal voucher gives every family $7,000+ per child for any school. Advocates say choice delivers better outcomes. Critics say it defunds public schools serving the children left behind. Two debaters, opposing sides — you score who makes the stronger case.
Democracy is either humanity's greatest political achievement or a system too slow and irrational for the problems we face. Two debaters, assigned sides, cross-examination. You pick the winner.
Can we reach net zero without nuclear, or is it the only proven carbon-free baseload option? Two debaters, assigned sides, real cross-examination. You pick the winner.
Is state execution justice or state murder? Over 190 people have been exonerated from death row. Two debaters, assigned sides, cross-examination. You pick the winner.
The US spends twice the OECD per-capita average yet ranks last among wealthy nations in health outcomes. 32 million Americans have no coverage. Should one public payer replace private insurance entirely? Two debaters, opposing sides — you score who makes the stronger case.
Is meritocracy the fairest system we have, or a story the lucky tell themselves? Two debaters, assigned sides, cross-examination. You pick the winner.
The US hasn't drafted anyone since 1973; the all-volunteer force it replaced the draft with is the most capable military in American history. But as geopolitical competition with China intensifies, some argue America needs more personnel than volunteers supply. Two debaters, opposing sides — you score who makes the stronger case.
US student loan debt hit $1.7 trillion — more than all credit-card and auto debt combined. Germany eliminated tuition at public universities in 2014. Should America follow, or would free college mostly benefit those already likely to attend? Two debaters, opposing sides — you score who makes the stronger case.
Nine countries hold roughly 12,500 nuclear warheads, enough to end civilization multiple times over. The Doomsday Clock stood at 90 seconds to midnight in 2024 — the closest it has ever been. Should humanity eliminate them entirely, or does mutual deterrence prevent the wars that kill the most people? Two debaters, opposing sides — you score who makes the stronger case.
Will AI create more opportunity than it destroys, or hollow out the middle class? Two debaters. Assigned sides. Real cross-examination. You pick the winner.
Should we slow down to catch up on safety and governance, or does a pause just hand the advantage to bad actors? Two debaters. Assigned sides. You pick the winner.
Can the planet survive capitalism's growth imperative, or is degrowth a recipe for global poverty? Two debaters, assigned sides, cross-examination. You pick the winner.
Alaska and Maine use ranked-choice voting for federal elections; New York City adopted it for local primaries. Proponents say it ends the spoiler effect. Critics say multi-round ballot counting confuses voters and can elect a candidate most voters ranked second. Two debaters, opposing sides — you score who makes the stronger case.
Aging kills 100,000 people every day. Should we treat it as the disease it is, or accept it as a feature of a meaningful life? Two debaters, assigned sides, cross-examination. You pick the winner.
Is AI existential risk a serious scientific concern or a speculative distraction? Two debaters, assigned sides, real cross-examination. You pick the winner.
The Copyright Office rejected copyright for AI art in 2023, ruling creativity requires a human author. But AI systems are now producing books, music, and code that enter the market. If no one owns the output, no one can profit — but no one can also monopolize it. Two debaters, opposing sides — you score who makes the stronger case.
Two debaters. Assigned sides. Cross-examination. One argues the case for Messi, the other for Ronaldo, in a structured debate format with opening arguments and rebuttals.
The war on drugs has lasted 50 years and failed by every measure. Is legalization the answer, or does it abandon the most vulnerable? Two debaters, assigned sides, cross-examination. You pick the winner.
The first open online tournament from SuperDebate. One day, 1-on-1, five rounds: three guaranteed preliminary rounds, then the top 4 break to semifinals and the top 2 meet in the final. Every debater brings a judge or adds judge arrangement at registration.
Citizens United (2010) held that corporations have First Amendment rights to spend unlimited money in elections. Corporations now hold Fourth Amendment, Fifth Amendment, and due-process protections. Should artificial legal entities have constitutional rights designed for humans — or is corporate personhood a fiction that distorts democracy? Two debaters, opposing sides — you score who makes the stronger case.
Birth rates are collapsing across the developed world. Is that a civilizational emergency, or a feature of modernity and freedom? Two debaters, assigned sides, cross-examination. You pick the winner.
Capitalism lifted billions from poverty but now drives record inequality and ecological crisis. Has it outlived its usefulness? Two debaters, assigned sides, cross-examination. You pick the winner.
The US data broker industry generates $200+ billion annually selling personal data without most Americans' knowledge. The EU's GDPR bans this without explicit consent. California, Virginia, and 12 other states have passed privacy laws, but no federal standard exists. Should data sales require consent, or is this just the price of free internet? Two debaters, opposing sides — you score who makes the stronger case.
Future generations will live in the climate we leave them, without ever voting on how we got here. What do we owe them? Two debaters, assigned sides, cross-examination. You pick the winner.
Should people in unbearable suffering have the right to choose when and how they die, or does legalizing assisted death put the vulnerable at risk? Two debaters, assigned sides, cross-examination. You pick the winner.
Most voters can't name their representative or the three branches of government. Should that change who gets to decide? Two debaters, assigned sides, cross-examination. You pick the winner.
An evening of intellectual entertainment for Chicago's innovators. Free admission to watch exhibition debates, participate in a debate workshop, and network with the city's brightest minds.
If we fail to cut emissions fast enough, should we spray reflective particles into the stratosphere to cool the planet? Two debaters, assigned sides, cross-examination. You pick the winner.
If labor can cross borders freely, economists say it would double world GDP and slash global poverty. So why don't we do it? Two debaters, assigned sides, cross-examination. You pick the winner.
Religious observance is collapsing across the West. Is that liberation — or the loss of something irreplaceable? Two debaters, assigned sides, cross-examination. You pick the winner.
Evanston is already disbursing payments. California calculated $1.2M per eligible resident. The philosophical question — what we owe for wealth built on stolen labor — remains genuinely contested. Two debaters, assigned sides, cross-examination. You pick the winner.
Teen depression doubled between 2010 and 2020 across the US, UK, Canada, and Australia simultaneously — tracking smartphone adoption. Is the cause-and-effect real, or is the panic bigger than the evidence? Two debaters, assigned sides, cross-examination. You pick the winner.
At what point does wealth stop being personal success and become political power that no private individual should hold? Two debaters, assigned sides, cross-examination. You pick the winner.
The FDA advisory panel rejected MDMA therapy in 2024. Oregon is running licensed psilocybin clinics. Phase 2 PTSD trials showed 67% remission. Is this the most promising psychiatric breakthrough in 50 years, or a hype cycle with a blinding problem? Two debaters, assigned sides, cross-examination. You pick the winner.
Should machines be permitted to make the decision to kill? Autonomous weapons are being deployed in active conflicts right now. Two debaters, assigned sides, cross-examination. You pick the winner.
Two presidents in 20 years won without winning the popular vote. Wyoming voters have 68 times the presidential influence of California voters. The National Popular Vote Compact is 209 of 270 electoral votes toward activation. Two debaters, assigned sides, cross-examination. You pick the winner.
Animal agriculture uses 83% of global farmland and delivers 18% of calories. The EAT-Lancet Commission calls for a 50-90% reduction in wealthy nations. The alt-protein industry raised $16B then stumbled at the supermarket. Two debaters, assigned sides, cross-examination. You pick the winner.
The EU AI Act created binding liability rules. The US has none. Chatbots have given suicide instructions to teenagers; deepfakes have destroyed careers. Does responsibility end at the API boundary? Two debaters, assigned sides, cross-examination. You pick the winner.
27 countries require it, including Australia, Belgium, and Brazil. US turnout in 2024 was around 60% of eligible voters — meaning the president was chosen by roughly 30% of adults. Is low turnout a crisis compulsion can fix, or a right that includes the right to abstain? Two debaters, assigned sides. You pick the winner.
COP27 agreed to a Loss and Damage fund. COP30 gave it commitments but no enforcement. The Philippines and Pacific nations have built legal cases from climate attribution science. The US and EU resist calling any payment reparations. Two debaters, assigned sides. You pick the winner.
61 UK companies ran a 6-month trial. 92% made it permanent. Iceland's national pilot covered 1% of the entire workforce. Japan, Belgium, Scotland, and Spain have legislated or piloted it. Amazon and Goldman Sachs pushed the other direction. Two debaters, assigned sides. You pick the winner.
No justice has ever retired voluntarily for the good of the republic. The average tenure has grown from 15 years in 1900 to over 26 today. Fix the Court has proposed 18-year terms. Two debaters, assigned sides, cross-examination. You pick the winner.
The Supreme Court struck down race-conscious admissions at Harvard and UNC in 2023. Diversity at selective schools has measurably fallen. The question is whether colorblindness serves equality or entrenches it. Two debaters, assigned sides, cross-examination. You pick the winner.
Over 100,000 Americans are on organ transplant waiting lists. Seventeen die every day for lack of a donor organ. Spain has opt-out donation and the world's highest transplant rate. Two debaters, assigned sides, cross-examination. You pick the winner.
SpaceX has a plan, a rocket, and a founder willing to spend $100 billion. Stephen Hawking argued a multi-planet species is existential insurance. Critics say we have a burning planet that needs the resources first. Two debaters, assigned sides. You pick the winner.
Google was found guilty of running an illegal search monopoly in 2024. Apple, Meta, and Amazon face simultaneous antitrust actions across three continents. Is this the Standard Oil moment for Silicon Valley? Two debaters, assigned sides. You pick the winner.
The US incarcerates 2 million people, the highest rate in the world. Norway's recidivism rate is 20%; America's is 68%. The prison abolition movement argues cages do not heal communities. Two debaters, assigned sides, cross-examination. You pick the winner.
Scotland, Germany, Austria, and Wales let 16-year-olds vote. Research shows civic participation rates are higher when young people first vote close to their civics education. Critics cite brain development. Two debaters, assigned sides. You pick the winner.
The FDA has approved over 800 AI-based medical devices. AI outperforms radiologists in some cancer screening studies. Epic and Mass General Brigham are deploying AI triage at scale. Who is responsible when it gets it wrong? Two debaters, assigned sides. You pick the winner.
80 billion land animals are factory-farmed annually. Neuroscience now confirms fish and octopi are sentient. Peter Singer's argument that suffering is suffering regardless of species is 50 years old and still unrefuted by most philosophers. Two debaters, assigned sides. You pick the winner.
The EU voted to ban new gas car sales by 2035. California followed. Norway is already at 90% EV sales. Battery costs have fallen 90% in a decade. But rural Americans, autoworkers, and mining critics say the timeline is politics, not policy. Two debaters, assigned sides. You pick the winner.
Debates, panels, and public debate events happening across the country — curated from trusted sources.
The Texas Tribune's annual nonpartisan public policy festival brings together journalists, lawmakers, and civic leaders for three days of panels, interviews, and discussions on the biggest issues facing Texas and the nation. The largest gathering of its kind in the US.
