Mr. Gunnar
AP English Language and Composition
Sample Research Topics
Note that these topics are broad and need to be narrowed. Your paper can be
argumentative or expository. However, you do not want to simply regurgitate or string together sources – you want to break new ground.
THE WAR ON TERROR:
Airport security (who should pay? who should manage - airlines or government? procedures for check-in and carry-ons)
Security of U.S. borders (restrictions on travel? immigration policies)
Risks of different types of terrorist attacks (chemical, biological, threats to water supply) Continuing to build skyscrapers
What do with the site of the World Trade Center Gitmo
Coerced interrogation methods Changing the national anthem Definitions of patriotism
Homeland security and civil rights
The effectiveness of our national intelligence organizations
Insurance for airlines (who should pay for injuries due to acts of war?)
Conflicts between civil liberties and laws designed to stop terrorism (wiretapping, racial profiling, immigration limits)
Racial profiling of Middle Eastern ethnic groups Limits on Muslim and/or Arab immigration
Helping children deal with trauma/catastrophic events
National prayer services (church/state conflict? content of an ecumenical service?) Radio censorship of "inappropriate songs" (free speech vs. "sensitivity")
Pulling movies with violent themes from distribution
Responsibilities of talk radio and talk show hosts to present accurate information Reinstating the Fairness Doctrine
Mainstream media bias
Journalistic responsibilities (waiting to check accuracy of facts, crisis reporting, handling inaccurate statements and corrections)
24 hour news coverage (effect on the public's understanding of world events, added pressures to break news quickly)
Rhetorical definitions of leadership (communication skills and effectiveness of U.S. leadership)
EDUCATION:
School uniforms in public schools Year-round schooling
Should high school education (now mandated) become optional? Homosexuality in education
Methods of school crime prevention Student vs. teacher’s rights
Block scheduling in high schools Censorship of books in schools
School violence and security
National testing / national educational standards CSAP
Teacher certification standards Teaching about global warming
Political correctness in schools/colleges Prayer in schools
Religious proselytizing on campus Sex education courses in public schools School vouchers
Bilingual education Ebonics debate
Home schooling and public schools Violence & student privacy in schools Privileges of athletes
Cutting funding for theater and arts programs
INTERNET & MEDIA:
Filters on the Web
The influence of the blogosphere
Internet privacy; implementing a federal standard for the protection of an individual's privacy Profusion of questionable or incorrect information on the Internet (should we regulate?) Internet domain names (Who owns them? What rights do they have?)
Dot-com news coverage vs. broadcast news vs. print journalism (How does the medium affect what is reported? What is the effect of the Internet on news coverage?)
Media coverage of celebrities
Electronic storage of information and intellectual property rights Music and film downloading
Music and film file sharing; record company lawsuits Storing information electronically instead of in hard copy The coarsening of the culture
ENVIRONMENT:
Deer and Elk hunting and animal rights
Native American culture and endangered species laws (killing certain species as part of religious ceremonies)
Increased shark attacks Shark feeding
"Green" government (government's role in setting environmental policy) Human inducement of global warming
The effects of ozone depletion on the earth and its creatures Revising the Endangered Species Act
House construction on "marginal" land (flood plains, ocean front, etc.) Alternative energy sources
Drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge U.S. energy policy (consumption or conservation?)
Shrimp farming in South America Overfishing
Effects of fertilizers & pesticides on drinking water
SCIENCE:
Stem cell research
DNA testing for death penalty Fetal tissue research
Fertility and ethics Life on other planets
Xinotransplantation (cloning of pigs to acquire organs for humans) Organic horticulture
Funding for NASA Bioengineering plants
Biological inclination to rape Biology related to criminal activity
Should animals be kept captive in zoos and aquariums? The pros and cons of genetic engineering in humans
Biotechnology - whether genetically modified foods should carry labels or not Genetic testing & ethics
Animal research--if it should be done, how it should be done Genetically engineered foods
POLITICS & GOVERNMENT:
Israel / Palestine peace talks
The World Trade Org., free trade and how the WTO affects the environment, labor and consumer rights
Regulation of the entertainment industry
U.S. Army School of the Americas; "School of Assassins" Nuclear arms race in South Asia
Roosevelt & Pearl Harbor Ballistic missile defense U.S. assistance to Africa Military spending
Cubans in America; Cuban immigration Debt cancellation for developing countries
Supreme Court dominance in the United States federal system U.S. intervention in Iraq
U.S intervention in Iran China / Taiwan controversy
Social Security - history, current and future Campaign finance reform
Trade relations with China; China and Tibet Influence of religion on government and politics Revising the tax system: flat tax, consumption tax, etc. Unlawful immigrants given residency
Lack of freedom of religion in Iran Social security privatization
Government funding for faith-based initiatives Naturalizing Mexican workers
Free U.S. access to Mexican trucks (NAFTA)
HEALTH & MEDICAL ISSUES:
Patients' Bill of Rights
Nationalized health care, insurance Universal health care
Caps on pain and suffering in lawsuits Medical privacy protection
Prescription drug prices
Impact of malpractice insurance rates Behavior modification drugs
Fad diets
Vegetarians vs. Meat-eaters
Government funding of research into alternative medicine Performance enhancing drugs
Attention Deficit Disorder and use of Ritalin Pharmaceutical industry and AIDS / HIV
Fertility treatments / fertility issues for women having pregnancies late in life Dietary supplements
HMO's
Cell phones used while driving and their physical health risks Athletes and steroids
Anthrax vaccine: availability and effects Managed care for the mentally ill
Preventive surgery in women with breast cancer and other diseases Treatments for mild depression
Physician assisted suicide and euthanasia Effectiveness of antibacterial products
LAW:
Smoking in public places
Should there be tort reform, caps on lawsuits?
Should athletes be legally accountable for their actions on the playing field? Should juvenile criminals be tried as adults?
Fetal tissue research - should it be legal? Smart gun legislation
Safety locks on guns
Sentencing juveniles as adults
Missing persons laws and police procedures Should performance enhancing drugs be legal? Patient's rights legislation
Standards of the chicken industry
Lowering the legal minimum drinking age Flag burning amendment
Jailing juveniles – juveniles and the death penalty Lawful punishment for incorrigible children
Parental responsibility for the actions of their children
Trying terrorists or unlawful combatants in U.S courts rather than military tribunals
BUSINESS & ECONOMICS:
The dangers and effects of corporate monopolies Microsoft, a monopoly?
United Airlines and D.I.A.
Consolidation of ownership of radio stations The “Barnes-and-Noble-ization” of bookstores Should electronic commerce be taxed?
The rise in cigarette taxes; good or bad? The value of the dollar
Day trading Tobacco industry
Oil price (gasoline oil) crisis; causes, solutions and prevention Minimum wage
Tax cuts – help or hurt the economy? Taxing Internet sales
Visa and MasterCard accused of monopoly
CULTURE & SOCIETY:
What is art? Brooklyn Museum of Art & art exhibits Children and media violence
Video game violence
Boot camps and if they are harmful to juveniles Reparations for slavery
Repatriation of sacred objects The drug war
Impact of political correctness Overpopulation
Music lyrics and teens
MTV’s impact on teen culture: Tila Tequila Violence in entertainment
Negative effects of television violence Representation of women in the media
Racially based affirmative action in college admissions Censorship of art & music
Censorship of religion in the public square (ACLU) A history of the rave scene
Needle exchange program
Teenage auto insurance rates
Equal representation of women artists in art galleries and museums Decline in the publication of "serious fiction"
Regulation and architecture of nursing homes Impact of public housing on neighborhoods
Should people live together before getting married? Aggressive behavior in kids; nature, nurture, or both? Effects of beauty pageants on children
Should same sex couples be allowed to adopt and raise children?
LOCAL & REGIONAL:
Recycling on campus
Highway 285 expansion – impact on environment Urban sprawl and the 285 corridor
Lumber industry and environmentalism Forest fire prevention
Minimizing impact of forest fires on the environment Dealing with drought and water shortages
Water rights issues
SPORTS:
How and when should sports respond to national disasters?
Drafting high school athletes (at what age should athletes be drafted into the pros?) Definitions of sportsmanship
Baseball/sports economics/salaries Gambling in sports
The corruption of the NCAA
Violence in sports, specifically hockey
Baseball Hall of Fame and convicted steroid users
Should athletes be legally accountable for their actions on the playing field? Athletes and steroids
Privileges of college athletes
MISCELLANEOUS:
Tire and automotive safety
SUV's (are they safe? should they be regulated like cars with regard to fuel efficiency? Increasing CAFE standards
International adoption Animal cruelty/welfare
Animal rescue groups (should there be state-funded no-kill shelters) Women in combat
Police brutality Racial profiling
Muslim & Jewish relations regarding the Holocaust Pit Bulls and whether or not they are dangerous pets
