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Every generation believes that the controversial topics of its day are the most important, and each generation is probably right. As society evolves and becomes more complex, controversial argument topics evolve as well, and reflect the biggest problems society faces at the time.

So, what are the controversial issues today that would make for great controversial research topics?

Well, I have mine, of course, and I am going to lay them on you now – I’ll call them “Controversial Topics 2014.”

1. Climate Change: Amazingly, even though 98% of the world’s scientists all agree, we cannot seem to loosen the grip of the oil and coal industry, as well as other industrial polluters, on our lawmakers. There are also the religious groups that deny climate change, evolution, and such. The net effect is that we have a raging argument that never ends!
2. Biogenetic Engineering: Designer babies will soon become the rage, or so alarmists tell us. And, yes, we do have the capability. But what are the ethics? Do rich people get to design their super-children while the poor only take what they get? And what do major religious groups say about this?
3. Wealth Disparity: The gap between the very rich and the rest of the population is increasing rapidly. Will we become an oligarchy? Should we take action to reduce the gap?
4. Money in Politics: The recent Supreme Court Citizens United decision has unleashed the floodgates of money flowing into political campaigns. Corporate boardrooms now control decisions made in Congress – is this what we want?
5. Voter ID Laws: Both sides on this issue are adamant and unbending in their positions. Are these new ID laws a new form of Jim Crow or a true attempt to prevent voter fraud?
6. Evolution: Hard to believe, but this issue rages on!
7. Abortion: Again, this issue, along with access to birth control, pits social/religious groups against one another in uncompromising ways.
8. Corporate Welfare: Banks, oil companies, and huge corporations pay no taxes and, in some cases receive taxpayer subsidies. Many also pay their workers such a low wage, that the taxpayer continues to subsidize with social welfare programs. Others say that these tax breaks and subsidies are necessary in order to maintain a strong economy for all.
9. Prison Reform: Statistics show that poor young minorities fill our prisons because they cannot afford proper legal defense. Contracting prison management to for-profit corporations appears to exacerbate the problem.
10. Student Loan Debt: Some say this will be the next big financial crisis, probably worse than the bank failures of 2007. Others say “no.”

I realize that anyone with strong opinions about any issue could easily add to this controversial topics list – I could too!

But this gives you a good start if you need to identify controversial topics for argumentative essay writing. Of course, you will want to impress your instructor, so please do some basic research before you formulate your arguments – teachers are impressed with facts!