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In any persuasive speech, you will make one of three types of claims: a fact claim, a value claim, or a policy claim.

A fact claim asserts that something is true or false. Fact claims that are debatable make for especially strong persuasive speech topics. For example, do energy drinks cause more health problems than coffee does? Have charter schools improved student achievement in your state? Do first-person-shooter video games cause players to commit violent crimes? Because each of these questions is debatable, you could come up with an argument supporting either a yes or a no answer.

A value claim attaches a judgment (such as good, bad, moral, or immoral) to a subject. Examples of persuasive speech topics making these claims include “physician-assisted suicide is immoral,” “full-body scanners are a justified intrusion on airline-passenger privacy,” and “it is better to cut funding for prisons than for higher education.”

Whereas many people can reach agreement on fact claims when presented with enough evidence, value claims often provide greater challenges. Audience members’ ideas of right and wrong may be deeply held and may stem from fundamental religious or philosophical beliefs—and thus be difficult to change. If you decide to make a value claim in a persuasive speech, select one that your audience is at least open to considering.

A policy claim advocates action by organizations, institutions, or members of your audience. Examples include advocating that the government should increase Pell Grants to students, that regulation of prescription drug abuse should be increased, or that your listeners should invest in stocks.

Now that you know typical objectives of persuasive speeches, let’s turn our attention to how persuasion works.