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Pick a question
Choose a left versus right question below, or one from the Independent lane.
Politics on Debatable
Left, right, and everyone in between.
Debatable is where people who disagree about politics meet. Pick a question, take a side, and argue it live with someone who sees it differently. A neutral judge scores the round, not the party.
Democrats
Republicans
Independents
Neutral judge
One of 36 political questions
Should the Electoral College be abolished?
Why politics here
Most political arguments happen inside one bubble.
Group chats, feeds and comment sections mostly agree with themselves. Debatable puts you across from someone who does not, one on one, with a clock and a judge. You can argue your own view or the other side.
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Take a side
Defend the case you hold, or the one you usually argue against.
3
Meet someone who disagrees
Live matching pairs you with a real person on the other side. The judge explains who won and why.
Left vs right
Pick a side. Defend it.
Common Democratic and Republican cases on the questions people actually fight about. Choose one and Debatable carries the question and your side into a public challenge.
Immigration · Democrats vs Republicans
Should undocumented immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for years have a path to citizenship?
Taxes · Democrats vs Republicans
Should the U.S. raise taxes on corporations and the wealthiest households?
Common Democratic case
Raise top and corporate taxes to fund public services and make the tax code more equal.
Defend this case →
Common Republican case
Keep taxes lower to reward investment, hiring, and economic growth.
Defend this case →
Read the full issue brief
Health care · Democrats vs Republicans
Should the government guarantee universal health coverage?
Common Democratic case
Guarantee broader coverage through a larger federal role and stronger public benefits.
Defend this case →
Common Republican case
Preserve private choice and use competition, transparency, and targeted support to lower costs.
Defend this case →
Read the full issue brief
Climate and energy · Democrats vs Republicans
Should Washington speed the shift from fossil fuels through clean-energy rules and subsidies?
Common Democratic case
Use federal investment and standards to accelerate cleaner energy and reduce emissions.
Defend this case →
Common Republican case
Expand domestic energy production and cut federal mandates that raise costs or restrict supply.
Defend this case →
Read the full issue brief
Gun policy · Democrats vs Republicans
Should federal gun laws be stricter?
Elections · Democrats vs Republicans
Should federal elections require government-issued photo ID?
Education · Democrats vs Republicans
Should public education money follow students to private or charter schools?
Policing · Democrats vs Republicans
Should federal police funding depend on national accountability standards?
Position framing follows the parties' published national platforms: Democratic platform and Republican platform. The summaries identify a common case for each side. They do not assign a belief to every party member.
The Independent lane
Not left or right.
Independents and third-party voters do not share one platform. These questions put the case for more room outside the two major parties against the case for the system as it is.
Independent candidates · Independent vs two-party system
Should voters back independent candidates even when they are unlikely to win?
Independent case
Vote for the strongest candidate and build an alternative over time; strategic voting keeps the two-party lock in place.
Defend this case →
Two-party case
Work through a major-party primary because elections allocate power now and a low-polling independent can split a coalition.
Defend this case →
Ranked-choice voting · Independent vs two-party system
Should federal elections use ranked-choice voting?
Open primaries · Independent vs two-party system
Should states replace party primaries with open top-four primaries?
Debate access · Independent vs two-party system
Should major televised debates include more independent and third-party candidates?
Election-system context follows the nonpartisan NCSL guide to ranked-choice voting, its primary-system guide, and FEC debate rules.
Ready to argue with somebody?
Enter live matching and meet someone who thinks you are wrong.
Questions
Before you enter.
Can I debate politics online here?
Yes. Choose a political question, take a side, and start a timed round. You can argue against the AI immediately or use live matching to find another person.
Does Debatable take a political side?
No position is assigned a platform endorsement. The judge applies the published rubric to the claims, support, responses, comparisons, and follow-through heard in the round.
Is Independent treated as one political platform?
No. Independent voters and candidates disagree on policy. The Independent lane focuses on whether the political system should make more room for candidates outside the two major parties.
Can I debate a real person?
Yes. Post an asynchronous challenge or use casual one-on-one video. Live video requires Google on the web or Apple in the iOS app.
Do I have to argue my own opinion?
No. Take either side. Arguing the unfamiliar case is often the fastest way to find the part of your own view that still needs work.