8 Writing a Stump Speech Topics

Writing a stump speech tutorial plus public speaking topics and online pointers for a host who want to reveal her or his mission vision strategy pyramid when running for an official position. This chapter is about a political address, delivered on a campaign tour, a special occasion. The name dates from the early days when politicians stood on tree stumps in the rural country sides and address voters during a campaign. In Great Britain this type of public speaking is called Hustings, that's the raised platform where nominees for Parliament delivered their text to speech until 1872.

Nowadays not only people who are running for office have to give political speeches, also teachers give college and university students textual assignments for education purposes. In this article I help you with writing a stump speech.

Before I give a list of speech topics you can mix in, know what the main purposes of political speech are: To communicate political ideas and proposals to solve problems. A call to action to your audience’s voting behavior, especially to undecided voters. And according to famous talkshow host and author Hugh Hewitt from Worldnetdaily can speaking to a formal gathering be used over and over again to guarantee not just applause, but makes a connection with the audience that endures and even a contribution to speed the campaign forward.

Writing a Stump Speech: Your Central Idea

It is very important to know what your central idea is. The address has as major goal to unify and to get the audience to act on one special issue.

So, imagine you are a candidate, what is your message, your mission statement, your vision? Write it down in a maximum of 15 to 20 words. Absolutely no more.

Remember, you know that writing a stump speech for a student council is actually conveying a message about an issue that you as the public speaker chooses and you think the audience must remember in the polling station ...

Done? Now the next step in the speech writing process. If you are assigned to be a public speaker who must give a political stump you can use my suggestions for elements and turn them into powerful topics.

Only choose for speech ideas and issues you like. Or take pet peeves that well-fit:

1. Describe the situation you want to change, improve or perhaps strenghten - the big picture.


2. Tell where the existing situation leads to.


3. Explain why and how.


4. Describe what your opponents want, and why that's wrong.


5. Tell what you want to do about it, how you want to achieve your goal. What are your solutions, plans and proposals?


6. List the people who host and support you and believe in you.


7. Offer a step-by-step how to plan. What would you change or do first, and then next, after you take office? This is a perfect opportunity to formulate a three or five point plan to reach goals based on your own mission vision strategy pyramid.


8. Urge your public to vote for you and repeat the mission-statement.

Provide educational proofs to construct your claim. That is the basis of every persuasive and informative special occasion speech. Offer them:

1. Facts, figures, statistics and expert testimonies.


2. Research while writing a stump speech rather surprising not well-known facts than facts everybody knows.


3. Concrete examples of the mission vision strategy pyramid, if appropriate.


4. Personal stories and anecdotes.


5. Vivid descriptions.


6. A catchy analysis of the issue's political aspects and dimensions.


7. Quotations.

Public Speaking Tips For Writing a Stump Speech Do not think everyone knows what you are talking about. You have to persuade with logical reasoning to get them agree or to act. Persuasive political speech writing needs simple, direct and expressive language. Be careful with humor. It has to be funny for everyone! Be a nice hosting personality :-) Keep the public speaking topics clear and brief. Limit yourself to three and not more than four minutes speaking time when you are brainstorming, creating and writing.