Politics can be a sensitive topic, but that’s exactly what makes it so good for conversation class — students usually have opinions and are willing to share them. These questions range from local government and voting to bigger debates about leadership, fairness, and how society should be run.
Questions are organized by level from beginner to advanced. A printable PDF of all the questions is available at the bottom of the page.
Beginner (A1-A2)
- Who is the most famous leader from your country’s history? What makes them so famous?
- Do you know the name of your country’s leader right now? What do you know about that person?
- Have you ever seen a politician on TV or online? What were they talking about?
- Does your country have a flag? What colors and symbols are on it, and do you know what they mean?
- Have you ever seen a protest or demonstration in your city? What was it about?
- Do people in your country talk about politics at home with their family? What kinds of things do they discuss?
- Are there any political parties in your country that you have heard of? What are they called?
- Do you think politics is interesting or boring? Why?
- Is there a government building in your city that everyone knows? What does it look like?
- Have you ever voted in an election? What was it like?
- Do people in your country like their government, or do they complain about it a lot? What do they say?
- Who is a political leader from another country that you have heard of? What do you know about them?
Elementary (A2)
- What are the three most important jobs a government does for its people? (For example: schools, roads, hospitals.)
- Is voting easy or difficult in your country? What do you need to do to vote?
- What is a law in your country that almost everyone follows? What is the punishment if you break it?
- Have you ever followed an election closely in your country? Why did that election feel important?
- Have you ever met a politician or government official? What was that experience like?
- Have you ever signed a petition or joined a community group to change something? What happened?
- Have you ever been to a government office to get a document or ID? What was the experience like?
- Is there a law in your country that you think is strange or unusual? What is it?
- Do you think young people in your country care about politics? Why or why not?
- What is something your government has done recently that people are talking about? Why is it a big deal?
- Do you prefer leaders who have a lot of experience, or leaders with new ideas? Why?
- Do you often have disagreements with a friend or family member about politics? What usually happens?
Intermediate (B1)
- What do you think is the most important problem your government should fix right now? Why?
- Do you prefer getting your political news from TV, social media, newspapers, or somewhere else? Why?
- What is something your local government does well in your city or town? What is something it could do better?
- Do you trust politicians in your country, generally speaking? Why or why not?
- What kind of leader do you think is the best — someone who is strict or someone who is friendly? Why?
- Should people be required to vote in elections, or should voting be a choice? Why or why not?
- Do you think it is getting easier or harder for ordinary people to run for political office? What makes you say that?
- Should politicians have a maximum age limit for holding office? Why or why not?
- If you could change one law in your country, what would it be and why would you change it?
- Do you think it is important to separate religion from government? Is that common in your country or culture?
- Do you think women and men have equal opportunities to become political leaders in your country? How so?
- What qualities do you think make a great political leader? Are those qualities common in real politicians?
- Should governments spend more money on healthcare or education? Why or why not?
- How much does politics affect your daily life? Give me some examples.
- If you could be the leader of your country for one day, what is the first thing you would do? Why that?
Upper-Intermediate (B2)
- How does the way news is reported shape which politicians become popular, and which ones get ignored?
- When a government makes a law that most people disagree with, what options do citizens have? Have any of those options been used in your country recently?
- How has your country’s relationship with neighboring countries changed in the past 20 years? What do you think caused those changes?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a strong central government versus giving more power to local regions?
- How do protest movements succeed or fail? What conditions make people take to the streets, and what makes governments respond?
- What are the biggest differences between how left-wing and right-wing politicians think about the role of government? Which view is more common in your country?
- How do economic conditions — like high unemployment or inflation — affect who people vote for? Have you seen that happen in your country?
- Some countries have only two major political parties, while others have many. How does the number of parties affect the way people are represented and the way governments make decisions?
- Why do you think voter turnout is low in many countries? What can be done to improve that?
- What role should the government play in regulating big technology companies? Where do you draw the line between too much and too little control?
- Every generation seems to think the political situation is worse than it used to be. Do you think things are actually getting worse, or do people just remember the past differently? What makes you think so?
Advanced (C1)
- Politicians often promise dramatic change during campaigns but make modest reforms in office. Why does this gap exist, and what does it reveal about how power actually works?
- When voters choose candidates based on personality and emotion rather than policy, what does that tell us about what people actually want from government?
- How does the way a country tells its own history shape the political choices its citizens make today?
- Authoritarian governments often become more popular during times of crisis. Why do people sometimes prefer strong control over freedom when they feel unsafe?
- How does a government’s ability to monitor its citizens — through cameras, data collection, or AI — change the relationship between those citizens and the state?
- Political parties tend to become more extreme over time, while the voters they represent often stay moderate. What forces push parties toward the edges and pull voters toward the center?
- Governments say they want an informed public, but political messaging often relies on emotion rather than facts. How do you explain that contradiction?
- When a country becomes more democratic, it doesn’t always become more stable or more prosperous right away. Why do you think the transition to democracy is so difficult, and what factors determine whether it succeeds or fails?
- Political leaders are expected to unite people, but they often gain power by dividing them. How does that tension shape the kind of leaders that rise to the top?
- Many people say they hate politics but still have strong political opinions. Why do you think people distance themselves from politics while being deeply affected by it?
- Social media lets ordinary people influence politics in ways that used to require money or connections. But it also spreads misinformation faster than ever. On balance, has social media been good or bad for democracy, and why?