What is it?

The Thomas Paine Society Symposium is a first-of-its-kind intercollegiate competition that brings students from Virginia universities together to do something extraordinary: forge nonpartisan, win-win solutions to America’s toughest challenges.

Unlike traditional debate, the goal is not to “win” by defeating your opponent. Rather, the Symposium rewards students for listening intently, negotiating fairly, and crafting realistic compromises that reflect both conservative and progressive values.

How it works

Campus Clubs

Participating universities will form their own TPS Symposium Club, where teams of 2-4 students will represent both sides of an assigned issue at the semesterly symposium. They then spend the semester researching both sides of the argument, understanding the primary and secondary priorities for each side. Teams must craft a solution that reaches across the aisle, prioritizing main goals and sacrificing points when necessary, with the goal of promoting compromise and bipartisanship.

Conference & Competition

At the end of the semester, universities gather for an exciting live conference, hosted by Thomas Paine Society staff, university faculty, and a member(s) of the political community. In a presentation-style format, teams present their bill proposals, outline their decision-making process, and display how they crafted their compromises.

Winning Criteria

The winning teams will be those who reach creatively and honestly across partisan divides to produce practical, popular, and forward-thinking solutions. Students will be presented with criteria beforehand and will be judged across the political spectrum. The highest-scoring teams will each receive a scholarship to acknowledge their hard work and formidable solutions.

The issues

Each semester, the Symposium tackles real policy challenges such as:

• Immigration reform

• Education and student debt

• National debt and fiscal policy

• Renewable energy transition

• Healthcare reform

Why it matters

Americans are tired of partisan gridlock and division. The Symposium challenges students to think differently by:

• Developing critical skills: Engage in quality research, public speaking, negotiation, and policy analysis.

• Practicing nonpartisan leadership: Learn how to defend principles while working toward common ground.

• Engaging with policymakers: Local government leaders, professors, and community figures serve as judges and mentors.

• Shaping the future: Winning proposals are highlighted publicly and shared with real civic leaders.