Debate
The Essentials
Ariail, Robert. “Let the Debates Begin.” 18 Aug. 2008. orig. published in The State, South Carolina. 26 Sept. 2004.
http://www.cagle.com/news/Debatesbeginning/main.asp
Debate Defined

A regulated discussion of a resolution by
two (matched) sides.
 Formal or informal
 Policy Debate
 Lincoln-Douglas

Participants prepare and present speeches
on opposite sides of the issue to determine
who has the strongest argument.
THE BASICS
Resolution/Proposition
A
statement that
recommends a change in
policy.
◦ Deals with a controversial
question
◦ Argued by the affirmative side.
◦ Essentially, a call for change
Example Resolutions

Resolved: The US federal government
should establish a policy substantially
decreasing the rates of obesity related
diseases in America.

Resolved: The US federal government
should establish a policy requiring
mandatory uniforms in all public schools
Policy Debate
Two-on-two
 Everyone agrees there is an issue to be
solved.
 Affirmative team argues for change
(how to fix it)
 Negative team argues against
affirmative team (listens for flaws in their
plan)

Status Quo
The existing state of affairs
 This is what the negative side can argue:

◦ To keep things they way they are now
(because the AFF plan is worse than what
exists)
Cross Examination

Brief period during which participants
directly question their opponent.
◦ Each team member will participate in crossexamination during each debate.
Rebuttal
Last speech for each team.
 Refutes and attacks the opposition’s
arguments.
 Summarizes own points.
 While a constructive speech builds an
argument, a rebuttal rebuilds or repeats
the strongest points of the argument after
it’s been attacked.
 Each team chooses who presents this

Burden of Proof

Affirmative responsibility to show need
for change (because of harms) and to
provide a method.

Because the affirmative side seeks the
change from the status quo, it has the
obligation to present arguments for why
the change is necessary and possible.
SPECIFIC TASKS AND
INFO
Debate Format
5
minutes each constructive
speech
 2 minutes cross-examination
after each constructive
 3 minutes each rebuttal
Affirmative Side
Presents the plan for change.
 Seeks the change offered in the resolution
 Always begins and ends the debate
 Covers all the stock issues successfully
to defend their plan

Stock Issues
Harms
 Inherency
 Plan
 Solvency
 Topicality
 Disadvantages

Plan
The affirmative side’s outline for change
 Five “planks” of a plan:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Mandates: What will be done?
Administration: Who will do it?
Enforcement: How will it be enforced?
Funding: How will it be financed?
Intent: We agree if we make the plan, it
will become law.
The affirmative team can come up with
ANYTHING THEY WANT that is legal.
Negative Side
Explains why AFF plan is not good
 Three ways to do this:

1. May make problem worse or cause more
problems than it solves
2. Can agree that there is a problem with
status quo, but that there is a better way to
solve it than AFF’s plan (create a
counterplan)
3. Can argue AFF plan does not fit within
framework of resolution
Delivery

Relies on:
◦ Use of voice
◦ Use of body

Should be the three Cs:
◦ Credible
◦ Confident
◦ Competent
Counterplan Basics
Compete against AFF policy
 Parts:

◦ Text- explanation of what it does; just like AFF plan
◦ Competition- explanation of why counterplan
should be preferred over the plan
◦ Solvency- explanation of how the counterplan fixes
the affirmative problem
◦ Net benefits- reasons why the counterplan is
better than the plan