Introduction To Debate

What Is Debate? -D-Debate is a formal academic competition in which students argue both sides of a given topic. -T-The foundation of debate is speaking. Students deliver speeches based on logic and research, attempting to persuade a judge to endorse their argument.

Affirmative vs. Negative -The job of the Affirmative (Aff) is to prove that the topic (resolution) is a good idea. -The job of the Negative (Neg) is to prove that the topic (resolution) is a bad idea. -A judge will evaluate the debate and vote for whichever team does a better job proving their point. -Being an eloquent speaker helps, but debate has much more to do with winning substantive arguments than with oratory. -Debaters use a combination of research, logic, and strategy in order to persuade judges that they have won.

Affirmative vs. Negative -The core of debate is refutation. Debaters both make their own arguments and are respsonsible for responding to arguments made by the other team. That is what distinguishes debate from other speaking contests. -In order to adequately respond to the arguments made by the opposing team, debaters need to prove that their own arguments are better reasoned, better evidenced, have historical or empirical support, or have greater significance.

Three Distinct Debate Activities -Lincoln Douglas Debate -Public Forum Debate -Policy Debate

Lincoln Douglas Debate -Lincoln Douglas is a value-oriented debate activity that emphasizes ethics and philosophy. -LD debaters argue such topics as: xWhether military conscription is unjust xWhether it is moral to kill an innocent person in order to save the lives of more innocent people xWhether a just society ought not use the death penalty as a form of punishment

Lincoln Douglas Continued … -The topic that is debated (the resolution) changes every two months. -LD debates occur between two teams: Affirmative and Negative. -Each team (Aff and Neg) is composed of one debater (one v. one).

Public Forum Debate -Public Forum is the debate activity that most resembles real world political debates. -Public Forum resolutions center around a domestic or foreign policy of national importance. -PFD debaters argue such topics as: xWhether Affirmative Action to promote equal opportunity in the United States is justified xWhether organized political lobbying in the United States does more harm than good xWhether the United States should normalize relations with Cuba xWhether failed nations are a greater threat to the United States than stable nations

Public Forum Continued … -The Public Forum resolution changes every month. -Each team is composed of two debaters (two v. two).

Policy Debate -Policy Debate centers around determining the most desirable policy option for the United States federal government to adopt. -Policy debaters argue over the same resolution for an entire year. Past topics have included changing our foreign policy towards Russia, increasing incentives for alternative energy, limiting the use of weapons of mass destruction, supporting United Nations peacekeeping operations, and many others.

Policy Debate Continued … -This year ’ s resolution is: Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially reduce its military and/or police presence in one or more of the following: South Korea, Japan, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq, Turkey.

Policy Debate Continued … -Policy debates occur between two teams: Affirmative and Negative. Each team is composed of two debaters. -In every debate, the Affirmative team will propose a specific plan to enact the resolution. The Negative will argue that that plan is a bad idea.

What Does a Debate Look Like? -A team from one school (one or two students depending on the debate format) is assigned to debate against a team from another school. -Debates occur in classrooms, in front of one judge and usually with no audience. -In Policy debate, teams will either be assigned to be Affirmative (in favor of the resolution), or assigned to be Negative (against the resolution).

What Does a Debate Tournament Look Like? -Debate tournaments occur at high school and college campuses around the country. They take place on weekends between Friday afternoon and Sunday evening. -Each team at a tournament usually participates in five or six debates. Before each individual debate (referred to as a round), the tournament will release pairings that tell debaters who they are debating, where they are debating, and which side they are debating on. -Every Policy team will debate both sides of the resolution. At a six round tournament, for example, each team will be Affirmative in three debates and Negative in three debates.

A Preview of Policy Debate at the Highest Level

Benefits of Being a Debater -Participation in debate teaches lifelong skills relating to public speaking, critical thinking, organization, and research. -These skills consistently help students get into and get scholarships to attend some of the nations top undergraduate institutions including Harvard, Dartmouth, Northwestern, and Berkeley. -Former debaters are also using the skills they learned in the activity to control the world: xNeal Katyal is the Acting Solicitor General of the U.S. xMichael Gottlieb is Associate Counsel to the President xColin Kahl is Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for the Middle East xMark Parkinson is the Governor of Kansas xLarry Summers is Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors xRajiv Shah is Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development xLindsay Harrison has won cases argued before the U.S. Supreme Court