Weighing Issues International Debate Education Association

Agenda Importance of Weighing Issues Within and Over Four Concepts of Impact Comparison Explanation of Impact Exercise

Importance of Weighing Issues Provide the adjudicator with distinctions between your arguments and those of your opponents’. –Without comparison of issues (or impacts) how, for example, would an adjudicator distinguish between the government arguments that a case results in solving a problem, perhaps pollution, and the opposition arguments the solution causes an economic collapse? Weighing issues, especially in the rebuttals, helps to make comparisons and “even if” statements to show the adjudicator that your issues are more important than those of your opponents.

Within (micro-level) and Over (macro-level) the debate On each “position” (for example, the case, disadvantage, resolution) make arguments: –Why your interpretation is better –What “winning” the argument means for the entire debate –Constantly be thinking, especially in the rebuttals, “why?” Across the debate, make comparisons between positions to show how one position means more in the debate than another –This is very important if you think you are winning one position but losing another. Explain why losing the one position does not mean you lose the debate.

Four Concepts of Impact Comparison Magnitude—size of the impact/issue Probability—likelihood of the impact/issue Time-Frame—when will your impact/issues Reversibility—is the impact “reversible”— for example, one may argue environmental damage is reversible whereas death is not.

Explanation of Impact Identify the impact Explain the impact in relationship to other issues Explain the negative aspect of the impact—why is the impact a bad thing –Keep asking “why” of your statement and if you have not answered the question you should provide more explanation

Exercise Develop a topic Create scenarios/strategies for the debate Compare the issues