1. Bottom Half Strategy and rebuttal
Training Session

2. Today’s Plan Discuss general strategic tips for closing teams
Extension speeches
Summary(Whip) speeches
Analysis and rebuttal tips

3. Closing teams
When in closing, you are expected as a team to have a new contribution to the debate
A lot of arguments will be said in top half
But motions in general are chosen so as to have ‘depth’ (that is, one team is unlikely to be able to say all the arguments relevant for their side)
There is not a fixed set of rules of what an extension is, as long as the contribution is relevant, enough developed and new enough
A few examples
New arguments
New analysis-so further reasons/explanation why some points in the debate are valid
Concentrating on a new group affected by the motion
Rebuttal

4. Extension speech The only one of the two that can bring new arguments
Not allowed to contradict og
Apart from brining the extension itself, needs to show why that extension is relevant and important (also done by summary speech but needs to start in extension)
‘opening government have done a good job at explaining why X, we are going to focus on Y. We think that this is the most important point/area in this debate because…’
‘we are going to speak about a group that has been missed by top half, but which the motion affects greatly. This is the most important group because…’

5. Summary speech
Start by reinforcing the metric-what is considered the most important in the debate (is it long term results, short term action, etc)
Identify main clashes in the debate
Explain how your team won each clash –based on what is considered most important
‘My partner told you X. this clashes directly with OO’s contention that…hence this point falls on our side of the house’
Highlight new points brought by your partner that had no response from the opposing side
Be comparative (so your world is not perfect but comparing it to their world it’s definitely better)

6. In prep time: identify burdens -> write a list of arguments that prove them
Out of those arguments, think of which are more likely to be said by the opening teams
Also think of what arguments are likely to be made by OO(if you are CG) or OG (if you are CO) and possible rebuttal to them
Decide on a few possible lines (some of them will become useless after top half)

7. During the debate:
-listen to the opening speeches and look for:
arguments that have been not said
points of analysis that have not been made for those arguments
groups that the motion affects that the arguments do not target
burdens not sufficiently proven

8. Prop: This house regrets reality tv -prop burdens -a list of a few lines of argumentation -what you think oo is most likely to say regrets=would rather live in a world in which X did not happen

9. Rebuttal
Powerful tool and necessary element of your speech. It needs to exist in all speeches apart from pm
Practically it is deconstructing an argument and attacking one of the components so that the argument doesn’t work anymore
Don’t rebut all points, don’t rebut too few
Pay attention to details in the argument, do not assume that you know what the opponent is saying (you risk straw-manning them)
Good rebuttal combines criticism to the argument, but also links it to your team’s case

10. Point
Explanation
Example
Link

11. Types of rebuttal Reject the first premise.
Accept principle/analysis and show that it worsens the problem identified.
Mechanism/solution does not work at all.
Infringes on a more important principle.
Analysis given is not true.
Contradictions in argumentation
Point
Explanation
Example
Link