Debate Formats and Speaker Responsibilities

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Debate Formats and Speaker Responsibilities

• Two kinds of academic debate
• Policy Debate
• Value Debate
• We will be doing debating policy in this class.

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Debate Formats

• Standard Debate Format
• Cross-Examination Debate Format
• Lincoln-Douglas Debate Format

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Standard Debate Format

• Two types of speeches
• Constructive speeches (8 min. each)
• Rebuttal speeches (4 min. each)

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Constructive Speeches

• The time is used to
• Build your case
• Present your arguments
• Present your major points

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Rebuttal Speeches

• The time is used to
• Refute the opponents arguments
• Extended your own major arguments

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Standard Debate Format

• Order of Speeches
• First Affirmative Constructive 8 min.
• First Negative Constructive 8 min.
• Second Affirmative Constructive 8 min.
• Second Negative Constructive 8 min.
• First Negative Rebuttal 4 min.
• First Affirmative Rebuttal 4 min.
• Second Negative Rebuttal 4 min.
• Second Affirmative Rebuttal 4 min.

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Cross-Examination

• It is the same as the Standard Debate format
  except there is a time for crossexamination
  after each constructive speech.
• It gives opportunity to confront each other
  directly.
• It gives an opportunity to setup the opponents
  for your attack.

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Lincoln Douglas Debate

• This format is used for value debates.
• Involves only one person on each side.
• Each team/person still gets the same amount of
  time as the other.

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Lincoln-Douglas Debate

• Order of speeches
• Affirmative Constructive 6 min.
• Negative Cross-examination 3 min.
• Negative Constructive 7 min.
• Affirmative Cross-examination 3 min.
• Affirmative Rebuttal 4 min.
• Negative Rebuttal 6 min.
• Affirmative Rebuttal 3 min.

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Preparation Time

• Debate is extemporaneous.
• Only the first affirmative constructive speech
  can be written out before the debate begins.
• The time between speeches used for preparation is
  called preparation time (prep time).

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Preparation Time

• It is used for
• Writing down final notes
• Gathering your materials
• Checking with your teammate
• Getting to the podium to speak
• Three types of prep time rules

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One or Two-Minute Rule

• Each speaker is allowed either one or two minutes
  to prepare each speech
• If the speaker takes longer than the one or two
  minutes, the additional time is subtracted from
  the speaking time.
• Starts from when the previous speaker sits down.

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Eight-Minute Rule

• The most commonly used in debate rounds.
• Each time has a total of 8 minutes.
• The timekeeper keeps track of the total minutes
  left for prep time.
• If the eight-minutes have been used up, any prep
  time is subtracted from the speaking time.

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Speaker Strategies and Responsibilities

• There are certain responsibilities particular to
  each speech in a debate.

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First Affirmative Constructive

• Usually includes everything (i.e. case and plan).
• Presents the framework for the rest of the
  debate.
• A good first affirmative constructive helps the
  whole debate to be better and more interesting.

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Content of the 1AC

• Be sure to
• Start with a brief introduction that summarizes
  the affirmatives approach.
• State the proposition.
• Define the key terms.
• Present the justification for change.
• Present the plan.
• Present the advantages.
• Briefly summarize the case.

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Outline of a 1AC

• Introduction
• Statement of the resolution
• Definition of terms
• Inherency
• Significance
• Plan
• Solvency
• Summary

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First Negative Constructive

• Decide the negatives philosophy
• Choices
• Attack the definition of Terms
• Attack the interpretation (Topicality)
• Defend the status quo
• Attack the significance

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Outline of 1NC

• Statement of the negatives philosophy
• Definition of negatives terms
• Your attacks
• Restate the negatives philosophy

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Second Affirmative Constructive

• Purpose is to
• Reestablish what is the affirmatives position
• Refute the arguments of the 1NC
• Extend affirmatives arguments by presenting any
  remaining constructive materials.

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2AC Strategies

• Emphasize that the affirmative has met the burden
  of proof
• Remain on the offensive by attacking the
  negatives philosophy
• Narrow the range of arguments
• Add more arguments to weaker areas

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Second Negative Constructive

• Traditionally this is the speech that deals with
  attacking the plan.
• But still okay to present a new argument against
  the affirmatives case.

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Attacking the Plan

• You can attack the plan by
• Attacking workability
• Attacking solvency
• Presenting Disadvantages

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The Negative Block

• The second negative constructive and the first
  negative rebuttal.
• There is a total of 12 uninterrupted minutes for
  the negative to speak.

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Rebuttals

• The idea of the rebuttals is not to introduce new
  lines of arguments but to simply strengthen
  arguments previously made. This is true for all
  rebuttals except probably the first affirmative
  rebuttal since this is the first time it can
  respond to any arguments made in the 2NC.

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Rebuttals

• No new lines of arguments
• Strengthen previous arguments.
• Sometimes okay for 1NR to raise (new) arguments
  against the plan if 2NC was still arguing case.
• Sometimes okay for 1AR to raise new arguments if
  the 2NC/1NR raised new arguments.

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First Negative Rebuttal

• Work with the 2NC speaker to cooperate.
• Dont have the 2NC speaker leave nothing for the
  1NR speaker to say.

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The Even-If Argument

• A good strategy for the 1NR is to say that even
  if there is a need to change, the plan is not the
  right plan.
• Doesnt solve the problem
• Has serious disadvantages

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First Affirmative Rebuttal

• One of the most difficult
• Must respond in 4 minutes to 12 minutes of
  negative arguments.
• Must answer all new arguments presented by the
  2NC speaker.

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Second Negative Rebuttal

• Clearly identify the voting issues
• The crucial areas where the affirmative has not
  met their burden of proof.
• Strengthen the negatives position on the voting
  issues.
• Make sure you havent left out those issues
  pursued by your partner!

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Second Affirmative Rebuttal

• Show that the affirmative has met the burden of
  proof on all the stock issues.
• Specifically address the voting issues raised by
  the negative.
• Refocus on the stronger parts of your case.