Debate Guidelines

Politics and Government - Debate Guidelines 

Order of speakers:

1. First Affirmative Constructive (4 min):
• Defines key terms in resolution
• Presents the team’s values
• Presents evidence that supports at least one of the values

2. Negative Cross ex/rebuttalist (2 min)
• Asks specific questions that attempt to dismantle the affirmative argument
• Asks general questions that attempt to promote the negative arguments

3. First Negative Constructive (4 min):

• Rebutts affirmative team’s initial argument
• Defines key terms in resolution
• Presents the team’s values
• Presents evidence that supports at least one of the values

4. Affirmative Cross ex/rebuttalist (2 min)
• Asks specific questions that attempt to dismantle the negative team’s argument
• Asks general questions that attempt to promote the affirmative arguments

5. Second Affirmative Constructive (4 min):
• Rebutts negative team’s initial argument
• Re-presents affirmative values
• Continues to present the affirmative team’s arguments
• Presents evidence that supports the affirmative team’s values

6. Negative Cross ex/rebuttalist (2 min):
• Asks specific questions that attempt to dismantle the affirmative argument
• Asks general questions that attempt to promote the negative arguments

7. Second Negative Constructive (4 min):
• Rebutts affirmative team’s initial argument
• Re-presents negative values
• Continues to present the negative team’s arguments
• Presents evidence that supports the negative team’s values

8. Affirmative Cross ex/rebuttalist (2 min):
• Asks specific questions that attempt to dismantle the negative team’s argument
• Asks general questions that attempt to promote the affirmative arguments

9. Negative Cross ex/rebuttalist ( 3 min):
• Restates the mistakes made by the affirmative team during cross ex
• Restates flaws in affirmative arguments
• Summarizes the negative team’s arguments

10. Affirmative Cross ex/rebuttalist (3 min):
• Restates the mistakes made by the negative team during cross ex
• Restates flaws in negative team’s arguments
• Summarizes the affirmative team’s arguments


Jobs of Speakers: 

First Affirmative Constructive (4 min)
Introduction:
• Hook with quote or anecdote
• Resolution Stated
• Team’s Position Stated

Background and Context
• Key Terms Defined
• Values Stated and Defined
• Arguments stated

Argument Constructed
• Argument stated
• Connection to value stated
• Evidence to support value provided:

a) at least one court case and/or piece of legislation
b) at least one relevant reference to the United States Constitution
c) several pieces of numeric/statistical data
d) at least one primary source
e) sources are all cited

First Negative Constructive (4 min)

Refutation:
• Directly responds to the values and arguments presented by the Affirmative Team
Introduction:
• Hook with quote or anecdote
• Resolution Stated
• Team’s Position Stated
Background and Context
• Key Terms Defined
• Values Stated and Defined
Arguments stated

Argument Constructed
• Argument stated
• Connection to value stated
• Evidence to support value provided
a) at least one court case and/or piece of legislation
b) at least one relevant reference to the United States Constitution
c) several pieces of numeric/statistical data
d) at least one primary source
e) sources are all cited

Second Affirmative Constructive (4 min)

Refutation
• Directly responds to and challenges the values, definition and evidence provided by other team

Argument Constructed
• Next value(s) restated and defined
• Argument stated
• Connection to value stated
• Evidence to support value provided

a) at least one court case and/or piece of legislation
b) at least one relevant reference to the United States Constitution
c) several pieces of numeric/statistical data
d) at least one primary source
e) sources are all cited

Second Negative Constructive (4 min)

Refutation
• Directly responds to and challenges the values, definition and evidence provided by other team
Argument Constructed
• Next value(s) restated and defined
• Argument stated
• Connection to value stated
• Evidence to support value provided

a) at least one court case and/or piece of legislation
b) at least one relevant reference to the United States Constitution
c) several pieces of numeric/statistical data
d) at least one primary source
e) sources are all cited

Cross Examiners/Rebuttalists

Deconstruction: asks questions to pick apart the values, arguments and definitions 
Reconstruction: asks questions to re-frame the debate on your terms
Summation: makes a final speech to summarize teams overall position and the inferiority of the opponents' values 

I. Lincoln Douglass Values Debate

A) Values: The morally guiding principle upon which your argument is based. The reason why you argue what you argue.

1. Each team should have 2-3 values; each value should be clearly defined in speech.
2. Sample values: Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Speech, Equality, Personal Liberty, Equal Opportunity

B) Argument: A reason or set of reasons given with the aim of persuading others that an action or idea is right or wrong.

1. Each value should be supported by 1-2 arguments.
2. Sample argument: The use of race as a criteria for college admissions impedes racial progress by discouraging colorblindness and individualism.

C) Evidence: The constitutional, legal, statistical and anecdotal information used to support your team's position