Novice Policy DEBATE · Read through the Topicality shell provided. Make sure you can identify all of the parts of the topicality argument structure. Answering Topicality Arguments

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(Or: Making the Confusing, Understandable)

Novice Policy DEBATE

What is policy Debate?

Debate

is a game

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This lecture is your instructions for four years

Debates are disagreements.

When you disagree, you CLASH. Clash is good though.

Debates without clash are agreements.

Mastering clash = REFUTATION.

Proper refutation is about responding specifically to the arguments.

Arguments are broken up into three parts:

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1. CLAIM

2. WARRANT

3. IMPACT

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Refutation Practice Write down the following argument and prepare to refute it, point by point:

Claim: Cats are better than dogs. Warrant #1 - Cats are cleaner. Warrant #2 - Cats are prettier.

Warrant #3 - Cats are more loveable.

BUT HOW?!? Step 1: “They say…” Step 2: “But I disagree…” Step 3: “Because….”

Try to show that your argument is better because…. •  It’s better reasoned •  It’s better evidenced •  It has historical or empirical support •  It has greater significance

Step 4: “Therefore….”

Refutation Practice 2.0 Claim: Drone strikes are acceptable tools in foreign

policy. Warrant #1 - They kill terrorists.

Warrant #2 - Saves the lives of our soldiers. Warrant #3 - It’s a powerful negotiating tool.

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Refutation Practice 3.0 Claim: Global warming is not a threat.

Warrant #1 - It’s not real. Warrant #2 - We can adapt.

Warrant #3 - It wouldn’t affect us for years.

Get a partner. One person should come up with three warrants. The other should respond to those warrants.

1) McDonald’s is the best restaurant in the world. 2) Video games should be banned. 3) Schools should require uniforms.

Bellringer/Sponge

QUICK BREAK The Basics Next

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Policy debate is a civilized argument to

decide which policy option should be adopted.

Just like a game, there are two sides… … thus, two options!

Affirmative Position: 1AC Plan Text

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Negative default position:

Status Quo

Building the 1AC

Why change?

Why do anything?

ADVANTAGES of voting affirmative (or DISADVANTAGE of voting negative).

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Constructing Advantages Advantages…

…aka HARMS …tell stories about why the policy option creates advantages.

…aff team’s best form of OFFENSE

Maximizing Offense What’s worse?!?

Stubbing your toe?

Amputating your leg? LOOK AT THE IMPACT

Types of Impacts

Causal War…

Moral Obligation Ethics…

Systemic Racism…

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Become a Storyteller “Voting affirmative prevents __________ from happening.”

OR

“Voting negative allows __________ to happen.”

EXPLAIN...Don’t assume.

Application ▪  Where is this from the 1AC you got from me? ▪  What “stories” are being told? ▪  What are you noticing about the progression of

the “story”? ▪  It still has parts.

Advantages? Check Why do these problems exist anyway?

INHERENCY What’s going on in the Status Quo? It argues that the problem will not get fixed in the status quo, so an affirmative ballot is NECESSARY to solve.

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Advantages? Check How do we “get” them?

PLAN Be Specific

But K.I.S.S.

Advantages? Check Plan? Check Does it work?

SOLVENCY

Application Where is this from the 1AC I gave you?

Other affirmatives will DEFINITELY need more explanation.

Should always try for as much solvency as possible because this is how your 1AC gets its offense.

LAW OF DIMINISHING RETURNS aka, “beating a dead horse”.

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Order ▪  Whichever makes most logical sense…TELL A

STORY. ▪  Most normally: ▪  Contention 1 - Inherency ▪  PLAN TEXT (K.I.S.S.) ▪  Contention 2 - Advantages (Harms) ▪  Contention 3 - Solvency

8 Minutes

Advocate/Defend

Don’t Lose It

QUICK BREAK Round Overview Up Next

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Round Overview Three types of speeches:

CONSTRUCTIVE REBUTTAL

CROSS-EXAMINATION And then there’s your best friend…PREP TIME!

Prep time is your time out.

Constructive - Build/Read - 8 Minutes Rebuttal - Explain/Collapse - 5 Minutes Cross-Examination - Ask/Answer - 3 Minutes Everybody gets one of each!

Put it all together… 1AC

CX by 2NC 1NC

CX by 1AC 2AC

CX by 1NC 2NC

CX by 2AC

1NR 1AR 2NR 2AR

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“STRATEGERY” Strategy == FUN!

Positive (not negative) time trade-offs.

QUICK BREAK Topicality Up Next

Topicality AFFIRMATIVE--means AFFIRM the resolution.

Each word is important.

If they don’t, they are considered NON-TOPICAL.

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But, it’s not that simple… #sorrynotsorry

PROCEDURAL debate

Necessary, but insufficient for AFF

Sufficient for NEG (high reward, low-risk argument)

Time to take a step backwards…

What can we argue about? ANYTHING AT ALL. So what makes a good debate? Think about it.

What if we can’t PREDICT? Topics LIMIT out (exclude) areas.

#Space, #IsraelPalestine, #HealthCareAccess

Resolution line divides GROUND.

Everything we could debate.

The line of the resolution. Non-Topical

Topical The resolution circle changes: • Interpretation of the Words • Goes Bigger or Smaller • Bigger favors AFF • Smaller favors NEG

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Limits, Ground, Predictability Why debate at all? Education and Fun

What if we aren’t getting that?

Education → As limits decrease (think about this) predictability decreases; so does EDUCATION.

Fun → Has to be FAIR. We want to create an equal division of ground!

T Structure - Ran in 1NC A. Interpretation

(not absolute)

B. Violation (pretty obvi, but…)

C. Reasons to Prefer (Standards) (remember L,G,P)

D. Voters A PRIORI RULE OF THE GAME JURISDICTION

(remember why we debate)

#trending to combine C and D into one

Other basic rules… NEG burden. AFF is topical until argued otherwise.

NEG defines first. AFF in the 2AC.

Supreme Court role - what’s the precedent? What’s the larger effect on debate itself?

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Application Read through the Topicality shell provided. Make sure you can identify all of the parts of the topicality argument structure.

Answering Topicality Arguments 1. We Meet (maybe multiple reasons why)

2. Counter-Interpretation ALWAYS TRY TO DO BOTH don’t put your eggs in one

basket

3. Reasons to Prefer (Counter-Standards) comparative analysis; can you use theirs?

4. Voter Analysis MORE TO COME...

Topicality as a Voter Things are voters if they have a negative effect on the way we debate.

FUN abuse stories == best way

EDUCATION reasonability vs. competing interpretations

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Other Fun T Factors Effects Topicality

Plan only indirectly meets resolutional requirements

Extra Topicality Plan uses non-resolutional action in their text and gains offense from it.

Reverse Voting Issues What is it?

Okay, so then why does it exist?

QUICK BREAK Disadvantages Up Next

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AFF generates offense with ADVANTAGES of the 1AC.

...so... NEG can swing balance back with DISADVANTAGES to the 1AC.

REVIEW TIME

They tell a story. Like any story (and the 1AC), the story has several parts, but that’s later.

“Off-case” argument.

Flow (take notes) on separate sheets of paper.

Time-intensive.

But generally, the juice is worth the squeeze.

Remember, policy debate is about weighing policy options.

1AC vs. Status Quo; cold/medicine example.

DA Structure - Ran in 1NC A. UNIQUENESS - Similar to Inherency. Argues that SQ is NOT currently causing the disad. BRINK - (An unsaid component of uniqueness evidence. Even though the SQ is not causing the DA, there has to be a risk of the DA occurring.)

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Check Out My Mad Art Skills

#futureMichaelangelo

#debatecoacheshavemanytalents

#mySistineChapel

Specific Example - Spending

Uniqueness – The United States economy is showing signs of improving.

DA Structure - Ran in 1NC A. Uniqueness (w/ Brink) B. LINK - Connects the 1AC plan text to the disadvantage area.

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Back to My Totes Cray Art Skills

#howdoeshedoit?

#youwishyoucouldbelikeRambo

#moveoverVanGogh

Specific Example - Spending

Uniqueness – The United States economy is showing signs of improving. Link - Ocean exploration/development spends money that we don’t have.

DA Structure - Ran in 1NC A. Uniqueness (w/ Brink) B. Link C. IMPACT - EXPLAINS why the DA happening would be bad. No assuming. Weigh with comparative analysis.

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Again with My Art Skillz that Killz

#yougottabekiddingme

#visionary

#overcomewithemotion

Specific Example - Spending

Uniqueness – The United States economy is showing signs of improving. Link - Ocean exploration/development spends money that we don’t have. Impact - Nuclear war leads to extinction.

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DA Structure - Ran in 1NC A. Uniqueness (w/ Brink) B. Link C. INTERNAL LINK - Bridge to complete the story. Caveat emptor!!! D. Impact

Something Clever about Art

#CrissAngelofart

#mindblown

#Icanteven

Specific Example - Spending

Uniqueness – The United States economy is showing signs of improving. Link - Ocean exploration/development spends money that we don’t have. Internal Link - Declining economy causes war with nuclear weapons. Impact - Nuclear war leads to extinction.

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Application Use the sheets of paper to put them in order of the Disadvantage Structure. First do the non-topic specific stories, then organize the other. Raise your hand when finished and I’ll clear you

to move on to the next one.

Answering Disadvantages Attack in PARTS not as a WHOLE.

Attack multiple parts, you must. Be enough one part will not.

How does the story NOT make sense? Keep it structured!

Uniqueness/Brink Responses No Brink No Threshold Non-Unique Uniqueness overwhelms the brink.

Uniqueness controls causality.

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(Internal) Link Responses No Link Not Enough Link 1AC Solves the Link Link Turn

Impact Responses No Impact Impact Won’t Happen (Empirically Denied)

1AC Solves the Impact Impact Turn

BEWARE!!! DO NOT EVER RUN A LINK TURN AND AN IMPACT TURN.

WHY?!?

(THINK ABOUT IT!!!)

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Well...

Uniqueness – Economy is improving now. Link - The plan hurts the economy. Impact - We need a good economy.

Let’s turn the link and the impact and see what happens… Link Turn - The plan helps the economy. Impact Turn – economic struggles are good.

Double Turns Make My Head do this...

Politics Disadvantages Debate Round vs. “Real” World

FIAT is real, yo! 1AC creates “real” backlash.

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Politics Types (Midterm) Elections

Legislative Tradeoff

Political Lobbying

Partisanship

Debating Politics Understanding fiat’s role

Update evidence WHICH PART?!?

Level of plan popularity

Holy variations, Batman!

Two-sided don’t get confused

Misc. Terminology WINNER’S WIN

OLIVE BRANCH

POLITICAL CAPITAL

PERCEPTION LINKS

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QUICK BREAK Flowing Up Next

Supplies: Blank printer paper (regular or legal sized)

LOTS...srsly Non-white?

Two different color pens Highlighter (maybe)

Why Flow? 1. Written record 2. Brain limitations 3. Prep help 4. Be a team player 5. Organization

AND... and I grade you...MUAH HA HA!

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Pre-Flowing 1AC Favorite DAs or other arguments Use time wisely at tournaments

(we’re there to do work)

Never delay the round

How to Flow 1. Turn paper portrait-style 2. Imagine columns (each speech* = new column)

3. Write small (3-4 “words” per line)

4. Create column space (2-3 fingers worth)

5. Shorthand 6. Listen for “tag” and “source” 7. Turn page from bottom (if necessary)

8. New sheets

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Create a Pretty Picture Space is your friend Leave blanks...fill in later Neat columns Multi-colored Shapes, arrows, emphasis The debate will collapse through 2AR.

Application Pre-Flow the following arguments FOR HOMEWORK:

1AC Topicality

Disadvantage

Remember, EACH disadvantage and/or topicality argument needs to be flowed on different pages.

Maybe it is hard... YOU GOT THIS

Practice → doesn’t have to be debate rounds

Develop your shorthand → LOL wut?

Eliminate small words → the, in, etc

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Application

Let’s practice flowing something live!

Card game!

Bombs Over Baghdad

QUICK BREAK Cross-Examination Periods Up Next

Why CX? points of clarification and cross-examination (probing)

The Facts: Politeness is key Not win/lose 3 minutes After each constructive Face forward

Not binding

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Asking Questions Open vs. Closed-Ended

Follow-Up Clarify Positions/Advocacy

Use ALL* your time - it gives your partner more prep.

Dude...Be Nice! Unless you want to lose rounds.

There’s a wrong/right way to interrupt.

←Right…………… ……….Wrong→

“Winning” CX Remember the “C”

Critical thinking/listening should be evident Promote your advocacy

Know the answers Stay out of the corner

RELAX!!!

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Final Reminders No long reading! Get to probing Listen K.I.S.S. (questions and answers)

Application Group CX Activity

DO YOUR BEST!

This is the best way to make sure that you understand the ins and outs of the arguments. Remember, you have to DEFEND your ADVOCACY.

QUICK BREAK Risk Assessment Up Next

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Key Terms Recap: Advantage Disadvantage

Magnitude of impact Probability of impact Timeframe of impact

Risk = magnitude X probability.

Let’s Practice

Why would your Mom be happier to see a friend picking you up in a car than on a

motorcycle (knowing that people have died using both types of vehicles)?

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Why don’t you stay awake at night worrying about human extinction as a result of

diseases in Africa?

Would you rather trip on the sidewalk or fall off of a 5 story building?

Risk of Advantage > Risk of Disadvantage = AFF Risk of Advantage < Risk of Disadvantage = NEG

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Prepare to Have Your Mind Blown Theoretically the Advantage and the Disadvantage occur together.

How does the advantage occurring affect the disadvantage?

How does the disadvantage occurring affect the advantage?

Overviews Presents risk assessment

Refer to already read evidence

Connects “columns” on your flow

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Application Pick out one DA and the aff case. Half of the room needs to think like the negative and brainstorm why the DA outweighs the case and the other half should think like the affirmative and argue that the case outweighs the DA.

Write an overview that uses your risk assessment vocabulary.

QUICK BREAK Counterplans Up Next

Quick Recap Purpose of policy debate? AFF policy option? NEG policy option?

or is it...?

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Negative changes their advocacy by running a

counterplan.

SQ can’t outweigh 1AC offense. What about regular situations? Best policy option.

Here’s what you need... CP Plan Text (just like an affirmative)

Solvency (just like an affirmative.)

Advantages*

You already know what these things are. This is just another argument. Don’t be scared.

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The “Rules” Mutually Exclusive

Competitive (net beneficial)

Non-Topical*

Making it Easy CP should solve all (or most) 1AC offense (advantages) DA that links to 1AC but not CP = INSTANT competition One flaw of the 1AC

Beating a Counterplan

Permutation

Offense

Solvency

Theory

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QUICK BREAK Theory Up Next

Let’s go back to Topicality. It’s a PROCEDURAL debate.

“Rules? We don’t need no stinking rules!”

Well, there are some.

What does utopic debate look like?

Let’s Review...(Again)

Why do we debate? Education

What makes us want to play games? Fairness

Meet your impacts to theory!

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Can I do this? (Yes, you can do this!)

1. CLAIM 2. JUSTIFICATIONS

(or standards...or reasons to prefer)

3. VOTERS This will challenge your critical thinking ability. If

you can think it, you can argue it!

(A Few) Key Terms CONDITIONALITY RECIPROCITY (or RECIPROCAL) FIAT

Theory 411 Two Sides

Can run multiple positions.

Hard to win a round on theory.

Use only when necessary to counter abuse or as a strategy.

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Answering Theory Low-Risk, High-Reward

DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE IT. “Find the way you can lose a round.”

They are accusing you of “cheating!” 1. Counter-Claim 2. Answer Each Justification

Offense Please!!! 3. “Reject the argument not the team.”

QUICK BREAK Kritiks Up Next

Say What??? Kritik → Criticize NEG Ks your paradigm.

AFF = Paradigm X; Paradigm X = Bad; AFF = Bad

“Off-Case” Paradigms are “hidden” → re-entrenching.

Talk about the underlying issues first creates better policy!

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Deconstruction Flaws in philosophies exist. Criticism prevents abuses and creates progress.

Is an “alternative” necessary??? (We’ll come back to something similar later.)

Kritik Parts A. LINK B. IMPLICATION → impact

C. ALTERNATIVE little different

Doesn’t this look like other things we already

know about?!?

Rhetorical/Language Ks My Soapbox: The words we use to advocate our

ideas carry power. Language constructs reality. Frames policy implmentation. Opponent uses or fails to use specific terminology

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Methodology K’s How we advocate our arguments and ideas.

AFFs defend 100% of 1AC. You have to justify everything. How you argue/represent ideas.

Worldview K’s Overarching philosophy that permeates

everything. Ideas become entrenched in a culture and we assume they are good.

Demystifying the K Kritik == DA + Counterplan

DO NOT PANIC! Listen and ask questions.

MOST OF ALL. DON’T FORGET TO...

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Answering Ks - Offense Permutation (just like a CP)

Link Turn Impact Turn

DON’T RUN BOTH TURNS! Same aspects of IMPACT CALCULUS.

(just like DAs)

Answering Ks - Defense No Link (just like a DA)

No Alternative Remember the purpose of policy!!!

PERFORMATIVE CONTRADICTION Impact Defense

EMPIRICALLY DENIED

Framework

Pre-Fiat

Procedural

Post-Fiat

The K

Rules: T, Theory

Substantive: Case, DAs

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QUICK BREAK Advanced Topics Next

Becoming a Varsity Debater

Writing Blocks What are blocks? Use Infinite Prep Time Debate yourself, Remember predictability?

Much Blocks, Very Wow Number arguments

Attack/refute in parts, not whole Extend past evidence

Mix new evidence AND analytics Use previous flows

Brainstorm and collaborate Write impact calculus here

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More CP Terms PLAN-INCLUSIVE

PLAN-EXCLUSIVE

ADVANTAGE COUNTERPLANS

ALTERNATE ACTORS

CONSULT

DELAY (e.g. cheating)

CP Warning Cray options: multiple, 2NC, etc. As cray increases, affs utilize more theory...abuse stories. Justify your arguments

Judging Sports = objective (no “real” moral victories)

Debate = subjective

Debate careers become increasingly more fulfilling when you realize that judge’s don’t make wrong

decisions. Figure out the way to make them right.

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Judging Types Stock Issues

Policymaker

Tabula Rasa

Lay

Other: Games Player, Hypo-Tester, Poser

Except No, It’s Not

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You are NEVER done… …LEARNING!

(I still am)

Theory stays same...topics change. Lots to learn! Always stay at it and USE your INFINITE PREP!!!

Now go cut some cards!