The debate

An opportunity to show your brilliance, strut your stuff, and grind

the opposition beneath your intellectual heels

Outline

• Each team will have approximately 4-5 members• The class period will be completely set aside for

the debate• You will be given two ten-minute periods to

provide your argument– You may include audiovisual material

• You will have an opportunity to challenge your opposition after the official presentation– You will have the opportunity to respond to the

challenges as well

Timing• The affirmative team will have the first 8-minute period to

present its case• The negative will then be provided 8 minutes to make its

opening case• The affirmative team will then be given 8 minutes to

conclude its arguments and to respond to negative comments

• The negative will then have 8 minutes • 5-minute recess• Each team has 4 minutes to close, negative first• Teams take turns asking questions of the other, starting

with the negative team– 1-minute responses

• After 2 questions per team, audience may ask questions

Opening remarks• Affirmative:

– Define terms• “When we say that government controls the press, we mean . . .”

– State what you will show• “We will demonstrate that not only has George Bush been able to

hide the truth about his motives, he has used the press to convince people that a link between Iraq and Al-Qaida exists . . .”

– Identify major evidence, logical flow of argument• “We will introduce poll data, studies of the content of the

president’s memos and their reflection in the New York Times . . .”

– Begin the presentation of evidence

Opening remarks

• Negative:– Define terms

• Identify any discrepancies with affirmative

– State what you will show• Flaws in affirmative claims

• Evidence directly in opposition to basic statement

– Begin presentation of evidence• Tie to beginning of affirmative presentation

Affirmative response• Be certain to conclude your basic remarks before

responding to negative statements• Follow logical flow outlined in your opening• Be selective about evidence—strongest and most

compelling is most valuable– Most arresting for presentation style

• Once through with your basic presentation, attack most critical and weakest negative points– Prepare your responses to most likely negative points in

advance of debate– Disconfirming evidence– Take points to their illogical end– Watch out for ad hominem attacks, guilt by association, etc.

• Learn propaganda ploys, watch for them

Negative response

• Follow your game plan first, then respond to affirmative– Do your best to provide a structure for your criticism—

don’t just engage in scattershot sniping

• Those not speaking should be actively working out response while speaker goes through basic arguments

• Make sure you understand the critique before you try to rebut it

Negative closing• Bring all your points together into categories and

restate– “We can see from the evidence presented earlier, that the

affirmative has depended on false premises ( XXXX), incorrect logic (XXX), pro-U.S. biases (XXXX) and wishful thinking (XXXX)”

– “We note once again that . . .” (Give your strongest evidence)

– “And so, when these points are taken together, it is clear that we must reject the statement (restate the original statement) because it does not . . .”

– Recommended close: “Thank you, oh wise and wonderful sage of Telecommunications for allowing we who are not worthy to present our case to your exalted personage.”

Affirmative closing

• Reiterate your initial statement about how you would prove the assertion

• Remind your audience of the evidence you have presented that demonstrates that the assertion is true– Be brief—just note the major points

• “And so, as we have shown, the evidence proves beyond a doubt that . . .”

• Recommended And then: Thank the Great One even more felicitously than your opposition.

Questioning period

• Ask the most devastating question you can first. Be sure to ask it in a way that favors your outcome or makes it difficult to answer.

• Prepare your best responses to the most likely questions beforehand. – Simple, direct answer

– Evidence

– Answer in way that questions opposition position

Support for a statement/position

• The best evidence is empirical research evidence• The next best is logic (though you have to be sure

that it is compelling)• The next best is statements by experts, etc.• Demonstrating a point in the debate itself can be a

strong support, but is risky• Beyond that, personal experience, news stories,

historical examples, etc. All of these are pretty weak.

Voting

• All those not involved in the debate themselves will vote on the winner

• I’ll be interested (and perhaps swayed a bit) by the voting, but:– My evaluation will determine the grade

What I will look for

• A consistent, logically coordinated position– Big holes or arguing against yourself hurt

• Powerful evidence/support for the position

• Demonstration of background research

• Compelling presentation– Including audiovisual materials

Topic ideas• Be it resolved that corporations should not be allowed

to engage in political speech• Be it resolved that television networks should be

required to provide 15 minutes of time per week for every qualified candidate for President of the United States during the months of September and October 2004

• Be it resolved that no broadcast station group should be able to purchase a station that allows them to reach over 35% of the US population

• Be it resolved that the US broadcast system has a significant effect in maintaining the unequal distribution of wealth in the US