PROCEDURALS

1. PROCEDURALS

2. PART ONE: Topicality • Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its exploration and/or development of space beyond the Earth’s mesosphere.

3. T: United States • Are other “United States” • Brazil • Netherlands • “United States” means “U.S.A.”

4. T: Federal Government • “Federal government” means either • The government based in Washington DC [or] • The system of government that includes the national and state governments within the federal system • Potential issues • “USFG” means all 3 branches • “USFG should” means government action, not individual advocacy

5. T: Should • “Should” means • Implies conditions • Implies a future state • Means must/obligation • Means ought • Means probable/likely • Is the past tense of shall • Issues • “Should” precludes plans in the past tense • “Should” excludes demands

6. T: Substantially • Many definitions of “substantially” (adv.) used in debate are of “substantial” (adj.) • “Substantial/substantially” means • Essentially • Important • In the Main • Large • To make greater/augment • Material/real • Excludes material qualifications

7. Substantially [cont’d] • Potential issues include • Do you meet an (arbitrary), quantified increase in exploration and/or development • Whether the increase can be qualified

8. T: Increase • “Increase” means • Augment numbers or quantity • To make greater/larger • To make a qualitative improvement • Potential disputes include • Whether there must be pre-existing E&D to be increased • Whether the aff must increase the size of E&D, or can just improve it

9. T: Its • “Its” means the possessive form of “it”; used as a modifier before a noun • In this case, “exploration and/or development” belong to “The United States federal government” • Controversy: is “its” exclusive? Are coop affs permissible?

10. T: Exploration • “Exploration” means an act or instance of exploring or investigating • “Explore” means • To traverse or range over (a region, area, et.) for the purpose of discovery • To look into closely; scrutinize, examine • Most contextual definitions are either • Vague • Broad • Use the word “explore” or “exploration” in a way that implies that it is distinct from the plan

11. T: And/Or • “and/or” is used to join terms when either one or the other or both is indicated • Is a definition implying that “and/or” means “both”

12. T: Development • “Development” means the act or process of developing • “Developing” means to bring out the capabilities or possibilities of; bring to a more advanced or effective state • Controversy—does it only cover economic activities (and thus exclude military action, etc.)

13. T: Of • “Of” means • Derived or coming from • Resulting from • Proceeding as a product from • Resulting from an operation or process involving

14. T: Space • Space is modified by “beyond the Earth’s mesosphere” • “Space” means • The unlimited/incalculable three-dimensional realm/expanse in which all material objects are located and all events occur • The portion or extent of this in a given instance; extent or room in three dimensions • Outer space

15. T: Beyond • “Beyond” means • On the farther side of • Farther on than; more distant than • Outside the understanding, limits, or reach of • Superior to • More than; surpassing

16. T: the Earth’s • “Earth’s” is possessive, referring to the mesosphere • “Earth” means the third planet from the sun

17. T: Mesosphere • The region of the earth’s atmosphere above the stratosphere and below the thermosphere • Issue: Can you explore (or develop) Earth from space?

18. PART TWO: Non-Topicality Procedural • Plan vagueness • Solvency advocate (lack thereof) • Specification • Agent • Enforcement • Funding

19. PART THREE: Framework • What is this about? The controversy behind almost all framework debates is which types o f impacts “count” when the judge renders a decision • A secondary question the involves what mechanisms the debaters can use to access those impacts • Useful analogs include • Legal rules of evidence • Criteria debates from old school CEDA or LD • Methodological disputes

20. Framework [cont’d] • What impacts are we competing for? • Education • Fairness • “Good political agents” • What are the approaches negatives take to defending framework against non-traditional affs? • “T”: you are not what the resolution says, debate like a T violation (caveperson) • Traditional framework: policymaking is good, you’re not it (old school) • Co-optive frameworks: fair play, etc.

21. Framework [cont’d] • Judges and framework debates • Be aware of the judge’s identity and social location/status • Ideologues • K all the way • K no way • Centrists (largely incoherent)—both sides get to weigh their impacts

22. Framework [cont’d] • Traditional framework—instrumental implementation of the plan • Predictable ground [impact: fairness, via competition] • Rez mandates policy focus (resolved, USFG, etc) • Literature that neg mandates is more predictable • Are an infinite number of FORM/CONTENT combos • Education • Policy education leads to a more informed citizenry/bolsters democracy • Training—we learn to play future roles • Advocacy • Empathy • Research Skills • Engagement—avoids “right wing takeover” • Switch-side debate is valuable • Laboratory considerations (experimentation) • Know thy enemy

23. Framework [cont’d] • Form • We need a consensus about what we are debating about for a meaningful debate to occur • Rules are necessary to guide discussion and can promote creativity • Defensive arguments • Playing by the rules can combat bad biopower(s) • The world works this way • Reciprocity • Affirmative choice (if affirmative)

24. Expansive Affirmative FW • Meaning of words is arbitrary/predictability is a praxis, not a truth • Counter-definitions of worlds that allow an individualized focus • USFG is the people • Resolves refers to us, not the USFG • Debates do not leave the room • Policymakers do evil things, policymaking logic does evil things

25. Expansive FW [cont’d] • Epistemological kritiks (knowledge from policy land is bad/tainted) • Politically-centered kritiks • Friere • Identity politics • Schlag • Ethics kritiks • Language kritiks/dirty words • General “case outweighs”