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Introduction to Debating . DBAT 101. What is a Debate?. Contest of ideas: In relation to a change in policy – Normative debate Assessment of past or present situations – Judgement debate
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Introduction to Debating DBAT 101
What is a Debate? • Contest of ideas: • In relation to a change in policy – Normative debate • Assessment of past or present situations – Judgement debate • We deal mostly with policy debates. One side wants to implement policy “@^$%&!” the other side does not want policy “@^$%&!”
Recipe for a policy debate For the team proposing the change... • 1. Problem and context: • What is wrong with the world? • 2. Model: • What needs to be done to address the problem? • 3. Effectiveness: • Show the model will work. Question of “How” • 4. Good results: • Demonstrate good outcomes. Question of “Why”
As Opposition team... Do as many of the following as possible: • 1. Dispute the existence of the problem. • Either outright or attribute to another source. • 2. Challenge the efficacy of the model: • Does not address the ‘real’ problem at hand, • Does not ‘work’. Loopholes around model. • Challenge the good outcomes the other team produces. • 3. Demonstrate the harms and negative side effects of the model.
Advice on creating arguments... • Form a solid and consistent team position: • What values do you support? More government intervention? More individual choice? • Why do you support these values? Why are they good? • Incentives analysis: • What groups of people does our policy affect? • How does our policy affect these different groups? • What behaviour will our model encourage/discourage? • Principled reasoning: • What is the ‘Just’ or ‘Fair’ outcome? Why does our model deliver the best outcome for the most people?