Counterplans

1. Counterplans

2. Goals of the Lecture Counterplan Mechanics Types of Counterplans Answering Counterplans

3. Roles of the Aff/Neg What is the role of the affirmative? What is the role of the negative?

4. Do I have to? Plan: I should eat McDonalds for dinner. Is the status quo really preferable? Is this my only choice? This or ?

5. Choices! Plan: I should eat McDonalds for dinner. Counterplan: I should eat Chipotle for dinner.

6. Counterplans 101 • Competition • Can the plan and the counterplan occur at the same time? • This is called a permutation. • On the aff, always say perm – do both. • Think of competition like a link to a disad. If the neg does not win a link to the aff, is there a tradeoff?

7. Competition • Mutual Exclusivity • Cantwo things occur simultaneously. • Net Beneficial • Should two things occur simultaneously? • Would doing both cause something bad to happen? • Only need to prove one.

8. Mutual Exclusivity • Opportunity Cost • Does doing one thing prevent or foreclose the opportunity to do something else? • Candy Bar Example

9. Net Benefits • External • The CP avoids a disad that links to the plan • Ex) Foreign Actor CP and the Politics DA • Internal • The action of the CP generates a net benefit that either the plan alone can not achieve or a combination of the two will coopt. • Ex) Executive Order CP and Presidential Powers Net Benefit

10. Legitimate Permutations • Remember, a permutation is a test of competition. • “Advocating the perm” • Legitimate permutations: • Any combination of all of the plan and all or part of the counterplan. • Ex) Perm: do both, Perm: Do the plan and all non-competitive portions of the counterplan

11. Illegitimate Permutations • Severance Permutations • Severance permutations attempt to do part of the plan and all or part of the counterplan and thus "sever" out of part of the plan. • Intrinsic Permutations • Intrinsicness permutations attempt to do all of the plan, all or part of the counterplan, and something in neither the plan nor the counterplan.

12. Counterplan Status • If and under what condition the negative can kick the counterplan. • “What is the status of the counterplan?” • The first question the affirmative MUST ask the negative in cross-x after the 1NC. • Three ways to run a counterplan: • Unconditional • Conditional • Dispositional

13. Counterplan Status • Unconditional • The status quo is no longer an option • However, topicality is still a prior question • Conditional • The status quo is always an option • The negative can kick the CP anytime. • Dispositional • Vague, always ask the neg to clarify • Generally, the neg will tell the aff under what conditions the neg will kick the counterplan

14. Topical Counterplans?

15. Topical Counterplans are not a Sin • Remember, what is the job/role of the affirmative and negative • Why does the aff read a plan instead of just defending the resolution? • Counter warrants: the best reason why topical counterplans are okay • Ex) Mexico: Does saying renewable energy bad answer an immigration aff?

16. Types of Counterplans • There are multiple types of counterplans: • PICs • Agent CPs • Advantage CPs • Non-economic Engagement • Condition CPs • Consult CPs • Delay CPs

17. Plan Inclusive Counterplans The counterplan defends the mandates of the plan except for a certain part(s) Ex) Plan: The USFG should end travel restrictions with Cuba and take Cuba off of the state sponsor of terrorism list. Counterplan: The USFG should end travel restrictions with Cuba.

18. Agent Counterplans • Does the plan through a different actor • Examples: • Executive Order Counterplan • Supreme Court Counterplan • Net Benefits • Internal: Process Driven (Presidential Power) • External: Politics

19. Foreign Actor Counterplans • Similar to agent counterplans • Potential Actors • Individual Countries • Multilateral Organizations • Affirmatives should have built in reasons why action from the United States is required

20. Advantage Counterplans • These counterplans advocate alternative approaches to solve specific advantages. • Ex) Counterplans that solve global warming • Ban fossil fuels • Ratify the Kyoto Protocol • Adopt Cap and Trade • Incentivize carbon capture and storage technology

21. “Grab Bag” Counterplan This is an advantage counterplan, but does a bunch of things. Also called the multiplank counterplan Ex) Lifting the embargo on Cuba solves Latin American relations and contains Iran. Counterplan: The United States federal government will do the following: Plank 1 – pass comprehensive immigration reform. Plank 2 – initiate air strikes to destroy a Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

22. Non-Economic Engagement • These counterplans will pursue different engagement strategies. • Security Assistance • Diplomatic Discussions • Net Benefit: Nationalism, Liberalization Bad

23. Condition CPs These counterplans only do the plan if a third party agrees to enact something in exchange for the plan. Also known as a quid pro quo (Latin, this for that) Ex) Starter Pack Cuba CP Remember the term “economic engagement”

24. Unilateral Action Counterplans • Some affirmatives will includes a QPQ • “Scholars have usefully distinguished between two types of economic engagement: conditional policies that require an explicit quid pro quo on the part of the target country and policies that are unconditional (Kahler and Kastner, 2006)” • This counterplan simply has the US make the policy change without any engagement or interaction with the topic country

25. Consult Counterplans • These counterplans do the plan only if another party says yes after a period of consultation. • Text: The United States federal government should enter into a genuine, prior and binding consultation with ______________about whether or not to [insert plan mandates]. The USFG will implement the outcome of the consultation. • Recipients of consultation: • Countries in the resolution • Countries that have an interest in the topic countries

26. Delay Counterplans • This counterplan defends doing the plan later in the future • Example: Do the plan after the passage of CIR. The net benefit would be the politics DA.

27. Delay CPs – Legitimate? The neg will say that resolved demands immediacy: • Resolved (Random House Dictionary 2006) 1. to come to a definite or earnest decision about; determine (to do something): I have resolved that I shall live to the full. The aff should say the opposite • Resolved (Online Plain Text English Dictionary 2009) “Resolve: to form a purpose; to make a decision; especially to determine after reflection.”

28. Counterplans on this Topic • PICs • Assortment ofPICs • Agent Counterplans • Executive Order • Foreign Actors • Consult Counterplans • Consult the the target country • Consult China • Condition Counterplans • Condition _____ on economic/political reforms

29. PICs • Mexico PICs • Renewable Energy Affs (Biofuel PIC) • Immigration Reform Affs (Visa PICs) • Big Trade Affs (COOL PIC) • Cuba PICs • Embargo Aff (Ethanol PIC) • Venezuela PICs • Lift Sanctions Affs (ACEA PIC)

30. Consult CPs • Consult Cuba/Mexico/Venezuela • Only do the plan if all of the country wants it. • Net Benefit: Relations • Consult China • Only do the plan China agrees • Net Benefit: Relations, Sphere of Influence

31. Condition CPs • Condition on economic/political reforms • Text: The United States Federal Government should [insert plan] if, and only if, [insert condition]. • Net Benefit: Getting another country to do something • Ex) Starter Pack CP – Caribbean Stability

32. Kicking the CP • If conditional • Say, “The counterplan is conditional, we are not going for it. The perms are just a test of competition” • Answer any theory arguments • If dispo • Make sure the criteria established after the 1NC cx are met • Answer any theory arguments • If unconditional • You can’t 

33. Answering the CP A robust 2AC against the CP should include the following: Permutations Offense Solvency Deficits Theory (Think POST)

34. Perms • Remember, if the aff wins that the CP is not competitive then it is like saying no link to a disad – if the judge can do both then there is no reason why voting affirmative prevents the counterplan from also happening. • Good perms to make: • Perm – do both • Perm – do the plan and all non competitive portions of the counterplan

35. Offense • Remember, offense is a reason why the counterplan is bad. • Ways to generate offense: • Reading a disad to the counterplan • Straight turning the net benefit: • Impact Turning • Link Turning

36. Solvency Deficits • Reasons why the counterplan can not solve the harms/impact identified in the 1AC advantages. • Ex) Foreign Actor CPs • Reasons why federal action is key • Ways to make solvency deficits: • 1) Your mechanism is necessary • 2) Their mechanism is insufficient • 3) Their counterplan links to the net benefit

37. Theory • Reasons to reject the argument/team • Status based • Conditional/dispositional • Content based • Type of CP

38. Conditionality Bad 1. It destroys aff time allocation because the block and 2NR aren't predictable. 2. Disposolves your offense. You can still read your alternatives to the plan, but the aff can stick the neg to an alternative. because of the time the aff can allocate to turning an alternative. 3. It’s not reciprocal. The aff is forced to defend the plan, but the neg can defend the plan and any number of multiple worlds. Skews the debate in favor of the neg 4. It’s a voter for competitive equity.

39. Dispo Bad • 1.Forces the affirmative to make bad strategic choices either • a. the counterplan becomes functionally conditional which moots the efficacy of 2AC arguments and causes a time skew; or • b. We straight turn the counterplan. This causes a race to the bottom, which we inevitably lose because the block gets to read more cards. • 2. It is not reciprocal – the aff is stuck with the plan but the neg sets the terms for if and when they get to kick the counterplan. That skews the debate in favor of the neg. • 3. It’s a voter for competitive equity.

40. PICs Bad 1. They aren't predictable. They can counterplan out of any minute part of the plan, which is unpredictable. 2. They encourage vague plan writing by having the affirmative eliminate words the neg can PIC out of. 3. There is no solvency advocate or literature. This means it's impossible for the aff to garner offense against the counterplan. 4. It's a voter for competitive equity.

41. Consult CPs Bad 1. Consulting is unpredictable – The neg can consult any country or international combination. It is impossible for the aff to be predict every potential consultation. 2. It’s artificially competitive – the counterplan is functionally plan plus since it does all of the plan plus the process of consultation. This justifies perm: do the counterplan. 3. Reading it as a DA solves all of your offense and prevents artificial net benefits. 4. It’s a voter for competitive equity.

42. Questions?