• Policy Debate (also known as Cross-Examination Debate) is a form of speech competition in which teams of two debate whether or not a specific policy action should be enacted. The resolution for 2009-2010 is "Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially reduce its military and/or police presence in one or more of the following: South Korea, Japan, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq, Turkey."
   
• There are two key ways to evaluate a Policy Debate, the first and most common is called "Policy Making." The debaters will offer dissenting viewpoints on whether or not the affirmative policy will make the world a better place. It is the role of the judge to use cost-benefit analysis to decide whether or not the world will be better off with or without the affirmative policy.
   
• The second of the two ways to evaluate the debate is to look to certain arguments known as stock issues, and whether or not the affirmative has upheld the burden of proving each stock issue. Each team will try to convince you to vote for their arguments on these issues:

  • Topicality - does the affirmative plan fit the bounds set by the topic?
  • Significance/Harms - is the problem in the resolution significant enough to warrant enacting the affirmative plan?
  • Inherency - is there anything blocking the affirmative plan from taking effect in the current system? Does the affirmative plan already exist in the current system?
  • Solvency - will the affirmative plan solve the problem in the resolution?
  • Advantages/Disadvantages - does the affirmative plan bring about any extra advantages? Any disadvantages?

• You will generally have four prelim rounds- two affirmative and two negative.

• Time Limits in a Policy Debate
  • First affirmative constructive (1AC) 8 mins.
  • Second negative questions 1AC 3 mins.
  • First negative constructive (1NC) 8 mins.
  • First affirmative questions 1NC 3 mins.
  • Second affirmative constructive (2AC) 8 mins.
  • First negative questions 2AC 3 mins.
  • Second negative constructive (2NC) 8 mins.
  • Second Affirmative questions 2NC 3 mins.
  • First negative rebuttal (1NR) 4 or 5 mins.
  • First affirmative rebuttal (1AR) 4 or 5 mins.
  • Second negative rebuttal (2NR) 4 or 5 mins.
  • Second affirmative rebuttal (2AR) 4 or 5 mins.

• Most of the time you will have one judge in the elimination-rounds. You usually won't get a panel (three) of judges until semi-finals. Many times varsity students are used to judge novice rounds.

• In Policy Debate, win/loss records are the first determinant for breaking to quarterfinals. If there are ties, the following are used to break the ties: opposition records, speaker points and opposition speaker points. Check the tournament rules to see in what order those are used.

• In policy debate, the four debaters are ranked 1-4 with a "1" being the best. These ranks also determine who wins the debate:
  • A team with 1-2 must WIN.
  • A team with a 3-4 must LOSE.
  • A team with a 1-3 must WIN.
  • A team with a 2-4 must LOSE
  • A team with a 1-4 may WIN or LOSE. A team with a 2-3 may WIN or LOSE.

• Speakers are also given points. In this case, the higher the number, the better.

Debate is ALWAYS the last event. Semis and finals are held AFTER the awards.

Resources

Policy Debate Work Calendar

Debate Central's website for learning policy debate. There is great online information here.

  last revised August 2, 2006