DEBATE 101

By: Oktafia Rachmawati Putri

(Universitas Bakrie)

Session 1i: Debate In A Glance

Session 3: Motion Understanding – Case Building

Session 4: Constructing Argument

Session 5: Constructing Rebuttal

Session 2: Roles of Speakers

AGENDA

SESSION 1DEBATE IN A GLANCE

Debating is…•A clash between government and opposition team•Developing communication skills•Arranging, organizing and delivering effective arguments•The objective of the debate is to convince the adjudicators (and audience) that your team is the most convincing (through your reasoning, arguments and explanations) and therefore deserve to win the debate.•Debating requires sufficient knowledge, skills, willingness, and tireless practices!

• Asian parliamentary system– 3 speakers per team, 7 minutes speech, with POI

• Australs parliamentary system– 3 speakers per team, 8 minutes speech, no POI

• British parliamentary system– 2 speaker per team, 4 teams debating in a round– 7 minutes speech, with POI

Debate Intro

Debate Formats

• Affirmative/Government vs. Negative/Opposition• Asian: Points of Information (POI) are allowed during speech• Australs: No Points of Information (POI) are allowed during speech• Asian: Substantive Speech: 7’20” | Reply Speech: 5’20”• Australs: Substantive Speech: 8’20” | Reply Speech: 6’20”• Speech duration and order:

1st Affirmative (7’20”) 1st Opposition (7’20”)

2nd Affirmative (7’20”) 2nd Opposition (7’20”)

3rd Affirmative (7’20”) 3rd Opposition (7’20”)

Reply Opposition (5’20”)Reply Affirmative (5’20”)

Debate FormatsASIAN & AUSTRALS

• Issue or topic that you will debate upon• Full propositional statement, not question or phrase• Affirmative: defend the motion | Negative: oppose the motion

Motion

• Types of Motion:– Proposal motion

• Concerned with practical problems. The motion ask the debater to propose specific solvency to deal the problem

• Example: THW allow gay couples to adopt children– Judgment motion

• Concerned with question of right or wrong. The motion ask the debater to prove a general fact/statement

• Example: THBT capitalism has failed– Comparison motion

• Concerned with two values in conflict. The motion ask the debater to prefer a value over another value based on hierarchy outlined in the motion

• Example: THBT free trade is better than fair trade

• Case: a complete set of argumentation to defend or oppose the motion

• Anatomy of a case:– Set up: definition of a motion into a debatable context– Arguments: reasoning why your team is right– Responses: reasoning why your opponent is wrong

Case

• Matter (content) - 40%

– Arguments (logic, use of evidences, relevance)

• Manner (delivery) - 40%– Public-speaking skills: vocal style, use of language, use of

notes, eye contact, gesture, stance, dress, impression of sincerity, and humor

– Personal attacks on opponents reduce manner points

• Method (structure) - 20%

– Structure: of individual speech and of team’s case

– Response to the dynamics of the debate

Debate Assessment

What do We Talk about on Debates?

SESSION 2ROLES OF SPEAKERS

Role of Speakers

Roles – 1st Affirmative• Defines the motion (see the elements of definition)• Presents Affirmative’s theme line = GOAL• Outlines Affirmative’s team split• Delivers first part of split– Foundation of case (basic justification)– For proposal debate: provide the complete model include:

urgency of proposal, model feasibility and how the model effectively achieve the objective

– Preemptive argument e.g.: how your issue should be weighted more than other issue

• Summarizes/recaps own speech

Role of Speakers

Roles – 1st Negative

• Responds the definition (accept/reject)• Provides negation = A-• Rebuts 1st Affirmative briefly (usually focus on the objective and

basic justification of aff’s stance)• Presents Negative’s theme line and team split• Delivers first part of split (the positive case of opposition):

– Foundation of the case (basic justification)– Counter proposal if necessary (the model, feasibility,

effectiveness, and brief model comparison)– In what way aff’s idea is not acceptable

• Summarizes/recaps own speech

Role of SpeakersRoles – 2nd Speakers

• Clarifies/ reminds the adjudicators what the room of debate is and how previous speakers fulfill their burden of proof. shows to adju if your opponent fail to engage properly

• Briefly reiterates team’s case (in general) and shows how your team still has upper hand

• Defends your 1st speaker argument (answer the rebuttals given towards your 1st speaker)

• Attack previous speakers• Delivers 2nd part of split (the extension of your case).

Your extension should be distinguished from your foundation. It could be analysis on other point of view/ other actor involved, analysis on various scenario, deeper analysis on wider perspective, or further implications that may happen.Watch for: contradiction (your extension backstabbing your argument) and additional burden of proof

• Summarizes/recaps own speech

Role of SpeakersRoles – 3rd Speakers

• Identify the fulfillment of burden of proof from both teams, your opponent’s engagement, and battle happen during the debate. Explain that your team still has upper hand.

• From each battles happen ensure the adjudicator that your team win those battles by providing holistic rebuttals for everything given by your opponent. Arrange your rebuttals for each battles so the adjudicators easily understand how your rebuttals contribute.

• Some important elements to be a good 3rd speaker:– Your main duty is to attack. Since you are the last hope of your team,

attack everything given by your opponents. Focus on arguments or responses that you consider essential and could determine the winner of that round.

– Hinder unnecessary repetition. Sometimes you need to be creative to extend the previous rebuttal. (Tips: use multilevel approach on developing your rebuttal). Identify contradiction, hung case, and new matter.

– Be structurized! Always use sign posting to help adjudicators understand.– 3rd Aff is discouraged from bring new matter. 3rd Neg is prohibited from

bring new matter. New example is not a new matter.

GAME ON

SESSION 3MOTION UNDERSTANDING – CASE BUILDING

Case Building

BRAINSTORM

CONTEXTUALIZE

STANCE

B.O.P

Wikipedia

Hard vs Soft

Disclaimer

Motion Understanding

THIS HOUSE WOULD CRIMINALIZE FPIWOULD1. Does this motion require mechanism?2. Do we have to create a completely new mechanism or modify from

SQ?

FPI1. Does this proposal apply to the organization as an entity? Or should

it also affect each members of FPI?2. Should we debate be about whether FPI is a good organization or

not?

CRIMINALIZE FPI1. How should the ‘criminalize’ be?

• Government ban the existence of FPI• Stops any activities and anything related with FPI, and punish

those who do not obey• Restrict any such organization (radical ones) to exist and grow

(but WAIT. We’re not going to debate that far!)Motion understanding is helping you to get early definition

Case Building

A. Write down any relevant ideas and knowledge that you have.B. Don’t be lazy! Think! Analyse!C. Do this approx. 5 -10 Min Individually

FPI = a religious organization Has been existing in Indonesia for quite long time All organization want to spread their values to attract followers All organization/entity should follow the country’s rules Country’s rules = don’t create destruction, do not force! Majority of Indonesian citizens = moslems FPI wants to keep the societies in ‘moslem’ values and tracks Society is okay with moslems’ values But, is society OK with what FPI usually does? Government has responsibility to protect society Government has obligation not to limit the society’s freedom of expressions There is no special mechanisms for dealing with FPI

1. BRAINSTORM TO PREPARE THE SET UP

Case Building

A. Describe Status Quo• Focus on the matter that becomes the issue of the motion• Where and what happen Notice the setting element

(Liberal democratic countries, under developed countries)• Pay attention to specific term

B. Identify The Controversy• Controversy usually happens when certain actor is violated• Controversy usually happens when some values are conflicting

2. CONTEXTUALIZE THE DEBATE

Case Building

A. Declare your position to the controversyB. Clear! No room for multi intepretation

• How, Who, and When • Sometimes all, but sometimes not

C. Explain your position with simple elaboration or mechanism• Mechanism is also necessary to avoid

unnecessary harmsD. Beware of creating “soft stance”

3. DECLARE YOUR STANCE

Hard vs Soft

Case Building

A. Identify what you should prove to make your stance standsB. Show your opponent burden of proof

• Add disclaimer to dismiss possible unimportant harmsC. Elaborate! Elaborate! Elaborate!

4. IDENTIFY BURDEN OF PROOF

Disclaimer

SESSION 4 CONSTRUCTING ARGUMENT

Constructing Argument

The point you’re trying to make that you believe to be true1. IDEA/ASSERTION

Argument is not an assertion. Argument has anatomy

The logical and analytical explanation to prove your idea. Reason. 2. ANALYSIS

Something like a statistic, a survey, a case study, or an analogy to giveGreater credibility to your idea and analysis.

3. EVIDENCE

The Conclusion. So What.4. LINK BACK

SESSION 5CONSTRUCTING REBUTTAL

Constructing RebuttalRebuttal is an argument. Rebuttal has anatomy

1. Rebuttal is a process of proving how you opponent’s arguments are wrong

2. You need to prove otherwise: A- Theory:• A rebuttal should contradict an argument• A rebuttal should not give asymmetric rebuttal to the argument (B, not A-)

3. Never mix your rebuttal with argument. Argument explains why your team is right, rebuttal explains why your opponent is wrong

4. An effective rebuttal is not “pre-prepared rebuttal”. A good rebuttal is about effectively attacking your opposition’s argument as they were presented. You should pay attention to your opponent’s argument

5. A good rebuttal consists of layered rebuttal that could answer every possible scenario from your opponent’s argument: Even if rebuttal• Even if rebuttal: Proving that, although your opponent maybe right, we can still rebut that point

LET’S GET THE GAME STARTED!