Debate can take many forms, but all styles have at least some degree of structure. Debaters will assume a position on an argument, or "case", as well as a speaker role with specific contributions to the debate. The nitty-gritty of the debate will be in the form of timed speeches: more individually driven than discussion-based. One or more judges will spectate the debate and deem a winning side or speaker. You don't need to be eloquent or have a beautiful voice to win a round of debate: speakers are judged on what they talk about, not how they say it.
The point of debate is not to defend your own opinions on a topic (though you can sometimes do this). Debate is about using skills of reason, persuasion, and logic to promote your side of the argument while disseminating the other side's ideas.
But what do you debate about? Topics can be anything you come up with as long as they're morally ambiguous, ethically subjective, and based on common knowledge. Here are some examples of real debate cases from the Atlantic Tournament Circuit:
Our main style of debate is Canadian Parliamentary (CP) debating. One round of CP requires four debaters, two on Side Government and two on Side Opposition. Government consists of the Prime Minister and the Minister of the Crown; Opposition consists of the Member of the Opposition and the Leader of the Opposition. Here are the traditional roles each debater fills:
Another style of debate is British Parliamentary (BP). This style is more complicated than CP; it involves two teams of two on both the Gov and Opp sides (or, as the teams are more commonly known in BP, Proposition and Opposition).
The point of debate is not to defend your own opinions on a topic (though you can sometimes do this). Debate is about using skills of reason, persuasion, and logic to promote your side of the argument while disseminating the other side's ideas.
But what do you debate about? Topics can be anything you come up with as long as they're morally ambiguous, ethically subjective, and based on common knowledge. Here are some examples of real debate cases from the Atlantic Tournament Circuit:
- Gay pride parades are damaging to the advancement of LGBTQ rights.
- Hogwarts acceptance letters should be deferred upon reception; you should stay a muggle.
- Ghost writers should not be used to finish a book series after its author's death.
- Legislative bodies should have membership quotas according to its constituency's racial makeup.
Our main style of debate is Canadian Parliamentary (CP) debating. One round of CP requires four debaters, two on Side Government and two on Side Opposition. Government consists of the Prime Minister and the Minister of the Crown; Opposition consists of the Member of the Opposition and the Leader of the Opposition. Here are the traditional roles each debater fills:
- Prime Minister (PM): Build Government’s case by presenting a number of arguments, and rebuild critical aspects of Government case and sum up entire debate by showing why the Government has won the debate.
- Member of the Opposition (MO): Introduce Opposition arguments, rebut Government’s case.
- Minister of the Crown (MC): Introduce Government’s final arguments, rebuild Government’s original arguments and rebut Opposition’s arguments.
- Leader of the Opposition
(LO): Introduce Opposition’s final arguments, rebuild Opposition’s original arguments, rebut Government’s entire case and sum up entire debate by showing why the Opposition has won the debate.
Another style of debate is British Parliamentary (BP). This style is more complicated than CP; it involves two teams of two on both the Gov and Opp sides (or, as the teams are more commonly known in BP, Proposition and Opposition).
- Prime Minister (PM): Defines the given resolution and introduces proposition's case.
- Leader of the Opposition (LO): Introduces Opposition's arguments, rebuts Prime Minister.
- Deputy Prime Minister (DPM): Continues opening Proposition's case, rebuts Leader of the Opposition.
- Deputy Leader of the Opposition (DLO): Continues opening Opposition's case, rebuts Deputy Prime Minister.
- Member of Government (MG): Extends Proposition's case, rebuts Deputy Leader of the Opposition.
- Member of the Opposition (MO): Extends Opposition's case, rebuts Member of Government.
- Government Whip (GW): Rebuts Member of the Opposition and summarizes the debate for side Proposition.
- Opposition Whip (OW): Rebuts Government Whip and summarizes the debate for side Opposition