By Nik Venkatasubramanian, George Washington University ’18 Debating Economics and Finance I: Trade and Specialization Introduction Debate about Economics sounds scary. You scroll through the news every morning and you…

By Andrew Bowles, George Washington University ‘17 I. Introduction In the real world, debates about international relations are often prohibitively difficult to engage in. They require extensive specific knowledge, much of…

By Matt Rohn, Franklin & Marshall ’16 The constructive speeches (the first four) are primarily about two things, making arguments and responding to the other team’s arguments. Once the LOC…

By Danny Jaffe, Brandeis University ’17 Author’s Note: This is a more advanced article on tight calls. Strategies for Tight Calls APDA debaters have devised several strategies regarding tight calls that…

By Harry Zhang, Johns Hopkins ’17 Theory of Debate: Understanding Win Conditions In debate, sound strategy is just as important to success as making effective arguments or writing powerful cases.…

By Mars He, Harvard University ’18 I’ve heard many times, after being in or seeing a debate about art, that art rounds are undebatable, unfair, or pointless because “art is…

By Rebecca Heller, Georgetown University ’16 Author’s Note: This article is intended for all novices, but it is specifically geared towards people who did not participate in high school debate. If…

By Alex Adia, Brown University ’18 The MO’s Role in the Round The MO is most often described as the most flexible speech in the round. The PMC is pre-written,…

By Kevin Healey, Brandeis University ’18 The member of government’s speech, or MG, is an eight-minute speech that immediately follows the Leader of Opposition’s constructive (LOC). The third speech in…

By Amelia Koby, William & Mary ’18 Learning a form of debate that emphasizes spontaneity makes even the most confident people nervous. Whether you’re just starting debate now, or did…