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 see scary graphs and big words on the Wall Street Journal. The sharp parts of those graphs look like tiny cliffs that seem dangerous and […]
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 which is in reality highly classified, and expect participants to understand a variety of complex frameworks and issues just to engage. This frequently translates into […]
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 goes oncase almost everything until rebuttals will be responses to arguments that have already been made in the round. Those responses are then arguments in […]
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 are important to be aware of as a new debater. First, there is the “tight block”. A tight block is essentially a list of pre-written […]
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. Debating strategically and intelligently is a hallmark of all successful debaters and one of the easiest ways you can gain an advantage over your opponents. […]
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 subjective.” And while I never spent time on the American high school debate circuit, my understanding of it is that most formats also steered away […]
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 you did participate in high school debate, consider reading this article as well. Joining APDA can be trickier—and more intimidating—if you don’t have high school debate experience. […]
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, and the LOC’s job is to lay out the groundwork and outline the strategy that Opp will take in the round. The MG is the […]
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 the round, this speech has three main goals: Responding to new points brought up by the Opposition, responding to Opposition attacks on the Government case, […]
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 four years in policy in high school, the right mental state going into a tournament or a round can make a huge difference in your […]
