Debate Topics

 The U.S. should raise the Federal Minimum Wage to $15/hr

 A.I. will cause a major disruption in the economy in the future
 Income inequality is getting worse in the U.S.
 Rent Control is the best policy to help the poor get access to housing
 Give parents school choice -- allow school vouchers
 Big Tech (Facebook, Google, Amazon, etc.) needs to be regulated
 The Fed Caused the Great Recession
 Fiscal Policy is the most effective way of getting out of a recession
 Education is more about Signalling than Skill Building
 We should legalize the buying and selling of kidneys in the U.S.
 Universal Basic Income is the way of the future
 Entitlement programs in the U.S. are not sustainable
 Big banks need better regulation
 The Sharing Economy Signals the End of Ownership in Many Consumer Goods
 Immigration is a net benefit to an economy

Debate Format

 PRO Speaker 1: (5 min) Best arguments for the resolution. Pre-written speech on
notecard.
 Cross Exam 1: (3 min) One person on the other side has to ask questions to PRO
speaker 1. (Group drafts best question)
o Pro side will be given opportunity to answer
 CON Speaker 1: (5 min) Best arguments against the resolution. Pre-written
speech on notecard.
 Cross Exam 2: (3 min) One person on other side asks questions to CON speaker
1. (Group drafts best questions)
o Con side will be given an opportunity to answer
 Questions from moderator & audience: All team members (PRO & CON) need to
be ready for questions.

 PRO Speaker #2: (3 min) Summary closing statements. Pre-Written, on notecard

(Group Drafts the Summary)
 CON Speaker #2: (3 min) Summary closing statements. Pre-written, on notecard
(Group Drafts the Summary)

Final: Class Voting

Speaker #1: 5 minutes on the “Pro-Side”

 The team is presenting their best arguments here for their position.
 This is a pre-prepared speech, but you can take up note cards with you.
 This speakers should write their arguments with the goal of persuading the
audience.
 Your points should be clearly written, and supported with credible evidence.

How to Write your Argumentation (5 min)

 Present your Primary Arguments

 You must provide support for the arguments
 Write persuasively
 What should it include?
o Intro
o The Contentions
o Conclusion

The Introduction

Your intro should accomplish 2 things:

1. State your resolution & your proposition (favor or opposed)

2. Provide a persuasive attention getter, to get audience attention

Introduction Example

Every year in the United States, our government executes dozens of convicted murderers.
Their crimes are so terrible, that our legal system assigns death as the ultimate
punishment. What is truly tragic and hypocritical is that every so often our legal system
gets the wrong person. Instead of punishing someone for taking an innocent life, it is our
government itself that is taking an innocent life. Because my partner and I believe that
this should never happen again, we stand Resolved that the death penalty should be
abolished in the United States. First, we’ll prove that the death penalty results in
miscarriages of justice...”

Contentions

 Your main arguments are called contentions.

 They should be labeled as Contentions and written in Roman Numerals. For
example:

Contention I: Innocent people are wrongly executed.

 Contention II: It is discriminatory. The death penalty is used more frequently
against minorities.

 After you list a contention, you need to provide reasoning and evidence to support
it.
 The # of contentions can vary, but usually it is around 2-4
 We will go over some example in future classes of how to prepare “EVIDENCE
cards” to provide specific support and evidence for each of your contentions.

Conclusion

 After your intro and all the contentions/arguments you are making (with support),
you should end with a brief conclusion.
 In your conclusion, you should restate your main ideas and end with a persuasive
appeal to your audience.

Example of Conclusion

“In today’s debate, the affirmative team has proven that the death penalty results in two
major harms to society. First, innocent people are sometimes wrongly executed. Second,
the death penalty is discriminatory because it is used more frequently against minorities.
Finally, we have shown that the death penalty has no major benefit because it does not
reduce crime rates. In light of this evidence, the right thing to do is to abolish this unfair
and ineffective punishment.”