Introduction to Public Forum and Congressional Debate

by National Forensic League

• ISBN13: 9781617700385
• ISBN10: 161770038X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2013-01-30
• Publisher: Central European Univ Pr

Summary

Conceived and written by three of the most successful and talented National Forensic League coaches and educators, this text brings together current best practices for Public Forum and Congressional Debate. By drawing from a wide variety of styles, these authors provide and explicate bedrock principles for understanding, teaching, and competing in these popular debate events.

Author Biography

Jeff Hannan coaches debate at Evanston Township High School in Illinois. He has coached Congressional Debate at the Florida Forensics Institute for 13 years. He was the 2000 National Forensic League (NFL) National Champion in Congressional Debate and coached the 2012 NFL National Champion, in the same event. Ben Berkman coaches debate at Walt Whitman High School in Maryland; he previously coached for Evanston (Illinois) Township High School. While at Evanston, he coached the 2012 NFL National Champion in the Senate. He has coached Congressional Debate at the Florida Forensics Institute for four years. In 2008, he won the Tournament of Champions, Yale, and National Catholic Forensic League tournaments in Congressional Debate. He is most proud of his third-place finish in the Florida Forensics League State Tournament in Original Oratory. Chad Meadows coaches debate at Western Kentucky University. He has coached Public Forum Debate at the Florida Forensics Institute for three years. A nationally ranked parliamentary debater, he has coached multiple national champions at the college level.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	p. v
Preface	p. xiii
Overview of Public Forum Debate	p. 1
The Resolution	p. 2
Sides	p. 3
Speeches	p. 4
Constructive Speeches	p. 5
Crossfire	p. 6
Rebuttal Speeches	p. 6
Summary Speeches	p. 7
Grand Crossfire	p. 7
Final Focus	p. 7
Preparation Time	p. 7
Determining the Winner	p. 8
Rounds	p. 8
Overview of Congressional Debate	p. 11
Preparation	p. 12
The Session	p. 12
Electing the Presiding Officer and Setting the Agenda	p. 13
Debate	p. 13
Speaking, Precedence, and Recency	p. 15
Ending the Session	p. 17
Judges	p. 17
Argument Construction	p. 19
Elements of an Argument	p. 19
Claims	p. 21
Warrants	p. 23
Data	p. 25
Impacts	p. 26
Filling in the Gaps	p. 27
Congressional Debate Legislation	p. 31
Types of Legislation	p. 31
Bills	p. 33
Resolutions	p. 33
Constitutional Amendments	p. 34
Structure of a Bill	p. 34
Structure of a Resolution	p. 37
Structure of a Constitutional Amendment	p. 39
Formatting	p. 41
Topic Selection	p. 42
Constitutionality, Funding, and Enforcement	p. 44
Constitutionality	p. 44
Funding	p. 46
Enforcement	p. 47
Speech Construction in Congressional Debate	p. 51
Goals	p. 51
Speech Structure	p. 53
Introduction	p. 53
Body	p. 58
Conclusion	p. 60
Sponsorship Speeches	p. 62
Role-Playing	p. 66
Style in Congressional Debate Speeches	p. 67
Eye Contact	p. 68
Tone and Speed	p. 68
Movement	p. 70
Gesturing	p. 71
Pad Orientation	p. 72
Resolutional Analysis in Public Forum Debate	p. 75
Understanding Resolutions	p. 76
Types of Resolutions	p. 77
Resolutions of Fact	p. 77
Resolutions of Value	p. 78
Resolutions of Policy	p. 79
Constructive Speeches in Public Forum Debate	p. 83
Case Construction	p. 84
Structure	p. 84
Introduction	p. 84
Contentions	p. 87
Conclusion	p. 89
Strategic Case Construction	p. 89
Practice and Delivery	p. 90
Questioning and Crossfire	p. 93
Structure of Questioning	p. 93
Goals of Questioning	p. 95
Communicative Goals	p. 95
Argumentative Goals	p. 100
Effective Questioning	p. 103
Open- and Close-ended Questions	p. 104
Asking Questions	p. 106
Effective Answers	p. 107
Congressional Questioning Specifics	p. 108
Public Forum Crossfire Specifics	p. 110
Debate: Refutation, Rebuttal, and Summary	p. 113
Flowing	p. 113
Flowing in Congressional Debate	p. 116
Flowing a Congressional Debate with Two Sheets	p. 119
Flowing Congressional Debate by Speech	p. 120
Flowing in Public Forum Debate	p. 122
Responding: Refutation and Rebuttal	p. 125
Offense and Defense in Debate	p. 129
Responding in Congressional Debate	p. 130
Responding in Public Forum Debate	p. 136
Crystallization and the Final Focus	p. 143
Crystallization	p. 143
Goals of Crystallization	p. 144
Selecting the Issues	p. 144
Closing Debate on Important Issues	p. 145
Prioritizing and Weighing the Arguments Chosen for Discussion	p. 146
Weighing	p. 147
The Final Focus in Public Forum Debate	p. 149
Crystallization in Congressional Debate	p. 151
Crystallization Structures in Congressional Debate	p. 152
Congressional Debate Procedure	p. 157
Beginning the Session	p. 157
Setting the Agenda	p. 157
Electing the Presiding Officer	p. 159
During the Session	p. 160
Debating Legislation	p. 160
Questioning	p. 161
Ending the Debate and Voting	p. 161
Tabling a Measure	p. 162
Recess	p. 163
Personal Privilege	p. 163
Points of Information and Points of Order	p. 164
Ending the Session	p. 165
Recency and Precedence	p. 166
Amendments	p. 166
Presiding	p. 168
Gaveling and Selection Procedures	p. 168
Recognizing Questioners	p. 171
Other Skills	p. 172
Preparing For Tournaments	p. 175
Preparation in Congressional Debate	p. 175
Preparation in Public Forum Debate	p. 176
Research	p. 177
Understanding Sources	p. 179
Citation	p. 181
Materials	p. 184
Congressional Debate	p. 184
Public Forum	p. 184
Competing at Tournaments	p. 187
Tournament Structure	p. 187
Professionalism	p. 190
Dress	p. 192
Interaction with Judges	p. 193
Maintaining Mental Awareness	p. 196
Glossary	p. 199
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