LINCOLN DOUGLAS DEBATE
• LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATE CENTERS ON A PROPOSITION OF VALUE,
WHICH CONCERNS ITSELF WITH WHAT OUGHT TO BE INSTEAD OF WHAT
IS.
• A VALUE IS AN IDEAL HELD BY INDIVIDUALS, SOCIETIES, GOVERNMENTS,
ETC.
• ONE DEBATER UPHOLDS EACH SIDE OF THE RESOLUTION FROM A
VALUE PERSPECTIVE.
• THROUGH THIS CONTEST, STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO DEVELOP A
DIRECT AND COMMUNICATIVE DELIVERY AND EMPHASIZE LOGIC,
THEORY AND PHILOSOPHY, IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ARGUMENTATION.
WHAT IS IT?
• LINCOLN DOUGLAS DEBATE IS HELD BETWEEN TWO INDIVIDUALS
FROM OPPOSING SCHOOLS. UNLIKE CX POLICY DEBATE, IT IS
NOT A PARTNER EVENT.
• LD IS WHAT WE CALL “VALUE” DEBATE. WE ADDRESS QUESTIONS
RELATED TO “WHY” THINGS ARE THE WAY THEY ARE, AND HOW
THE AFFIRMATIVE OR NEGATIVE PLAN CAN EITHER CONTRIBUTE
TO A BETTER SOCIETY, OR HOW THEIR PLAN IS FLAWED AND MAY
CAUSE MORE HARM.
CX POLICY DEBATE VS. LINCOLN DOUGLAS
• LD DEBATE BEGAN AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO CX DEBATE. THE
STYLES WERE ONCE VERY DISTINCT, BUT RECENTLY THE SPEECH
DELIVERY STYLE OF LD DEBATE HAS BEEN INFLUENCED BY CX.
THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY A GOOD THING!
• CX DEBATE FOCUSES ON AN ABUNDANCE OF RESEARCH AND
EVIDENCE, CALLED “CARDS.”
• LD DEBATE SHOULD BE FOCUSED ON COMPETING ETHICAL
VALUES AND PERSUASIVE SPEAKING.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
• IN 1858, U.S. SENATOR STEPHEN DOUGLAS OF ILLINOIS, A DEMOCRAT, WAS
SEEKING REELECTION. HIS LEADING CHALLENGER WAS A REPUBLICAN,
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
• THE TWO CANDIDATES AGREED TO PARTICIPATE IN A SERIES OF SEVEN
DEBATES TO BE HELD IN CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE
STATE. THE ISSUE OF SLAVERY AND THE POSSIBILITY OF ITS EXPANSION INTO
NEW TERRITORIES OF THE NATION WAS A COMMONLY DISCUSSED TOPIC.
• DOUGLAS ULTIMATELY WON REELECTION TO THE SENATE AND FACED LINCOLN
IN ANOTHER EVEN MORE MEANINGFUL POLITICAL CONTEST, THE
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, A MERE TWO YEARS LATER.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
• NOT ONLY DID THOSE DEBATES BETWEEN LINCOLN AND
DOUGLAS DURING THE MID-NINETEENTH CENTURY BECOME THE
NAME-SAKE OF A POPULAR SPEAKING CONTEST TODAY, THEY
ADDRESSED SEVERAL ISSUES THAT ARE OFTEN USED BY
PARTICIPANTS IN MODERN-DAY LINCOLN DOUGLAS DEBATES.
• COMPETITIVE DEBATE IS A PROCESS THAT INVOLVES SEARCHING
FOR THE TRUTH.
LD DEBATE TODAY
• LINCOLN DOUGLAS DEBATE WAS ADDED TO THE LIST OF
OFFICIAL UIL SPEECH EVENTS IN 1982.
• OVER THE DECADES THAT HAVE FOLLOWED SINCE ITS
INTRODUCTION AS A COMPETITIVE ACTIVITY, A VARIETY
OF APPROACHES HAVE BEEN TAKEN BY PARTICIPANTS
AND COACHES.
TAKING “FLIGHT”
• FLIGHT 1 AND FLIGHT 2
(WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?)
“PREP TIME”
•A MAXIMUM OF THREE MINUTES OF
PREPARATION TIME PER DEBATER IS ALLOWED
DURING THE DEBATE.
•REMEMBER YOU CAN (AND SHOULD!)
DURING YOUR OPPONENTS TIME!
ALSO PREP
THE “AC”
WHAT WE CALL THE “AFF”
• THE AFFIRMATIVE CONSTRUCTIVE SPEECH IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE
AFFIRMATIVE CASE.
• THIS IS THE ONLY SPEECH IN A LINCOLN DOUGLAS DEBATE ROUND THAT IS
COMPLETELY PLANNED AND PREPARED IN ADVANCE. ACCORDINGLY, JUDGES
WILL HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR THE QUALITY OF DELIVERY
DEMONSTRATED IN THE AC AND WILL OFTEN HAVE LITTLE TOLERANCE FOR
INADEQUATE DELIVERY.
• YOU SHOULD TAKE SPECIAL CARE TO KNOW THE INFORMATION WITHIN THE
TEXT OF THIS SPEECH AND TAKE EXTRA TIME TO BE CERTAIN THAT ALL TERMS
ARE PRONOUNCED APPROPRIATELY
THE
“NC”
WHAT
WE
CALL
THE
“NEG”
•
THE NEGATIVE CONSTRUCTIVE SPEECH IS ONE DURING WHICH TWO THINGS SHOULD OCCUR.
•
•
•
•
•
INITIALLY, IT IS A TIME FOR YOU TO PRESENT THE NEGATIVE CASE.
SECOND, IT IS A TIME FOR RAISING ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE AFFIRMATIVE CASE.
NORMALLY THE TIME SHOULD BE DIVIDED BETWEEN THE NEGATIVE CASE AND REFUTATION OF
THE AFFIRMATIVE CASE ON A RELATIVELY EQUAL MANNER.
DURING THE FIRST PORTION OF THE PRESENTATION YOU WILL BE EXPECTED TO OFFER A
RELATIVELY FLAWLESS PRESENTATION, LIKE THAT EXPECTED OF THE AFFIRMATIVE
CONSTRUCTIVE AND FOR THE SAME REASON. THE CASE IS PREPARED ENTIRELY IN ADVANCE AND
SHOULD BE PRACTICED OFTEN IN ADVANCE OF ACTUAL COMPETITION.
THE LATTER PORTION OF THE NEGATIVE CONSTRUCTIVE SPEECH SHOULD BE SPENT RAISING
ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE AFFIRMATIVE CASE. THIS SHOULD BE DONE IN AN ORGANIZED AND
SYSTEMATIC NATURE AND THE IMPORTANT PARTS OF YOUR OPPONENT’S CASE SHOULD BE
ADDRESSED.
REBUTTALS – 1AR
•
•
YOUR OPPONENT HAS SPENT SEVEN MINUTES MAKING A PRESENTATION AND
YOU WILL HAVE JUST OVER HALF THAT AMOUNT OF TIME, FOUR MINUTES, TO
RESPOND.
DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE ARGUMENTS THAT ARE ESSENTIAL TO THE
ROUND AND THOSE WHICH ARE NOT ESSENTIAL.
• SPEND THE GREATER AMOUNT OF TIME ON THE ESSENTIAL ARGUMENTS.
• DO NOT “DROP” OR NEGLECT ARGUMENTS, AS THEY CAN CAUSE A LOSS.
REBUTTALS - NR
• THE NEGATIVE REBUTTAL SPEECH, LIKE THE NEGATIVE CONSTRUCTIVE
SPEECH, PROVIDES OPPORTUNITY FOR THE NEGATIVE DEBATER TO PRESENT
THE NEGATIVE POSITION IN A PLANNED AND DELIBERATE MANNER.
• REMEMBER, AS NEGATIVE YOU HAVE A DISTINCT TIME ADVANTAGE AT THIS
POINT IN THE ROUND. YOU HAVE SIX MINUTES DURING WHICH YOU WILL BE
RESPONDING TO A FOUR MINUTE AFFIRMATIVE SPEECH.
•
FIRST, YOU SHOULD OFFER ANALYSIS OF THE KEY ISSUES OF THE DEBATE AS
IT HAS TRANSPIRED TO THIS POINT. PROVIDING A POINT BY POINT ANALYSIS OF
ARGUMENTS IS ADVISABLE (DOWN THE FLOW).
NEGATIVE REBUTTAL
•
•
•
•
•
YOU SHOULD IDENTIFY KEY ARGUMENTS RAISED BY YOUR OPPONENT, REVIEW ARGUMENTS YOU
INTRODUCED PREVIOUSLY, EXTENDING THE PREVIOUS ARGUMENTS.
THE SECOND DUTY OF NEGATIVE REBUTTAL SPEAKERS IS TO IDENTIFY SEVERAL, USUALLY THREE TO
FIVE ISSUES THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED KEY VOTING ISSUES.
THESE ARGUMENTS ARE COMMONLY CALLED “VOTERS” AND PROVIDE THE JUDGE WITH A CLEAR
DESCRIPTION OF ISSUES UPON WHICH THE DECISION COULD BE BASED.
ISSUES SHOULD BE PRESENTED IN A MANNER SEPARATE FROM THE REST OF THE SPEECH AND IN AN
ORDERLY FORM. IN OTHER WORDS, DO NOT SIMPLY IDENTIFY MAJOR ARGUMENTS AS “VOTERS” AS YOU
PROGRESS THROUGH THE REFUTATION OF YOUR OPPONENT.
IF VOTING ISSUES ARE SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE SPEECH MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR THE JUDGE TO
IDENTIFY THEM ON A FLOW SHEET. THEY SHOULD BE IDENTIFIED CLEARLY, DISTINCTLY AND SEPARATELY,
USUALLY TOWARD THE END OF THE NEGATIVE REBUTTAL.
REBUTTALS – 2AR
(GETTING THE LAST WORD)
• STRATEGY: SOME WILL ATTEMPT TO COVER AS MANY POINTS PRESENTED
DURING THE ROUND AS POSSIBLE WHILE OTHERS WILL DEVOTE MORE
ATTENTION TO ONLY PROVIDING VOTING ISSUES.
•
YOUR JOB: PROVIDE THE JUDGE WITH A SPECIFIC REASON OR SET OF
REASONS TO RENDER AN AFFIRMATIVE DECISION ON THE BALLOT.
THE RESOLUTION
•RESOLVED: THE DOMINANCE OF TWO MAJOR
POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE U.S. PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTIONS UNDERMINES DEMOCRACY.
•RESOLUTIONS CHANGE EACH FALL/SPRING
THE RESOLUTION
• MAKE A LIST OF REASONS FOR AND REASONS AGAINST EACH
RESOLUTION
• RESOLUTIONS IDENTIFY AN ACTOR, COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS
AN “AGENT OF ACTION.” IN THE CURRENT RESOLUTION, THE
AGENT OF ACTION IS THE “UNITED STATES FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT.” USFG
PROPOSITIONS OF FACT VS VALUE
• PROPOSITIONS OF POLICY TYPICALLY INCLUDE THE WORD “SHOULD.”
• PROPOSITIONS OF FACT NORMALLY INCLUDE A “TO BE” VERB SUCH AS “IS” OR
“ARE.”
• PROPOSITIONS OF VALUE FREQUENTLY INCLUDE THE WORD “OUGHT.”
CASE CONSTRUCTION
• DEFINITION OF TERMS
• CASE VALUES
• CRITERION (HOW DO YOU ACHIEVE YOUR VALUE?)
• CONTENTIONS – “POINT ONE, POINT TWO…”
• DEPTH OVER BREADTH
• BOTH AFF AND NEG SHOULD HAVE PREWRITTEN
STRATEGIES AND CASES!
DELIVERY STYLE
•COMMUNICATION WITH THE AUDIENCE IS TO BE
CONSIDERED A HIGH PRIORITY FOR UIL
DEBATERS.
•ORAL DELIVERY IN LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATE
IS TO BE COMMUNICATIVE AND PERSUASIVE.