Debate
Debate is a formalized system of logical argumentation. A debate is a rule-governed contest presided by an official, consisting of two or more sides where each side is attempting to win the approval of a designated audience, such as a judge or jury.
Debate in Education
Many United States colleges and high schools field teams that participate in competitive debate. Modern college debates are commonly organized along parliamentary lines, borrowing terms such as "government" and "opposition" from the British parliament.
In High School, students usually compete in two forms of debate, both of which are standards set by the National Forensic League. Lincoln-Douglas Debate (named after the famous series of Senate debates between the two candidates) has two participants who argue against each other. The arguments center around philosophy, and thus it is also called Value Debate. The other form is Policy Debate. In this event, two teams of two students argue over a topic using predominantly facts and data.
Debate has become a highly organized activity with National and International organizations.
High school debate tournaments are held often every week during the season. Regional tournamnents, often held in high schools, attract other local teams. Major tournaments (such as Harvard's) attract students from many surrounding states. The NFL national championships attracts debaters from all over the country.
Competitive intercollegiate debate in the U.S. is typically conducted under rules derived from British parlimentary procedure. On the East Coast of the U.S., the standards body is the American Parliamentary Debate Organization.
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Referenced By
Policy Debate | Public speaking
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