How to Debate (British Parliament Style)
Organize FOUR teams of TWO people., Decide which team gets to get to pick whether it will choose the topic first or the side to argue for., There are generally 3 topics and 2 sides., You and a partner receive your topic around 10 minutes before the...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Organize FOUR teams of TWO people.
This is generally done by a coin toss and the winner will get preference over choosing the topic or the side.
There are two government teams and two opposition teams.
You will be versing not only your side's opposition, but also the other government team. , The topics are random and the sides are called "government" and "opposition" or "proposition" and "opposition".
Government is supporting the topic given and opposition is opposing it.
The topic will always request government to argue for a change (argue to change something that currently exists), while opposition will argue against the change.
Another type of motion does not require a change.
This motion will have the word "believe" in it.
Here, the government defends a view or belief while the opposition opposes it., You have these few minutes to prepare your speeches.
This is often very nerve-wracking,, This is in the form of a .question, and cannot last more than 15 seconds.
Be careful not to offer them more than every 15 seconds as this is called "barracking" and is perceived as extremely rude ,, There will be two opening teams
- the Opening Government and the Opening Opposition. , They must define every important term in the topic.
They must define them carefully, because should s/he introduce fail to do so, side opposition may define those terms in any way that best suits it. (i.e., define the house, define the meaning of the resolution, etc.) Next, the Prime Minister will introduce any contentions (points you wish to use to prove your case) s/he wishes to do.
It is imperative that the Prime Minister sets a clear and narrow resolution so that the debate is focused and no too broad.
The time limit is generally 5 minutes. , S/he must refute (prove incorrect) every contention the Prime Minister just made and introduce any contentions s/he wishes to do so.
The time limit is generally 5 minutes. , S/he must refute every contention the Member of the Opposition just introduced, rebuild (re-prove) the Prime Minister's contentions and introduce any additional contentions s/he wishes to introduce.
The time limit is generally 5 minutes. , S/he must refute every contention of side government, rebuild all of side opposition's contentions and introduce any additional contentions s/he wishes to add.
Sometimes, it may be against the rules to introduce new contentions in this speech in the last minutes of the speech.
It is also, generally, a good idea to summarize all the points of the opening opposition (the Leader of Opposition and his own points) in this speech, as the Leader of the Opposition is the last person of his side to speak.
The time limit is generally 8 minutes. ,, S/he must present an extension to the debate that was done by the opening sides.
That is to say, S/he must open a new side about the issue.
This is 5 minutes. , S/he was to refute the points of the Member of Government, as well as bring in another extension.
This is 5 minutes. , S/he is to refute the points of the Member of Opposition.
Then, s/he has to sum up the debate and crystallize it to some main points.
This speaker may not bring in ANY new points/extensions/case studies.
This is 5 minutes.
The whip speeches are very important, and it may seem that they have nothing to do during prep time, but they should always be thinking about their case as a whole. , S/he will refute, but may not introduce new contentions.
Lastly, s/he should summarize all the contentions made by his/her side and possibly provide mention what the debate was mainly about.
S/he was to do the same thing as the Government Whip.
This is 5 minutes.
Whip speeches are like a biased newspaper report; they lay out their arguments in a way that makes it look like their team has won the whole debate. -
Step 2: Decide which team gets to get to pick whether it will choose the topic first or the side to argue for.
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Step 3: There are generally 3 topics and 2 sides.
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Step 4: You and a partner receive your topic around 10 minutes before the debate begins.
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Step 5: Points of information can be given to the opposing side when they are speaking.
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Step 6: For every debate
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Step 7: the first and last minute are protected time
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Step 8: where you cannot make any Points of Information.
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Step 9: First the opening sides debate.
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Step 10: One person on side government
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Step 11: called the Prime Minister
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Step 12: speaks first.
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Step 13: One person on side opposition
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Step 14: called the Leader of the Opposition
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Step 15: speaks next.
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Step 16: One person on side government
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Step 17: called the Deputy Prime Minister
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Step 18: speaks next.
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Step 19: One person on side opposition
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Step 20: called the Deputy Leader of the Opposition
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Step 21: speaks next.
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Step 22: The closing sides now debate.
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Step 23: The Member of Government now speaks.
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Step 24: The Member of Opposition now speaks.
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Step 25: The Government Whip speaks.
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Step 26: The Opposition Whip is the last speaker in the debate.
Detailed Guide
This is generally done by a coin toss and the winner will get preference over choosing the topic or the side.
There are two government teams and two opposition teams.
You will be versing not only your side's opposition, but also the other government team. , The topics are random and the sides are called "government" and "opposition" or "proposition" and "opposition".
Government is supporting the topic given and opposition is opposing it.
The topic will always request government to argue for a change (argue to change something that currently exists), while opposition will argue against the change.
Another type of motion does not require a change.
This motion will have the word "believe" in it.
Here, the government defends a view or belief while the opposition opposes it., You have these few minutes to prepare your speeches.
This is often very nerve-wracking,, This is in the form of a .question, and cannot last more than 15 seconds.
Be careful not to offer them more than every 15 seconds as this is called "barracking" and is perceived as extremely rude ,, There will be two opening teams
- the Opening Government and the Opening Opposition. , They must define every important term in the topic.
They must define them carefully, because should s/he introduce fail to do so, side opposition may define those terms in any way that best suits it. (i.e., define the house, define the meaning of the resolution, etc.) Next, the Prime Minister will introduce any contentions (points you wish to use to prove your case) s/he wishes to do.
It is imperative that the Prime Minister sets a clear and narrow resolution so that the debate is focused and no too broad.
The time limit is generally 5 minutes. , S/he must refute (prove incorrect) every contention the Prime Minister just made and introduce any contentions s/he wishes to do so.
The time limit is generally 5 minutes. , S/he must refute every contention the Member of the Opposition just introduced, rebuild (re-prove) the Prime Minister's contentions and introduce any additional contentions s/he wishes to introduce.
The time limit is generally 5 minutes. , S/he must refute every contention of side government, rebuild all of side opposition's contentions and introduce any additional contentions s/he wishes to add.
Sometimes, it may be against the rules to introduce new contentions in this speech in the last minutes of the speech.
It is also, generally, a good idea to summarize all the points of the opening opposition (the Leader of Opposition and his own points) in this speech, as the Leader of the Opposition is the last person of his side to speak.
The time limit is generally 8 minutes. ,, S/he must present an extension to the debate that was done by the opening sides.
That is to say, S/he must open a new side about the issue.
This is 5 minutes. , S/he was to refute the points of the Member of Government, as well as bring in another extension.
This is 5 minutes. , S/he is to refute the points of the Member of Opposition.
Then, s/he has to sum up the debate and crystallize it to some main points.
This speaker may not bring in ANY new points/extensions/case studies.
This is 5 minutes.
The whip speeches are very important, and it may seem that they have nothing to do during prep time, but they should always be thinking about their case as a whole. , S/he will refute, but may not introduce new contentions.
Lastly, s/he should summarize all the contentions made by his/her side and possibly provide mention what the debate was mainly about.
S/he was to do the same thing as the Government Whip.
This is 5 minutes.
Whip speeches are like a biased newspaper report; they lay out their arguments in a way that makes it look like their team has won the whole debate.
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