Resolved: Current trends in American political dialogue compromise meaningful democratic deliberation.
Foreword: Congratulations on your participation in nationals! This topic was chosen as a reaction to President Obama’s speech at the University of Michigan’s commencement. You will find my arguments below, but I would like to take this time to offer advice specific to this topic. I do not believe that definitions are a means to winning this debate. There are only so many ways to define “compromise” to your benefit. You truly will compromise meaningful deliberation if you water down the spirit of this debate to argue over terms. The national champions will win on substance, not because they are walking dictionaries. Additionally, this debate is highly politicized. To win, you must remain a neutral observer, favoring neither the democratic or republican parties. You must not isolate your judge. Finally, you should seek out unique evidence. The best evidence for this topic is not on the internet. It is contained in books authored by political scientists. Take a trip to your local bookstore, split the books with your partner, highlight, and take the books with you into rounds. I promise it will pay off.
I again apologize for the tardiness of this release. The good news is that although I graduated college this spring, I will be attending law school next year and I will continue to write the Finalist Files. I am also hiring supporting researchers in order to release my files in a more timely fashion next year. If you have any questions prior to nationals, feel free to contact me at michelle@finalistfiles.com. If not, I will be present at nationals so stop by the Finalist Files table during registration. Good Luck!
Resolved: On balance, government employee labor unions have a positive impact on the United States.
Foreword: This topic is timely in that it addresses the faltering financial positions of local, state, and federal governments. 2009 was the first year that public sector unionization exceeded union density in the private sector. The Pro will argue that public sector unions work to expand the middle class in the United States. By affording more individuals purchasing power, the U.S. will build a more resilient economy in the future. The Con will argue that government deficits are ballooning under the pressure of employee compensation packages. Public unions are bankrupting the public sector. The majority of the evidence is weighted toward the Con which will result in more creativity on the Pro.
Congratulations to those who have qualified to the national tournament, and good luck to those who are still competing. If you have questions, my email is Michelle@finalistfiles.com or you can contact me on Facebook through the Public Forum Debate group.
Resolved: Affirmative action to promote equal opportunity in the United States is justified.
Foreword: I am very excited about this release because I was able to prepare an equally persuasive position on both sides of the topic (I was skeptical for awhile!). Given the sensitive nature of the debate, your success will depend on a thoughtful evaluation of the topic. You must be precise in your language, avoid stereotypes, and present a case that is both well reasoned and compassionate. Every topic relies upon evidence, but I have taken a primarily analytical approach because I think the numbers tend to distract from the one question we must answer: How should we, as a society, judge merit? Affirmative action has been a relatively long standing debate in the United States. I can only guess that we are revisiting it now because of the election of President Obama. Black president or not, race relations in the United States remain as multidimensional and complex as ever.
Good Luck as your seasons continue to progress. If any of you are interested in attending a debate camp this summer, please contact me for information. I will be a guest lecturer at the Harvard Institute for Public Forum Debate. The Institute is in session July 4-16 at Harvard University. If you have any questions or need help this month, send an e-mail to Michelle@finalistfiles.com or write on the “Public Forum Debate” Facebook wall.
Resolved: In the United States, organized political lobbying does more harm than good.
Foreword: I wrote on a topic very similar to this a couple of years ago. It was great to assess this topic again, after Congress has had the opportunity to enact substantial reforms. The topic is coming up now because President Obama’s administration has implemented several policies with the intent of limiting the influence of special interests in D.C. Despite the President’s efforts, lobbyists are stronger than ever as lobbyists have swarmed Capitol Hill to participate in the health care debate that raged through 2009. Evidence is central to this debate as always, but there is a lot of room for analytical arguments and responses which should make it an engaging topic.
Good luck in February, as national qualifying tournaments take place or draw near. If you have any questions, you can contact me on the “Public Forum Debate” Facebook group or send an email to Michelle@finalistfiles.com.
Resolved: President Obama's plan for increasing troops in Afghanistan is in the United States' best interest.
Foreword: This topic is timely and very relevant to all of us as American citizens. Nonetheless, a debate over military strategy in Afghanistan will be a challenge given the lack of detailed information available, and our lack of expertise in evaluating General McChrystal’s recommendations. This debate is about the way forward in Afghanistan and in the fight against terror. President Obama has agreed to send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan to implement a broad counterinsurgency mandate. Those opposed to the plan advocate a narrower counterterrorism strategy. President Obama presented his plan to the American people on December 1. Given the recent nature of the topic, new evidence is becoming available daily, so update often!
Thank you for your patience as I took forever to release this topic. The January topic always coincides with my finals at school, but this month it was to your advantage because the information is updated through today. I’ll be continuing to research and posting relevant articles to the “Public Forum Debate” Facebook group. Let me know if you have any questions!
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