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.

Michelle Schmit

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.

Michelle Schmit

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!

Michelle Schmit

Resolved: That merit pay based on student achievement should be a significant component of K-12 teacher compensation in United States public schools.

Foreword: I know a topic is good when after a week of research I am personally unable to choose a side. I am persuaded by the big picture the Pro presents. I believe the goal of teaching is to contribute to student learning and I believe that teachers should be held accountable to taxpayers, to parents, and ultimately, to their students for their performance in the classroom. But I am also persuaded by the more nuanced perspective of the Con, that teaching effectiveness cannot be measured, and that learning is about more than test scores. I think you should be aware that there may be some judging bias this month. Most of your judges are teachers, and teachers have strong feelings on pay-for-performance. Make sure you present your side reasonably and fairly.

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. Good Luck!

Michelle Schmit

Resolved: Failed nations are a greater threat to the United States than stable nations.

Foreword: This topic is both challenging and educational, but it will not be conducive to the time constraints of Public Forum. Although definitions are instrumental to this resolution, you will see through my strategy that I try to avoid topicality debates for the sake of debating the issues. The Pro team’s arguments will center on the nexus between failed states and terrorism; the Con will have to be much more creative. This topic is complex, but to be persuasive, you should be simple. Develop one theory on each side of the resolution and make sure your arguments are mutually reinforcing. This may be the one and only time I ever say this, but don’t get too caught up in the evidence. The research burden is impossible; the teams that will win are the teams that can analytically defend their argumentation.

I am expecting a lot of questions this month on the Con side of the debate so if you have any interesting theories or arguments you want to run by me, send an e-mail to Michelle@finalistfiles.com or write on the “Public Forum Debate” Facebook wall. Good Luck in another month of debating!

Michelle Schmit