How to tackle a motion

1. Training, 19/10/2011 How to tackle a motion

2. What commonly occurs. • Motion is announced. • Team think up arguments for his side of the debate. • Team provide said arguments. • Feedback is given; Team is told that their arguments were very well made but that another team better fulfilled the burdens of the debate.

3. What to do • Consider what the debate is meant to be about. What’s the ‘problem’ that you’re going to argue about? • Decide what needs to be proven in order for your side to carry the motion. • Write these burdens down (usually 2 or 3). • Think up arguments which meet these burdens.

4. Motion: THW require all schools to teach safe sex to children from age 10 regardless of parental consent. Government: • Children are old enough to learn about safe-sex at age 10. • It is necessary that children know about safe-sex from age 10. • The state has the authority to overrule the wishes of parents on this issue (or are better placed to) Opposition: • Children are too young to know about safe-sex at age 10. • It is unnecessary to teach them about it at age 10 because it is irrelevant to their lives. • Parents have the authority to decide if they do/do not want their children taught about this issue at age 10 because it is controversial and is not urgent (due to 1. and 2.)

5. THW bring back corporal punishment. Government: • It is legitimate to hit children. • It is legitimate for teachers to hit children. • Corporal punishment would lead to a (large) improvement in teaching/learning conditions.

6. Opposition Burdens • It is illegitimate to hit children, regardless of any possible benefit. • This possible benefit does not exist anyway because corporal punishment brings more harms than benefits – i.e. worsens teaching/learning conditions.

7. THW Pay Smokers to Quit Smoking Government • Smoking has a large negative impact on society as a whole. • It is legitimate/fair to pay smokers to quit smoking. • It will lead to a reduction in smoking.

8. Stakeholder Analysis • If you’re trying to think of something new or different, engage in stakeholder analysis • A stakeholder is someone who has an interest in something, in debateland, it’s a person (and other like them) who are affected by a motion • You should always do this, consider who a motion affects? • How exactly does it affect them? • What special rights do those people have? • Why should we care about what happens to them?

9. Stakeholders method • Who are the groups affected by this? Do we have an argument about all the important groups? • “Groups” can refer to types of people, organisations, systems (i.e. Government, the environment etc) and many other things • Example Motion: “That we should ban junk food in schools”

10. Stakeholders Method • Who are the relevant stakeholders in this motion about banning junk food in schools? • Schools • Students • Parents • Junk food companies • Health system • Government • General populace

11. Concentric Circles Method • Concentric circles are circles which lie within each other • Thinking about debates as smaller and bigger circles can help find key arguments • Example motion: That the US should intervene in Syria

12. That we would support the US intervening in Syria Smallest circle: Syria Wider circle: Iran, Israel, Jordan, the US Wider circle: The whole middle East Wider circle: Europe Widest circle: The world • Note: These techniques will not give you all the most important arguments in a debate, but are useful tools • For example, this debate may also want to talk about whether the use of nuclear weapons is moral