Preparing a Plan

1. Preparing a Plan Martin Küüsmaa SSE Riga LMT Debate Club

2. Overview • Before coming up with a plan • What is a plan • What constitutes a good plan • Why is a good plan needed • What to look out for • Some examples

3. From motion to plan • Motion • Open (THBT there are no heroes any more) • Semi-open (THW increase taxes) • Closed (THW sell alcohol only in specialised shops) • Definition • Open – link + definitions • Others – define and/or explain • Maybe just one sentence in case of a really closed motion • Plan (the action you’re going to take) must be in line with the motion

4. Plan • Plan is the actual action the government is going to take, e.g. • Withdraw from Iraq by the end of next year, step-by-step • Decrease income tax by 10% • Legalise incest • Impose capital punishment for 3rd time offenders of serious crimes like murder & rape

5. A good plan • Can be the very motion • THW ban advertisements on TV • May include some restrictions/conditions • If remove opposition arguments by doing so • E.g. THW chemically castrate sex offenders • Plan: imprisonment for 3 years and then the criminal can choose whether to stay in prison or be castrated • If focus debate/avoid confusion • E.g. THW ban religious symbols • Plan: ban wearing headscarves and veils in schools • Or: ban wearing all religious symbols in schools

6. Key steps in reaching a good plan • Make sure you understand the motion • Think of status quo • Determine problems • Come up with a solution • Think of opposition arguments • Try to prevent some of them Let’s see an example...

7. THW give non-citizens the right to vote • Make sure you understand the motion • Non-citizens – everyone who doesn’t have the citizenship (non-citizens and maybe citizens of other countries, up to you to define) • Right to vote – right to participate in elections • Think of status quo • Those people cannot vote in Latvia (but can in many other countries) • Determine problems • Their voice is not heard in the society where they live • People should be able to influence the environment they live in, democracy

8. THW give non-citizens the right to vote • Come up with a solution • Give them right to vote (easy) • Think of opposition arguments • Non-citizens don’t contribute to the society (think of me) • Non-citizens may have opinions that seriously oppose those of citizens (e.g. about Latvian foreign policy) • Rights should be given for obligations, non-citizens have less of them • Try to prevent some of them • Give voting right only to those who have residence/work permit for at least 5 years • Give voting right only for municipal elections

9. “Balls-against-the-wall” plans • Allow discrimination in private sphere • Reasons • To surprise opponents (including the other team on your side) • Especially in case of open motions • There may be good underlying principles

10. Why is a good plan important • Duty of the 1st government: set up the debate • Clear debate is easier to follow and more fun to partcipate in • Can get advantage (unexpected plans) • Can get rid of nasty opposition arguments

11. Possible problems • Must change status quo • The agent is important • THW invade Iran • Too many conditions, long and complicated • Ban smoking in eating places, except casinos and ships • Makes a debate hard to follow • Result: a very messy debate • May be unfair (a plan must be debatable) • Squirreling

12. Possible problems • Specific knowledge • Introduce broadcasting law in Estonia • Truisms • Terrorists are people who promote their agendas with violence • Time set plans • Forming an alliance between Estonians and Latvians in the 12-13th century against Germans • Unfairly place set plans • Lower taxes in Bhutan

13. Practice • THW tax men and women differently • THW legalise all drugs • THW legalise gay adoptions • THBT it should win if it can, lose if it must but always cheat • THBT negative externality businesses should not be sponsors of sport • THW require compulsory environmental service for all citizens

14. Questions?

15. Thank you!Paldies!