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Counterplans provide a competitive policy option against the affirmative plan in debate, creating a forced choice or acting as a net-beneficial alternative. This guide delves into the types of counterplans—agent, mechanism, process, and mutually exclusive—and discusses their purposes, advantages, and significance. We explore the evolution of counterplans, addressing key issues like topicality, competition, and status. Learn strategies for effective counterplan implementation and understand the philosophical and practical considerations involved in utilizing counterplans in debates.
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What are Counterplans? • A counterplan is a competitive policy option to the affirmative plan
What is a Competitive Policy Option? • It is a policy that either • Creates a forced choice with the affirmative plan (is MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE) and/or • Is not desirable to be implemented alongside the plan (net beneficial)
Why Run a Counterplan • The status quo is bad • Affirmatives will (or at least should) choose to defend the (allegedly) best topical policy option • Taking out the entire case is either often hard (the aff is right) and/or time intensive (requires lots of evidence) • Hedge against add-on advantages
Types of Counterplans • Agent: adopts virtually the same policy as the aff using a different actor • Mechanism: attempts to solve the aff harms using a different policy approach • Process: alter some way the plan mandates are implemented (normal means)—consult, condition, steal the funding/offsets ,etc. • Mutually exclusive: policy options that are PRECLUDED by the plan that the neg claims are just better (now rare)
How Did We Get Counterplans? • Bad old days: neg only gets the status quo (but at least they had inherency?) • Reciprocity kicks in: if the aff gets a plan, the neg should get one too (non-topical, non-PIC, mutually exlusivecounterplan) • Game theory: neg gets net beneficial counterplans (non-topical, non-PIC) • Modern: neg gets any net beneficial policy option
Major Counterplan Issues • Can a counterplan be TOPICAL? • What makes a counterplan COMPETITIVE? • Can a counterplan be plan-INCLUSIVE? • What is the counterplan’s STATUS? • Can a counterplan CONTRADICT other arguments? • Must a counterplan be offered in the 1NC? • Can a negative advance MULTIPLE counterplans? • Must a counterplan use the SAME ACTOR?
Topicality • What would debate look like if counterplans were not allowed to be topical? • Topical counterplans are OK because: • Predictable • Aff an use own research against • Are real world • Encourage topic clash and research
CounterplanCompeititon • Two accepted methods • Mutual exclusivity • Net benefits • Other (poor) methods • Philosophical • Normal means • Textual exclusivity
Counterplan Status • Under what circumstances can the negative get rid of the counterplan? • UNCONDITIONAL—’til death do you part • DISPOSITIONAL—anytime the neg wants UNLESS the counterplan is straight-turned • CONDITIONAL—whenever the neg wants
Counterplan Consistency • Is it okay for counterplans to contradict other negative arguments • YES: laboratory/hypothesis testing model • NO: advocacy model
Counterplan Placement & Number • Must a counterplan be read in the 1NC, if at all? • Yes: Aff fantasy land • No: neg rational world • How many counterplans?
Questions of Fiat • Is the counterplan durable? • Can counterplans fiat other actors? • Other levels of domestic government • Private individuals and institutions • Governments of other nations • Intergovernmental organizations • Can a counterplan be fiat contingent (if/then)? • Can a counterplan be initiated in the future?
Major Topic Counterplans • States • Privatization