This content explains the two most common debate formats in the QDU competition: policy and empirical debates, outlining their distinct structures, objectives, and strategies for success.
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there are many different types of
debates that you will encounter in the
qdu competition
each of which will require you to apply
a new set of skills and knowledge
you will encounter a range of topics
most of which will fall into one of four categories
categories
these are first policy debates secondly
empirical debates
thirdly regret and prefer debates and finally
finally
actor debates this video will cover
policy and empirical debates
which are the two most common types of
debates in the qdu competition
for students in grades 8 and below these
are generally speaking
the only types of debates set another
video will explain regret
prefer and actor debates which students
in grades 9 and above may encounter in
the qdu competition
now let's move on to the first and most
common type of debate
policy debates are about solving a
problem usually through the government
committing to some action or policy
generally speaking the affirmative team
in a policy debate
is acting as the government and
proposing the policy in the topic
therefore it should be assumed within
reason that the affirmative
team has the necessary resources
required to implement the policy
you can generally tell that you are
dealing with a policy debate as a topic
will feature the words
we should some examples of a policy
debate include
that we should ban pets that we should
punish parents for the crimes of their children
children
and that we should cease all
at the beginning of a policy debate the
first affirmative speaker often needs to
provide a model
a model is an overview of how you would
seek to implement the policy
using the example of banning pets your
model might be that
effective immediately the breeding and
sale of pets will become illegal
but the adoption of existing animals is allowed
allowed
unlike a definition which sets out the
meaning of words
your model provides a specific plan that
your team are proposing
your model should be clear concise and
not simply be there to help you avoid
the more difficult parts of the topic
for example if you were debating that we
should ban pets
it would be unfair to the other team to
only ban snakes and not other types of
animals you should also refer back to
your model throughout the debate to help
you make your case
sometimes a negative team will propose a
counter model but this is not always necessary
necessary
the first negative speaker only needs to
propose a counter model
if they agree with the affirmative team
that there is a problem to solve
but would like to propose an alternative solution
solution
a counter model cannot be the same or
similar to the model proposed by the
affirmative team
and should be a unique solution to the problem
problem
if your team is happy with the status
quo there is no need for a counter model
in order to win a policy debate as the
affirmative team you must convince the adjudicator
