Advances a justification for instituting limited rules governing the conduct of debates. Contends that declining participation calls for establishing rules designed to minimize the abusive debate policy practices presently affecting policy debate. Refutes D. A. Herbeck and J. P. Katsulas's position on the supposed educational dangers of the debate…

Examines three alternatives for limiting negative fiat: (1) limiting to United States public actors; (2) limiting to proposals found in the policy literature surrounding the topic; and (3) including caveats or parameters to the resolution indicating the appropriate scope of negative counterplans. (MS)

Contends that the different loci of competition for the counterplan--that it must compete with the plan, the policy system, the values implicit within the resolution, or the entire resolution--are grounded in conflicting conceptions of the resolution. Argues for a plan focus perspective. (MS)

Questions the theoretical justification for the standard of intrinsic justification. Challenges the applicability of phenomenological constructs to academic debate, demonstrates that "essences" cannot be readily located in debate resolutions, and illustrates that proponents of intrinsic justification have not adequately operationalized…

States that the American Debate Association is committed to rulemaking as a mechanism to control the excesses which have contributed to the decline of policy debate. Explains the advantages of a rule-based approach. Outlines and justifies current rules. (PRA)

Argues that National Debate Tournament (NDT) policy debate remains a feasible option for those establishing a debate program. Speculates on the causes of the transformation of competitive policy debate from traditional to specialized. Asserts that many of the critics of NDT debate fail to understand debate's function in training students in the…

Focuses on the rhetorical values, benefits to debating programs, and administrative issues of intercollegiate, audience-style debating. (PRA)

Describes the formats, resolutions, tournaments, season, and governance of parliamentary debate. Offers explanation for its popularity among students. Argues that parliamentary debate meets at least seven educational objectives of debate activities. Suggests legitimizing the activity and adding it to programs. (PRA)

Reviews the history of the National Debate Tournament (NDT) and discusses its positions regarding fundamental issues confronting intercollegiate debate. Suggests that participation in the NDT may not be appropriate for all schools. (PA)

Discusses the trend in academic debate on policy questions toward a wide acceptance of counterplans, encouraging combinations of proposals which appear at face value able to coexist but upon deeper analysis are incompatible. Argues in opposition to this trend by applying concepts from general systems theory to competition. (KEH)

Analyzes the actual substance and procedure of legal jurisdiction to argue that (1) the theory of subject matter jurisdiction is inappropriately applied to debate, and (2) the theory of personal jurisdiction implies recognition in debate practice of important procedural characteristics of the jurisdictional challenge. (SR)

Provides a three-part overview of Cross Examination Debate Association (CEDA): a brief history of the origins and growth of CEDA, an introduction to current practices, and a summary of the strengths of CEDA debate theory and practice. Suggests that CEDA's strengths include student participation patterns, sensitivity to argumentative complexity,…

Presents 4 personal essays about the National Debate Tournament (NDT), written by individuals who have been connected with it over the years: "The NDT and Me" (Frank Cross); "Reflections on the NDT at 50" (David Zarefsky); "The NDT and Intercollegiate Debate" (Bill Balthrop); and "Fifty Years of the National…

Reports findings of a national survey of 286 collegiate debaters on their perceptions of the benefits and disadvantages of debate participation. Finds that, despite the fragmentation of intercollegiate debate into multiple formats and debate-sponsoring organizations, students generally reported the same benefits and disadvantages of debate…

Examines the relationship between the concept of distinction as a "dialectic move" and the "dissociation of ideas" to frame a theory of argumentative distinction. Applies the emerging theoretical framework to a wide spectrum of arguments drawn from a variety of disciplines and historical periods. (PRA)