Policy Debate
Policy debate (also known as cross examination debate) is a style of debate in which debaters present a policy enacted through the federal government, and assess the implications of that policy. Students debate in teams of two, and each debater gives two speeches in a round. Debaters are expected to switch sides and debate both Affirmative and Negative.
The topic for the 2008-2009 school from the National Forensic League is:
Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase alternative energy incentives in the United States.
The 2009-2010 topic is:
Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase social services for persons living in poverty in the United States.
Policy debate is heavily evidence-based; Manual Debate requires certain amounts of research be done each week to keep up with the workload. This style of debate is also typically conducted at high speeds, especially on the national level. However, policy debate is also very educational, and teaches debaters good research skills, current events, how to construct and defend an argument, and public speaking.