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8

THE FORM AND TECHNIQUES
OF DEBATE
Success in debating requires not only a mastery of the subject debated and
of strategies for argument, but also a thorough understanding of how a
debate works: the format for the debate; the responsibilities of individual
speakers; how notes should be taken to record the flow of arguments; and
of techniques for the clear and effective delivery of arguments.
DEBATE FORMATS
Debate may be conducted in formats as diverse as a series of letters-
to-the-editor or a panel discussion among experts on a television news
show. An early debate textbook, The Young Debater (Anonymous, 1856),
offered "a model for juvenile debating clubs" and "for classes in public and
private schools" consisting of a fully scripted debate on the character of
Julius Caesar, divided into 32 speeches. Even today at the university level,
there are many different forms of organized debate. Indeed, new ones are
frequently invented to suit the specific needs of a given class or occasion.Nevertheless, it is helpful to know the formats most commonly em-
ployed in organized debate, and the conventional responsibilities assigned
to the individual speaker positions in each format. Most debate formats
share at least the following characteristics:
1. The affirmative (supporting the proposition) begins and ends the
debate. Because propositions normally call for some change in action or

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Publication Information: Book Title: Debate and Critical Analysis: The Harmony of Conflict. Contributors: Robert James Branham - author. Publisher: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Place of Publication: Hillsdale, NJ. Publication Year: 1991. Page Number: 207.
    
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