Wisconsin Forensics Daily

2009-2010 Policy Debate Topic Finalists Announced

The NFHS Speech, Debate and Theatre Association recently tabulated ballots of five proposed Policy Debate topics from 35 states, the National Forensic League, National Catholic Forensic League and National Debate Coaches Association.  The WHSFA & WDCA jointly conduct the Wisconsin coach balloting. The preliminary balloting narrows the field to two proposed topics to gain a majority vote for next school year’s topic. The five topic areas were ranked 1-5 with the two topic areas receiving the lowest totals – Health Care and Poverty – placed on the final ballot.  Wisconsin coaches may download this ballot, and submit it before the awards ceremony of the Wisconsin State Debate Tournament to WDCA President-Elect Nick Bubb. Wisconsin coaches who are also members of the NFL and NDCA may also download similar ballots from those organizations to submit their votes through those national organizations.

• Download the 2009-2010 Policy Debate Final Topic Ballot (89 kB)

In the initial Wisconsin balloting, thirty schools participated in the topic selection. Similar to speech and the National Federation of High Schools, a lowest cumulative score determined Wisconsin’s results. Here they are in order (with the two topics advancing from the overall NFHS national balloting boldfaced, and with the national vote totals in green):
1. Poverty (85 Wis.; 108 nat’l - cumulative score)
2. Space (86 Wis.; 110 nat’l - cumulative score)
3. Federal Elections (89 Wis.; 155 nat’l - cumulative score)
4. Immigration (92 Wis.; 110 nat’l - cumulative score)
5. Health Care (99 Wis.; 87 nat’l - cumulative score)

Thanks to the following schools for participating: Middleton, Marquette, Merrill, Appleton East, Kimberly, Brookfield East, Brookfield Central, Golda Meir, Nicolet, Cedarburg, Wausau East, Rhinelander, Neenah, WaukeshaSouth, James Madison Memorial, Greendale, W.E.B. DuBois, Slinger, Rufus King, Ronald Reagan, Messmer, Muskego, Janesville Parker, Mukwonago, Martin Luther, La Crosse Central, Sheboygan North, MacDowell Montessori, Homestead.

In addition to Wisconsin, the NFL, NCFL and NDCA, the following states returned ballots:

Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
New Hampshire
New Mexico
New York
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
South Dakota
Texas
Utah
Virginia
Washington
Wyoming

Synopsis of Problem Areas and Resolutions for 2009-2010- Original Topic papers are the linked titles next to the “Problem Area” headings.

PROBLEM AREA: HEALTH CARE

Resolved: The United States federal government should establish a universal health care system in the United States.

Health care is the most important domestic issue facing policymakers in the United States today. This topic offers an opportunity to expose students to divergent views on a crucial topic. The ongoing national debate over health care in the United States centers on three key problems: cost, quality and access. Total spending on health care has been rising at about twice the rate of national income, increasing from 2.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 1970 to 16.2 percent today. Currently the United States spends about $2 trillion on health care, or $6,500 per year per person. This is $477 billion a year more than any other developed country. Despite spending much more, 47 million Americans have no health insurance. Affirmative positions would include cases dealing with single pay systems, international models, programs to fill in the lapses in coverage, Medicare and Medicaid expansion and others. Negative positions could include substantial case debate on empirical problems associated with existing single payer systems programs, state solutions, problems with rationing and the high cost of health care. Negatives would explore competitiveness, political scenarios, federalism, spending and trade off positions, as well as host of critical arguments on increased governmental intervention. As the 2008 election nears, the issue of national health care will only continue to grow increasingly important in the media and in the public debate throughout the country. Authors: Christa Bieker and John Goodman, Texas

PROBLEM AREA: POVERTY

Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase social services for persons living in poverty in the United States.

Unfortunately, more than four decades after Michael Harrington identified those living in poverty as “The Other America,” poverty is still an endemic problem in the United States. In 2005, close to 13 percent of the total U.S. population - about 37 million people - were counted as living below the poverty line, a number that essentially remained unchanged from 2004. Of these, 12.3 million were children. Poverty is associated with many harmful outcomes, including poor health, crime, educational difficulties, and other social problems. Poverty continues to plague our society despite over four decades of national effort and trillions of dollars in federal spending to combat it. In a nation as wealthy as the United States, such a high level of poverty is certainly appropriate for the examination and reflection provided by a variety of debates on the topic. Affirmatives advocating this topic will be able to defend a wide range of social services designed to both ameliorate the harms of poverty and to reduce the number of people living in poverty. These services would include expanding child care, health care, Food Stamps, housing assistance, mental health care, educational assistance, early Head Start and job training, among others. Negatives would be able debate against the harms of poverty, the ability of various plans to solve the problems identified, and many disadvantages, including spending, politics, federalism and net widening. They would also be able to counterplan many of the affirmative plans with the state counterplan. The negative would also have several critical options, including objectivism, statism, dependency, and even critiquing the use of the term poverty. Author: Chuck Ballingall, California

Tags: policy

Posted in News |