China Debate Education Network

Constructing Arguments for Leader of Opposition

Note: Constructing arguments is not the only job of the First Opposition, but it is the focus of this lesson. Refutation, the other responsibility, is covered elsewhere.

Responsibilities of Leader of Opposition

• General responsibility: To confront the Opening Government case and establish Opposition arguments.

• Specific Responsibilities – To explicitly develop the Opposition stance– directly or indirectly refute part or all of the Opening

Government case (to be covered in a later lesson) – To construct independent Opposition arguments

Responsibility One: Developing the Opposition Stance

• Explicitly support the current policies.

• Defend the general direction of current policies with minor changes.

• Support a counter proposal or counter model (recommended only for advanced debaters).

Creating Constructive Arguments: Three Common Options

• The Government model will not solve the problems .

• The principle supported by the Opposition team is best.

• The Government model will create more problems than it solves.

The Government model will not solve the problems .

• Nations of the world should provide a minimum level of education to all their citizens.– Sub-Saharan Africa has a shortage of qualified

teachers.– This shortage will not be solved by funding and

infrastructure.

The Government model will create more problems than it solves.

• Nations of the world should provide a minimum level of education to all their citizens.– Providing funding and infrastructure for education

is costly.– Those funds will prevent nations from investing

more in HIV-AIDS– The funds lost to HIV-AIDS are worse than

inadequate funds for education

The Opposition Counterproposal is Better.

• Counterproposal: increased funds should go to HIV-AIDS research rather than to education.

• The counterproposal is better– Providing funding and infrastructure for education

is costly.– Resources are not available for both education

and HIV-AIDS research– Putting limited resources to HIV-AIDS has more

advantages than increased funds to education.

Role of the Deputy Leader of Opposition

• Continue refutation of the 1st Government Case– Continue significant refutation of Leader of

Opposition– Refute new argument of Deputy Prime Minister

• Rebuild argument offered by Leader of Opposition

• Add at least one new argument to the case of the First Opposition