Kris Stroup, Longview Community College Constructing Opposition Arguments 2010 Advocacy Institute International Debate Education Association and Willamette University

Stances Available to the Opposition The opposition team ought to try to stand for something beyond simply being against the proposition team. Three such stances include: Explicitly defend the present system Defend the present system in principle and suggest minor repairs Offer a counterproposal

Typical Opposition Arguments No need for a change Affirmative (government) plan will not work Disadvantages of the affirmative (government) plan An alternative plan (counterproposal)

No Need for Change Show the present system is working in incremental steps Show the effects described by the affirmative team are not occurring

Show that the plan does not eliminate a necessary cause of the problem. The relationship between the present system and the effect is coincidental, not causal. Show that the plan is not sufficient to solve the problem or to produce the advantage. Affirmative Plan Will Not Work

Describe some feature of the affirmative plan. Relate that feature to some effect (demonstrate a cause and effect relationship). Show how that effect is worse than the problem the affirmative claims to solve. Disadvantages of the Affirmative Plan

Alternative Plan (Counterproposal) is Better Present an alternative course of action. Show why your counterproposal is a true alternative – why your alternative should preclude the affirmative’s plan of action. Does the counterproposal solve the problem outlined by the affirmative? Does the counterproposal avoid some disadvantage of the affirmative’s plan?