INTRO TO COUNTERPLANS!

WHAT IS A CP? A net beneficial alternative proposal to the Plan Competitive with the Plan Strategic if… The Aff is huge The SQ is indefensible Example: Plan – We should order pizza for dinner tonight. Counterplan – We should make a salad for dinner tonight.

COMPONENTS OF A CP Counterplan text VERY IMPORTANT. WRITE OUT THE EXACT TEXT Be specific, complete, and accurate, as you would with a Plan text Addressing topicality Either explanation of how the CP is non-topical or Defense of why topical CP’s are ok Not super common or explicit in 1NC’s Competition This is intense but it makes sense eventually The opportunity cost of the plan CP needs to be more beneficial than doing the Plan Different kinds of competition

COMPETITION – MUTUAL EXCLUSIVITY FUNCTIONAL COMPETITION The action/policy of the plan and the action/policy of the CP cannot both be done – there is a trade-off Preferable Example: Plan – We should order pizza for dinner CP – We should make salad for dinner. TEXTUAL COMPETITION Looking at the Plan & CP texts reveals competition – the way they are written is such that they cannot be combined It’s ok, not always as compelling as functional competition Example: Plan – We should order pizza for dinner. CP – We should not make a pizza for dinner. We should make a salad for dinner.

COMPETITION – NET BENEFITS Net benefits Internal net benefits Something the CP uniquely solves that the aff does not, kind of like a Neg advantage Example: making a salad is healthier than ordering a pizza External net benefits Disadvantages, etc. to the Aff that the CP does not link to Example: the Aff links to the spending disad, but the CP does not

TYPES OF COUNTERPLANS Advantage Counterplans. These solve one of the Aff’s advantages, meaning you only have to deal with the remaining advantages if you win the CP. Agent Counterplans. A different actor takes the action of the Plan. Process Counterplans Consult. Before doing the plan, we should ask for so-and-so’s opinion first. Delay/Timeframe. We should do the plan, but not until next week. Condition. We can do the plan, but ONLY IF this other thing happens in exchange. PICs. Enact part, but not all of the affirmative mandates. (Not intended to be an exhaustive list)

STATUS OF THE CP In cross-ex, the Aff should ask & Neg should be prepared to answer what the status of the CP is Establishes the conditions under which the CP will stay in the debate Will you go for it in the 2NR or kick it? Conditional. “The status quo is always an option.” Unconditional. They’re going for it. Dispositional. Who freakin knows

ANSWERING COUNTERPLANS Read the CP text very carefully. Determine the differences between the CP and the Plan. Solvency Deficits. They don’t solve part or all of the Aff. Perm. Is the CP competitive with the Aff or could they both happen? “Perm, do both.” Severance Perms (CP + SOME of the Plan) Intrinsic Perms (CP + Plan + SOMETHING ELSE) Timeframe Perm (Do the Plan and THEN the CP later) Offense. Add-on advantages, disads to the CP, etc. Theory. Is this a legit CP or are they being shady?