Intro to Counterplans Casey Parsons

Introduction to Counterplans Thus far in debate, we have assumed that the neg defends the status quo In the vast majority of debates, this is not true The neg has the ability to introduce a “counterplan text” Counterplans have two functions: They prevent a disadvantage from occurring – this is called a net benefit They solve part of (or all of) the aff Counterplans are a great way to minimize the amount of work on the case debate you need to do in the 1NC

Introduction to Counterplans In most parts of the country, CPs are considered a fundamental part of negative strat Counterplans must disprove the resolution They do this by “competing” with the aff – the aff and the CP can’t functionally happen in the same world, otherwise the negative has not disproven the resolution

How do I read them? Counterplans share many components with a 1AC They include: “Advantages” or net-benefits Solvency Fiat Unlike a 1AC, they are flowed on one piece of paper – write the text at the top of the first column and then just flow down

What kinds of counterplans are there? Agent Counterplans Process Counterplans Advantage Counterplans Plan Inclusive Counterplans (PICs)

Agent CP These are simple – someone else does the plan This can vary from other countries to other agencies to the private sector This year is a great year for Agent CPs Examples include: China does the plan Private companies do the plan Brazil does the plan

Process Counterplans When we say “The USFG should…” that’s a huge oversimplification There are many parts of the USFG A Process CP modifies the mechanism used to implement the plan They’re similar to Agent CPs Notable examples include: Executive Orders Courts Veto Cheat-O Net Benefit is almost always the Politics DA

Advantage Counterplans Designed to solve a specific advantage Rely on net benefits to compete It’s designed to solve the aff without their solvency mechanism, so any disad that links to the aff but not the CP can be a net benefit Great way to avoid the case debate on a specific advantage One problem: leaves the rest of the aff unsolved Examples include: Econ advantage – Cut the Corporate Tax Rate CP Climate advantage – Ratify the Kyoto Protocol

Plan Inclusive Counterplans My personal favorite Plans that include part of (or most of) the plan text and takes a little bit out Usually solves all of the aff, and then you read a disadvantage that links to the part you left out Garners all of the offense from the aff Artificially inflates small disads – you only have to win the risk to a very small impact to make the PIC net beneficial to the aff

The Permutation The aff will typically make an argument that we call a “permutation” or a “perm” – that is, the aff will argue that the plan and the counterplan are not mutually exclusive, which means the CP does not disprove the resolution Two ways to answer perms: Solvency deficits – doing both risks the solvency of the CP Net Benefits – These make the CP alone preferable to doing both the plan and the CP because the plan would still trigger the net benefit

The 2NR Number one rule of counterplans: you cannot only go for a counterplan You always need an external form of offense – disads, link turns, impact turns, etc Make sure to be perfectly clear about why the CP is different a preferable to the aff

Conditionality If you read a counterplan, you don’t have to advocate it throughout the whole debate In fact, you can read multiple counterplans and then just stop advocating some of them This is a status called conditionality Counterplans can have one of three statuses: Conditionality – The neg can kick this counterplan at any point in the debate Unconditional – The neg must advocate this counterplan in the 2NR Dispositional – The neg can concede a permutation and then kick this counterplan