Congressional Debate Flashcards
What is Congressional Debate meant to simulate?
The real legislative process in the US
What types of Legislature do debaters draft and propose
Bills, Resolutions, Constitutional Amendments
Name of how debaters present legislation
They give a Sponsorship Speech
What is a Bill
A type of legislation that describes the details of how a policy would be enacted, if voted into law by the assembly.
What does a Resolution do
An expression of conviction, or value belief of an assembly, which may urge, request or suggest further action by another decision-making authority.
What does an Constitutional Amendment do
A resolution to add a specific provision to the United States Constitution, requiring 2/3 vote of the chamber to pass.
Which pieces of legislation don’t rely on the Constitution
Bills and Resolutions
When is the PO elected
Beginning of each round
What happens when a piece of legislation is given a sponsorship speech
Debate is begun
What follows a sponsorship speech
Two minutes of questioning (each speaker must be recognized) both speaker and questioner’s speaking times are counted.
How long does the first negative speaker get for his speech
3 minutes speech with a 2 minutes questioning afterwards
How long do speeches last
Max of 3 mins with 10 seconds grace
How does the neg/aff alternate
Alternates continuously(n, a, n, a, n)
How long do subsequent questioning for speeches get
One minute
What is a Presiding Officer
The PO is the person that runs the meeting and chooses who speaks and moves. It is modeled of the speaker of the house in Congress.
How does parliamentary procedure tell POs to recognize speakers.
Based on Precedence, and Recency
What is precedence
In almost all speech and debate leagues the PO is required to pick the speaker that hasn’t spoken or has spoken the least.
Recency
Recency is everything in Precedence but the PO also selects people who haven’t talked recently.
What is the Objective of Congress Debate
To win! Win by speaking well, asking good questions, following parliamentary procedure, argumentation, research and analysis of issues, and clarity of delivery. At the end of the debate, the judges rank the legislators based on these qualities.
Wat is parliamentary procedure
Set of rules dictating how debaters should act and how a round is structured.
What is the Motion that modifies freedom of debate
Motion to limit debate
Or
Motion to extend debate
What motion forces an immediate vote
Motion to previous question
Motion To correct a parliamentary error or ask a question to PO
Motion to rise to a point of order
Or
Motion to rise to parliamentary procedure
Motion To make a personal request during debate
Rise to a question of privilege
Motion To dismiss the meeting for a specific length of time
Motion to recess
Motion to dismiss the meeting
Motion to adjourn
Docket
A complete packet of legislation distributed by a tournament.
Agenda
Floor
Amendment
The order of legislation as suggested by a committee or member, and voted on by the assembly (sometimes called the calendar).
Floor
When a member has the full attention of the assembly to speak (also refers to the area where the assembly meets, where its members speak, and where it conducts its business).
Committee
A small group of members who meet and bring recommendations to the full assembly.
