All About Motions and Cases

What topics to anticipate when debating ? Types of Motions ? Preparing for a debate always entails preparation on different topics that may be debated upon. It is a good exercise for debaters to always read newspapers where current issues around the globe are discussed.

Motions debated in international and local debate competitions are rooted on issues and topics that currently controversial and debated upon. These topics may relate to a policy that is to be implemented by a certain country or a situation that is viewed differently in the international community. These topics are socially relevant to all whether directly or indirectly.

These topics when debated upon are worded in the form of a motion. Motions are worded in different forms. The following are the types of motions:

1. Positive motion- this motion is worded in a manner that a positive act must be done, or that a certain situation must be assessed as true.

examples:

a. This House believes that we should trade with Myanmar. b. This House believes that democracy in Iraq succeeds.

2. Negative motion- a motion proposing that something must not be done, or that which describes the situation negatively or as false.

examples:

a. This will not negotiate with the terrorist b. THBT that Islam has had a bad press.

3. Abstract motion- a motion wherein the subject is not apparent in its meaning.

example:

a. THTB we should plant cabbages rather than roses.

4. Direct motion- the motion is worded wherein the subject and issue is clear.

example:

a. THBT EU should sanction Russia for using energy as a tool for blackmail.

5. Value judgment- a motion wherein a certain situation, person, or place is assessed. It calls for the measuring of a certain act whether it is good or bad. True or false.

example:

a. THBT conditional economic aid is futile.

6. Policy motion- a motion which poses that something must be done or undone. That should be supported or not. It calls for an action.

example:

a. This House would use racial profiling in the war against terror.

7. Local motion- a motion that concerns only issues of national interest.

example:

a. That people power is nothing but the revolution of the rich.

8. International motion- a motion which is a global concern.

example:

a. That globalization defeats its own purpose.

9. Subjective motions- political, civil society, human rights, powers of the state, international diplomacy, religion, science and technology, economics, international policies, environment, etc.

examples:

a. This would prosecute extra-judicial killings. b. That Vatican upholds religious conquest and not religious conversion. c. That spy satellite is the way to go. d. TH prefers bilateral to multilateral trade. e. ASEAN should adopt EU policy. f. This house would grant amnesty to war crimes offenders.

These motions are all around us. Topics in a debate can easily be anticipated if you keep yourself abreast of current events and by thorough analysis and research of different issues that are Internationally, and socially relevant. What is the case or Motion ? This is the word you will hear thrown around most often in debating. A case is the motion that the government team has put forward for debate. The case will define the topic of debate, it's place and time and the actors involved. The government has a responsibility to define all of these things (known as 'defining the debate') as clearly as possible. A case can be a moral judgment or a detailed plan, or somewhere in between. An example of a moral judgment or 'principled' case is: Be it resolved that (BIRT) this House believes that pre-emptive war is wrong. An example of a plan or 'model' case is: BIRT the United States should ratify the Kyoto Protocol. You can see that the plan case calls for a specific course of action, whereas the principled case merely takes an ethical stance on one side or another of a particular issue. Both types of cases are equally valid.

Open and Closed Motions

As a matter of formal parliamentary procedure, there must always be an 'official' motion before the house. At a tournament, the tournament director (TD) will give the debaters the motion for each round of debate. These motions can be open or closed. This will be announced before the debate begins. Most tournaments will use only one or the other type of motion, although some tournaments will mix and match. A closed motion (also known as a 'straight' or 'tight-link' motion) is one where the government team must use the motion given as the basis for it's case. Sometimes the motion will be very narrow, and the government team will have nothing to do but come up with arguments. For example: BIRT Canada should completely ban the sale and manufacture and consumption of cigarettes. There is no margin for maneuver here at all. However, other times the motion will be less strictly defined, and the government team will have some latitude as to how it interprets it. For example: BIRT The world should intervene in the Sudan. Here, the government team will have to explain what it means by 'world' and 'intervene'. Does 'world' mean the UN, or Nato, or the African Union, or the EU? Does 'intervene' mean invasion, diplomatic sanctions, economic sanctions, etc. An open motion (also known as a 'squirrellable' motion) is one where the TD is merely respecting the formalities of parliamentary debate, but intends to leave it up entirely to the government team what the debate shall be about. They are usually silly, or will follow some theme for the tournament. For example: This House would dance with the devil by the pale moonlight. With an open motion, the government team is expected to provide its own case for debate. These cases will usually be prepared beforehand.