TopicalityGateway to the Future

Purpose of a Topic

Topicality in Practice

Topicality on the Space Topic

Lecture Overview

- Fair Starting point for the debate- Aff Ground- Neg Ground

Purpose of the topic

Topicality as a Tactic Topicality as a Strategy

Topicality in Practice

Topicality as a Tactic (Time-tradeoff) Disadvantages

◦ Annoys Certain Judges◦ Trades off with other better arguments

Advantages◦ Uses Aff Time◦ Possible 2NR option

Topicality as a Tactic

Advantages◦ Directs aff towards your neg strats◦ Clear research

Disadvantages◦ Telegraph your strategy

Topicality as a Strategy

Interpretation Violation Reasons to Prefer Voting Issues

Structural Overview

Vision of the Topic◦ What should debate look like on this topic?◦ Examples of Cases that meet your interp.

Evidence Based◦ Contextual◦ Non-Arbitrary◦ Not Over-limited

Interpretation

Specifically crafted (for the aff)◦ Based in your evidence

Don’t exclude Mainstream affs◦ Not Over broad

Violation

Focus of Topicality Debate◦ Predictable (w/in the Lit)

- Preparation◦ Education (Topic Specific)

- External Benefit of Debate◦ Ground (Generic and Case Specific)

- Preserves competitive equity

Reasons to Prefer

Why is Topicality a Voting Issue?◦ Jurisdiction

- Cart before the Horse◦ Procedural Burden◦ Competitive Enterprise of Debate

Voting Issues

Most Objective?◦ Fairness

Deters Small Affs◦ Education

Purpose of Debate◦ Evolution of Argument (Truth)

Competing Interpretations

Extra T◦ Whole Plan has to be Topical

FX T◦ What does it mean to be Topical by effects?

- Vacuum Test

Extra T and FX T

We meet Counter-Interpretation Reasons to Prefer Reasonability

A2 Topicality

Purpose of a we meet?◦ Defense to their offense

- IE, the Aff is predictable- Not Just “we meet their interp”

We Meet

Mirrors Interp requirements Vision of the Topic

◦ What should debate look like on this topic?◦ Examples of Cases that meet your interp. (not just

yours) Evidence Based

◦ Contextual◦ Non-Arbitrary◦ Not Under-limited

Counter-Interpretation

Aff Flex

Predictable Literature

Reasons to Prefer

More accurately “Competing Interps Bad”◦ Good is Good Enough

Reasonability

Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its exploration and/or development of space beyond the Earth’s mesosphere.

Key phrases◦ “exploration of space”◦ “development of space”◦ “beyond the Earth’s mesosphere”

Space Topic Topicality

More limited than development◦“Exploration” refers to space activities

toward the Moon, Mars, or NEOs --- this excludes the outer Solar System and beyond and satellites in Earth’s orbit

Exploration of Space

Aff Inclusive definitions◦ SBSP◦ Re-usable Launch Vehicles◦ Communication Satellites

Neg Limits◦ Not Military Affs (Peaceful)

Development of Space

“Beyond” means outside the limits of Collins 9 (Collins English Dictionary Unabridged, “beyond”,

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/beyond)

-- prep 1. at or to a point on the other side of; at or to the further side of: beyond

those hills there is a river 2. outside the limits or scope of: beyond this country's jurisdiction

Mesosphere is 50 miles out WC 11 (Weather Channel – Weather Glossary, “M”,

http://www.weather.com/glossary/m.html)

MESOSPHERE The layer of the atmosphere located between the stratosphere and the

ionosphere, wheretemperatures drop rapidly with increasing height. It extends between 31 and 50 miles (17 to 80 kilometers) above the earth's surface.

Beyond the Earth’s Mesosphere