Policy debate case outline: first affirmative constructive

The cards

1. 1

   Case at a glance

   • Resolution: [___]
   • Our plan in one line: [___]
   • Advantage 1: [___]
   • Advantage 2: [___]

   The first affirmative constructive is usually pre-written. Practise it until delivery is smooth.

2. 2

   Inherency

   Why the problem exists now and will continue without the plan:

   • Current policy: [what the status quo does]
   • Barrier: [law, funding gap, attitude, structure]
   • Evidence: [author, date, source]
3. 3

   Harms

   • Who is affected: [___]
   • What the harm is: [___]
   • How serious and how widespread: [evidence you have checked]

   Harms must be linked to the inherent barrier, not just a general problem.

4. 4

   Plan text

   "The [actor, e.g. a government body] should [action] [scope] [funding / enforcement]."

   Read the exact plan text slowly and clearly. Every word may be tested by the negative.

5. 5

   Solvency

   • How the plan solves the harm: [mechanism]
   • Evidence it works: [study, pilot, comparable case]
   • Why it overcomes the inherent barrier: [___]
6. 6

   Advantage 1

   • Uniqueness: [it is not happening now]
   • Link: [the plan causes this]
   • Internal link: [which leads to this]
   • Impact: [why it matters]
7. 7

   Advantage 2

   • Uniqueness: [___]
   • Link: [___]
   • Internal link: [___]
   • Impact: [___]

   Close the 1AC: "For these reasons, we affirm."

8. 8

   Topicality check

   • Key words in the resolution: [___]
   • How our plan meets each word: [___]
   • Definitions we can read if challenged: [source]
9. 9

   Evidence card format

   Keep every piece of evidence in the same shape:

   • Tag: the claim in your words, one line
   • Cite: author, qualifications, publication, date
   • Text: the exact passage, with the part you read highlighted

   Never cut a passage so it says something the author did not mean.

10. 10

    2AC planning

    The second affirmative constructive answers the negative's first speech. Prepare blocks:

    • Answers to topicality: [we meet / counter-definition / reasons to prefer]
    • Answers to disadvantages: [no link / no impact / case outweighs]
    • Answers to counterplans: [permutation / solvency deficit]
11. 11

    Likely negative arguments

    • Disadvantage: [___] → our answer: [___]
    • Counterplan: [___] → our answer: [___]
    • Solvency attack: [___] → our answer: [___]

    Prepare frontlines (pre-written answers) for each.