motions

• Argumentation & Debate in Politics involves skills such as speaking, arguing, listening, synthesizing, and arranging.
• Motions are the topics to be discussed in a debate.
• Motion format: “This House…” determines the course of action that is to be proposed.
• Sample motions include THW legalize prostitution, THBT nuclear energy is the way to go, THS worldwide comprehensive and aggressive sanctions against countries that criminalize homosexuality, THR the rise of social media as being the primary source of news, and THP powerful civil service positions (e.g. Department Secretaries, Constitutional Commission Chairpersons) to be elected as opposed to appointed.
• Types of motions include Open, Semi-closed/semi-open, and Closed.
• Open Motions are very vague motions that are highly open to different interpretations and present no clear issue to discuss, thus, requiring a good and clear definition and contextualization.
• Semi-Closed/Semi-Open Motions are relatively more clear, more specific and present a specific issue and provide a few details of what is to be debated upon.
• Closed Motions are highly specific motions, very clear as to what it wants you to debate on and leave no room for doubt as to what is to be discussed during the debate.
• Types of debates include Solving a problem through a policy/model and Assessment of ideas.
• Solution to a problem through a policy/model debates aim to prove whether the proposed policy/model solves the problem or not and THW motions are usually policy debates.
• Elements of a policy include 4Ws-1H (What, who, when, where, how); What is the safety net? Are there sanctions?
• Sanctions in policy debates can range from imprisonment, sequester business and payment of fees, depending on the gravity of the offense.
• Assessment of ideas debates are not limited to policy and value-judgment debates are not mutually exclusive.
• Examples of value-judgment debates include THR the glorification of PM Justin Trudeau and THBT award giving bodies have no place in art.