How to organize a debate

Discussions are popular events, because the conflict is visceral. A speaker can be boring, but the speakers can not even afford to be boring in a debate. The stakes are high.

See some discussion in front of a greeting. News and organizations like the League of Women Voters, local calls, such as universities and community colleges organize. Take time to visit one or two of them to get an idea of how they work.

There are various types of discussion, each with a different format. Most people are familiar with them, to see the presidential debates, where the format run.

1) means

The basic rules are negotiated in advance between the two parties - or whoever is organizing the event decides the rules and that's it.

Generally, each party makes a statement with a period.

The moderator asks a question of a speaker that has a certain amount of time to respond. Then the other person is a refutation. Some hosts allow good return to continue. Other formats are strict: to answer just 90 seconds for 90 seconds refutation, next question.

In some versions of this format are the questions proposed to the public in advance and the moderator research paper sheets to select the best of them. Other formats have thought the moderator questions and follow-up questions.

2) the discussion of the Town Hall

The moderator takes a microphone and goes by the public, rental, citizens can ask questions, to live, directly to the debaters.

This allows the participating public and can ask interesting questions. It is also predictable. You never know what issues come.

3) Lincoln-Douglas

It is an open discussion style. Usually there are time limits, but is essentially two people on stage to each other to discuss.

The problem is normally decided before. In the presidential debates, it is normal to see a debate on domestic policy and foreign policy.

Many speakers in high school and college have this format is used, and it's a good formula. These are the typical times for the debate Lincoln-Douglas competition, which will take about 40-45 minutes.

• Speaker A: The Theme - 6 minutes
• Speaker B: The anti-A test speakers - 3 minutes
• Speaker B: First Response - 7 minutes
• Speaker A: Cross-checking Speaker B - 3 minutes
• Speaker A: First reaction - 4 minutes
• Speaker B: definitive refutation
• Speaker A: Final refutation