While other debate events often assume something like straight-forward cost-benefit analysis, the value-centric nature of LD offers debaters the chance to ask the deeper questions: Why do certain impacts or arguments matter? What does it mean for an action to be “good” or “desirable”? What obligations do individuals, societies, and governments have? And what should individuals, societies, and governments ultimately value? These, and others, are the questions that a framework in LD aims to answer.
At its core, the framework gives you, the debater, the power to communicate to the judge what arguments matter. Framework makes the game of LD work and makes LD its own distinct event.
Throughout this course, students and coaches will learn what the framework in LD is, some common frameworks with which you should be familiar, and conclude with some tips for debating and responding to different frameworks.
Author Bios
Nick Smith is the head debate coach at Apple Valley High School where he is also an assistant speech coach. He is the Director of Instructional Design & Curriculum at Victory Briefs. He was formerly the Director of Debate at Hopkins High School, a coach at St. Thomas Academy & Convent of Visitation, and a debater at Hopkins High School. Nick graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in political science and philosophy.
Lawrence Zhou is the 2014 NSDA national champion in Lincoln-Douglas Debate. He was formerly the Director of Lincoln-Douglas Debate at the Victory Briefs Institute, a Debate League Director at the National High School Debate League of China, an assistant debate coach at The Harker School, and an NDT-CEDA policy debater at the University of Oklahoma. He is currently an assistant coach at Apple Valley High School, the Director of Publishing at the Victory Briefs Institute, and a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Wyoming where he coaches the collegiate policy team and serves as Head Coach of Team Wyoming.