Introduction to Debating
Debate (n.) [2] Contention in argument; dispute, controversy; discussion: esp. the discussion of questions of public interest in Parliament or in any Assembly. (OED)
Debating (vbl. sb.) [b] attrib., as in debating society, a society whose members meet for practice in debating.
Everyone has engaged in debating at some point, from childish squabbles to barroom discussions of philosophical import. Debating societies are merely the arbitrary extension of this, where topics are considered at scheduled times instead of arising naturally out of conversation.
Debates have been a feature of democracy from Athens onwards. Government and opposition parties debate policies, appeal to an undecided electorate to support them, and put their proposals to the vote. Persuasive speaking has therefore always had a real significance in political history, as many great orators have won support for their legislation through the success of their speeches.
The British Parliament has given birth to two forms of recreational debating in the country today. Show debating is practised in school debating societies and university unions, where students and/or invited guest speakers put forward two sides of a controversial topics to win the votes of the audience. Competitive debating is the practice of debating in its purest form: tournaments consisting of several debates on set topics in front of panels of trained adjudicators, who evaluate the most persuasive speakers according to set criteria.
"Parliamentary" debate loosely describes the format of debate practiced in the UK, Ireland, Canada, parts of the USA, Australasia, Asia and many other countries, where debaters are judged as if they were persuading an audience of laypeople. This stands in contrast to the "policy" debating of USA which relies on much greater levels of research and analysis.
"British Parliamentary" is a specific format, used in the UK and at the World Universities Debating Championships -- sometimes referred to as "down-the-table" debating. It involves two sides, a Proposition and Opposition (or Government and Opposition), and two teams of two people each on each side. The two Proposition teams must agree with each other, as must the two Opposition -- but every team is trying to win the debate by speaking the most persuasively. The two sides sit down a long table, facing each other, taking after the confrontational style of the Houses of Parliament.
A topic for debate is given by the society or tournament organisers in the form of a motion, which like many other features uses the phrasing of the House of Commons: "This House believes that money is the root of all evil" etc. The Proposition argues in agreement with the motion as it is phrased, and the Opposition against. One speaker from the Proposition is given their chance to speak, then one from the Opposition, then another from the Proposition, and so on until everyone has spoken.
A feature of British parliamentary debating is the point of information, which is an interruption by a speaker during the speech of a member of the opposing team. As in the House of Commons, the speaker making the speech has "control of the Floor", and may accept or refuse to allow this interruption.
Content modified from original form with kind permission of English-Speaking Union.
