How do I write a Public Forum Debate?
Public Forum Debate is very similar to writing a paper for your English class. It will contain an
introduction paragraph, thesis and reasons that support your position. In debate, the process to
writing a speech is very similar to writing a paper in any other class.
It begins by determining what the topic is and getting some background information on the
topic. Throughout this guide, we will use the following topic (resolution):
Resolved: Current immigration laws in the United States should be enforced.
The first step to writing your debate case is to determine what the key points are in the
resolution. This is done by brain storming for the reasons why the resolution is both true and
false. This is best done by making a list for each side of the resolution and placing arguments as
to why it is true and false. It is best to do some light reading on the topic before doing your
brain-storming so you can create as complete of a topic as possible.
Pro Con
- Illegal immigration harms US - Illegal immigration benefits the US
workers economy
- Illegal immigration overburdens - Illegal immigration does not take
public services, like welfare and jobs away from Americans
Medicaid
- Illegal immigrants pose no greater
- Illegal immigration increases the terrorism threat than anyone else
risk of terrorism
- Border enforcement is a waste of money
- Current laws can be enforced
- Guest worker program would be even
more beneficial to current system
Once you have gone through the process of brain storming on the topic, it is best to narrow your
list to the top three or four arguments you believe best upholds your side of the resolution.
MDTA Public Forum Guide Page 12
By DJ Brynteson, Rob Baron and Robyn Madson
Introduction
The next step is to start by writing your introduction and thesis to your speech. Your
introduction and thesis should each be one paragraph in length. Your introduction should
include the side of the resolution you are debating along with the resolution. Your introduction
might include a quote from an author on the topic.
Sample: Pro Introduction
“Working and middleclass Americans know that illegal immigrants do not "live
in the shadows," as political mythology would have it, but more aptly they
occupy a parallel universe: one that sees them compete for American jobs,
access benefits for Americans and yet send their hard-earned money out of the
country to Mexico, propping up a hopelessly corrupt government.” Because I
agree with Mark Cromer and his research that illegal immigration has and will
continue to have a negative influence on the United States, its people and
economy I stand in support of today’s resolution. Resolved: Current
immigration laws in the United States should be enforced.
In the above example, you can see that our introduction introduces the problems that currently
exist in regards to the resolution and provides the judge with a summary of the position the pro
will argue in the debate round. The example above uses a quote (evidence) from a writer on the
topic to help introduce the topic area. A quote is not always necessary when writing your
introduction.
Sample: Pro Introduction #2
In the United States today, the government has taken a wait and see approach
to enforcing the laws passed years ago on immigration and illegal immigration.
Because the problems associated with illegal immigration has reached new
heights in this country and our current system can no longer absorb the influx of
illegal immigration, I stand in favor of the resolution. Resolved: Current
immigration laws in the United States should be enforced.
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By DJ Brynteson, Rob Baron and Robyn Madson
Thesis
The purpose of a thesis is to summarize the three or four main arguments that your team will be
introducing to the debate. The thesis provides the judge with guide (road map) to
understanding your speech. The thesis is important as it allows the judge to understand how
each of the arguments work together.
Sample: Pro Thesis
In today’s round, we will argue that because of increasing threats to both the
security and economy of the United States, current immigration policies should
be enforced. Currently, the United States has a policy in place that defines who
should be allowed entrance into our country through both legal and illegal
means. It our position that currently we are not enforcing those laws
adequately for our country’s safety. We will argue that there are three reasons
why our current immigration laws should be enforced. First, the threat of
terrorism is still very real today and the United States should not become lax in
its security measures. Second, that illegal immigration has a negative influence
on our country’s economy. And lastly, that our current immigration laws are
sufficient to protect our country, if enforced.
As seen above, the thesis details the position of the speech and gives the judge a road map to
the arguments that will be made.
Arguments/Contentions
In writing your arguments (often called contentions); debaters will often use a modal to their
argumentation. In this model, an argument will begin with a claim: the statement of the
argument you are making. The claim is simply of the reasons that were found during the brain-
storming process.
Sample: Claim
Contention I: The threat of terrorism demands enforcement of current
immigration laws.
The claim has no reason why the statement is true, simply that it is. The warrant is the answer
to the question, why is your claim true? Claims always need a warrant to why the statement is
that of fact. When you support a claim with a warrant, you are telling the judge the reasons
why your argument is based on more than just opinion. Warrants are often found during
research of a topic and will be a quote or position explaining why a claim is true.
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By DJ Brynteson, Rob Baron and Robyn Madson
Sample: Warrant
When illegal immigrations are allowed to live within the country unchecked, it
creates a risk to everyone. As Mark Krikorian, Executive Director at the Center
of Immigration Studies wrote in The National Interest (Spring 2004, Page 77),
“Unfortunately, enforcement of the prohibition against hiring illegal aliens,
passed in 1986, has all but stopped. This might seem to be of little importance
to security, but in fact holding a job can be important to terrorists for a number
of reasons. By giving them a means of support, it helps them blend into society.
Neighbors might well become suspicious of young men who do not work but
seem able to pay their bills. Moreover, supporting themselves by working would
enable terrorists to avoid the scrutiny that might attend the transfer of money
from abroad.”
The warrant is often a quote (evidence) that supports the claim. Here, we see that our research
found a quote supporting the idea that illegal immigrations can influence the security of our
nation by allowing illegal immigrants to gain access to the system.
Finally, you need to impact your argument or explain why the argument is important in the
debate round. Your impact will usually relate back to the thesis of your speech.
Sample: Impact
When terrorists are allowed to freely enter into our country through unchecked
borders and un-enforced immigration laws, it allows terrorists to blend into
society. This process of blending which is nature for all immigrants is why
measures must be taken to ensure only legal and checked immigrants are
allowed to settle within the borders of the country. As Krikorian explains,
terrorists often use this ability to blend into society as a mechanism for
preparing attacks against a nation.
Each argument you make would follow this similar process until you have completed your
speech. Each speech should last four (4) minutes in length when read aloud. Once you have
written your pro speech, a con speech of similar style and length would be written next.
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By DJ Brynteson, Rob Baron and Robyn Madson
Public Forum Debate Example
In the United States today, the government has taken a wait and see approach to enforcing the
laws passed years ago on immigration and illegal immigration. Because the problems associated
with illegal immigration has reached new heights in this country and our current system can no
longer absorb the influx of illegal immigration, I stand in favor of the resolution. Resolved:
Current immigration laws in the United States should be enforced.
In today’s round, we will argue that because of increasing threats to both the security and
economy of the United States, current immigration policies should be enforced. Currently, the
United States has a policy in place that defines who should be allowed entrance into our country
through both legal and illegal means. It our position that currently we are not enforcing those
laws adequately for our country’s safety. We will argue that there are three reasons why our
current immigration laws should be enforced. First, the threat of terrorism is still very real today
and the United States should not become lax in its security measures. Second, that illegal
immigration has a negative influence on our country’s economy. And lastly, that our current
immigration laws are sufficient to protect our country, if enforced.
Contention I: The threat of terrorism demands enforcement of current immigration laws.
When illegal immigrations are allowed to live within the country unchecked, it creates a risk to
everyone. As Mark Krikorian, Executive Director at the Center of Immigration Studies wrote in
The National Interest (Spring 2004, Page 77), “Unfortunately, enforcement of the prohibition
against hiring illegal aliens, passed in 1986, has all but stopped. This might seem to be of little
importance to security, but in fact holding a job can be important to terrorists for a number of
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By DJ Brynteson, Rob Baron and Robyn Madson
reasons. By giving them a means of support, it helps them blend into society. Neighbors might
well become suspicious of young men who do not work but seem able to pay their bills.
Moreover, supporting themselves by working would enable terrorists to avoid the scrutiny that
might attend the transfer of money from abroad.”
When terrorists are allowed to freely enter into our country through unchecked borders and un-
enforced immigration laws, it allows terrorists to blend into society. This process of blending
which is nature for all immigrants is why measures must be taken to ensure only legal and
checked immigrants are allowed to settle within the borders of the country. As Krikorian
explains, terrorists often use this ability to blend into society as a mechanism for preparing
attacks against a nation.
Contention II: Illegal immigration threatens the stability of the United States economy.
Illegal immigration causes a ripple effect with workers in the United States and exacerbates the
wages of low income and middle income families. In any economic system, there are always
varying degrees of economic wealth. However, it is important that the gap between lower and
middle class is kept small. When low income jobs diminish or wages decrease it causes
increased pressures on the social services within the country to help offset those lower incomes.
Gene Spearling in Fortune Magazine writes about the wage disparity that exists because of
illegal immigration. “… the degree to which significant increases in immigration can depress
wages and even cost jobs of low-skilled U.S. workers. Harvard's George Borjas and Larry Katz
have found that between 1980 and 2000, predominantly low-wage immigration from Mexico
depressed the wages of U.S. high school dropouts by 7.7% compared with those of their college-
educated peers.”
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By DJ Brynteson, Rob Baron and Robyn Madson
When jobs are allowed to depress wages because of illegal immigration, it causes individuals
who would normally fill low-income jobs to rely on social services to make up the difference in
lost wages. This idea, called pay gapping, causes a drain on services that would normally be
reserved to the neediest.
Contention III: Current laws provide effective means to reverse the problems with illegal
immigration.
Although not currently enforced, our existing set of laws in the United States is more than
sufficient to prevent the problems as detailed above. However, the first step to this solution is
to start immediately enforcing current laws which include protecting our borders from
unauthorized access. And this enforcement doesn’t need to be to round up every illegial
immigrant and throw them out in some sort of draconian witch hunt, but rather simply
enforcing border laws that exist now would reduce the illegal immigration population.
According to US Newswire, May 5 of 2006. “The Center for Immigration Studies finds that,
according to the government's own cost estimates, an attrition strategy could cut the illegal
population by nearly half in five years, with an additional investment of less than $2 billion, or
$400 million per year - an increase of less than 1 percent of the President's 2007 budget request
for the Department of Homeland Security.”
Allowing the government to simply enforce the already existing policies that exist in the United
States, substantial gains could be made in decreasing the threats posed by today’s immigration
crisis. For all of these reasons, we stand in support of today’s resolution.
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By DJ Brynteson, Rob Baron and Robyn Madson
Cross-Fire & Grand Cross Fire
Cross-fire serves three important purposes in the debate. It gives one side the chance
to clarify the arguments and evidence presented by the other. Secondly, it is an
opportunity to demonstrate flaws in the opponent’s arguments. Thirdly, cross-fire is the
time when the audience and judge have a chance to see the debaters interact with each
other. In other words, cross-fire is a chance to gain the judge’s favor.
Cross-fire in Public-Forum debate is much like cross-examination in other types of the
debate with the notable exception that both sides are allowed to ask (and respond) to
questions during the same time period. A student who is good at cross-fire must
balance the time between asking and responding to questions. A student who
dominates the exchange by asking all of the questions or one that never asks a question
can be unpersuasive in the judge’s view.
In cross-fire, both participants face the judge rather than each other. This is because
the questions are intended for the audience. The keys to an effective cross-fire are
good questions and a professional demeanor. Specifically:
1. Ask specific questions that get to the heart of the issue.
2. Be polite, professional, and respectful during the cross-fire.
3. Never personalize the cross-fire —the focus should always be on issues.
One of the best ways to improve your performance is to improve your topic knowledge.
The more you know about the topic, the easier you will find it to ask insightful questions
and provide effective answers in cross-fire.
The grand cross-fire is where all four students are able to participate in the process at
the same time. During the grand cross-fire students typically sit at their desks. Desks
should face the judge and could be angled slightly so you can easily address your
opponents. It is important that during the grand cross-fire that you do not talk (or yell)
over your partner or opponents questions. Stay calm and collected and make sure that
both sides are an equal chance to participate.
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By DJ Brynteson, Rob Baron and Robyn Madson
Final Focus
The final focus of the debate should be used to synthesize various arguments into a one
or two critical points for the judge to consider. One might introduce their final speech
with a statement like “in light of the arguments made in today’s debate, we have upheld
the resolution because…” This summary statement is difficult for several reasons. First,
because of the general nature of the closing argument, the speaker must focus on the
“big picture” and less on specific details. Second, the speaker must extend his/her best
arguments while answering his/her opponent’s best arguments. This requires a careful
balance. Of course, each round of debate will lead to unique summary statements.
However, here are some general tips for making successful summary statements.
1) Ask yourself, what are our most powerful arguments? After selecting your most
powerful arguments you must explain why you have won these arguments and why
this means you have won the debate. In other words, explain the impact of your
best arguments.
2) Ask yourself, “what are the weaknesses in my opponent’s best arguments?” Explain
these weaknesses to the judge.
3) The summary must be an extension of the debate. It should show what your team
has accomplished during the debate. It should not be new ideas or perspectives that
haven’t been brought up.
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By DJ Brynteson, Rob Baron and Robyn Madson
