Stock Issues Stock Issues Topicality Significance (Harms) Inherency Solvency Advantages Disadvantages

Topicality: Is the affirmative addressing the topic? The affirmative must only deal with issues found within the resolution.  (see Topicality)

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Significance (Harms): Is the problem severe enough to be worried about? Changing policies cost money, upset people's routines, and cause other problems; therefore, new laws and policies will not be changed unless there is a significant problem.

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Inherency: Can current government policies solve the identified harms? No policy or set of policies is perfect. Some policies take time to work, and other policies need minor changes or fine-tuning before they become effective. The status quo, current policy, must be given a chance. The affirmative must prove that current policy is 1) not addressing the issue, 2) is the wrong approach, or 3) even with minor changes will never solve the problem.

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Solvency: Can the affirmative plan solve the problems or produce the advantages? If the plan is the miracle cure, why hasn't it already been tried? The answer may be that the plan might not work. How is the affirmative's plan flawed? What is wrong with their solution?  (see Solvency)

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Advantages: How will we benefit if the affirmative's plan is enacted? If the affirmative is able to prove that their plan will work, what benefits or advantages will be the result? Will it save or make us money? Will it improve the economy? Lead to world peace? Save lives? What reasons do we have for getting up off of our lazy behinds and doing the work that it will take to implement the plan? Affirmative advantages will be weighed against the costs or disadvantages that will also be encountered by enacting the plan.

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Disadvantages: How much will it cost us if we enact the affirmative's plan? Again, why hasn't this plan been enacted before now? In physics, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. In real life, nothing comes without a cost. You had better read everything in this packet or I'm going to get to say, "I told you so."  (see Disadvantages)

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