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{{Short description|Formal conversation, often between opposing viewpoints, on a topic}}
{{other uses}}
{{redirect|Debater|the artificial intelligence project|Project Debater}}

[[File:Petrus alphonsi dialogues.jpg|right|upright|thumb|13th-century illustration of a Jew and a Christian debating in a work by the Jewish convert [[Petrus Alphonsi]]]]
'''Debate''' is a process that involves formal [[discourse]], discussion, and oral addresses on a particular topic or collection of topics, often with a [[Discussion moderator|moderator]] and an audience. In a debate, [[argument]]s are put forward for opposing viewpoints. Historically, debates have occurred in public meetings, academic institutions, debate halls, [[English coffeehouses in the 17th and 18th centuries|coffeehouses]], [[competitions]], and [[Deliberative assembly|legislative assemblies]].<ref>''The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary'', 4th ed., 1993 p. 603.</ref> Debates have also been conducted for educational and recreational purposes,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Rodger |first1=D |last2=Stewart-Lord |first2=A |title=Students' perceptions of debating as a learning strategy: A qualitative study |journal=Nurse Education in Practice |date=2019 |volume=42 |page=102681 |doi=10.1016/j.nepr.2019.102681 |pmid=31805450 |doi-access=free }}</ref> usually associated with educational establishments and debating societies.<ref name=CAF>{{cite web|last1=Al-Mahrooqi & Tabakow|first1=R. & M.|title=Effectiveness of Debate in ESL/EFL-Context Courses in the Arabian Gulf: A Comparison of Two Recent Student-Centered Studies in Oman and in Dubai, U.A.E.|url=http://www.21caf.org/uploads/1/3/5/2/13527682/33_hrd-730-tabakow_ed2_fmt_logo.pdf|website=21caf.org|publisher=21st Century Academic Forum|access-date=22 October 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304142004/http://www.21caf.org/uploads/1/3/5/2/13527682/33_hrd-730-tabakow_ed2_fmt_logo.pdf|archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref> These debates emphasize logical consistency, factual accuracy, and emotional appeal to an audience.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Clark |first=Alex |date=2016-08-06 |title=Why debating still matters |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/aug/06/why-debating-still-matters |access-date=2023-03-21 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Lindemann |first=Erika |title=The Debating Societies: Electronic Edition. |url=https://docsouth.unc.edu/true/chapter/chp05-02/chp05-02.html#gsc.tab=0 |access-date=2023-03-21 |website=docsouth.unc.edu}}</ref> Modern competitive debate also includes rules for participants to discuss and decide upon the framework of the debate (how it will be judged).<ref name=":4" />

The term "debate" may also apply to a more continuous, inclusive, and less formalized process through which issues are explored and resolved across a range of agencies and among the [[general public]]. For example, the [[European Commission]] in 2021 published a ''Green Paper on Ageing'', intended to generate such a debate on "policies to address the challenges and opportunities of [[ageing]]" in upcoming years.<ref>European Commission, [https://commission.europa.eu/system/files/2021-06/green_paper_ageing_2021_en.pdf Green Paper on Ageing], COM (2021) 50 final, adopted on 27 January 2021, accessed 9 May 2024</ref> [[Pope Francis]] has also referred to the "need for forthright and honest debate" on society and the environment in his 2015 [[encyclical letter]] ''[[Laudato si']]''.<ref>Pope Francis, [https://www.vatican.va/content/dam/francesco/pdf/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si_en.pdf Laudato si'], paragraph 16, published 24 May 2015, accessed 9 May 2024</ref>

== History ==
[[File:Mughal43.jpg|thumb|upright|''A Debate among Scholars'', [[Razmnama]] illustration]]
Debating in various forms has a long history that can be traced back to the [[philosophical]] and political debates of [[Ancient Greece]], such as [[Athenian Democracy]] or the [[Shastrartha]] in [[Debates in ancient India|Ancient India]].

In Imperial [[China]]'s [[Han dynasty|Han Dynasty]], debate amongst scholars was most famously portrayed in a series of debates known as the [[Discourses on Salt and Iron]], held in 81 BCE. Named by [[Emperor Zhao of Han|Emperor Zhao]] for its two most famous debates, those debates focused on the reformation of the economic policies implemented by Zhao's predecessor, [[Emperor Wu of Han|Emperor Wu]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=De Bary |first=Wm. Theodore |url=http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/ps/cup/debate_salt_iron.pdf |title=Sources of Chinese tradition |date=1999 |publisher=Columbia University Press |others=Irene Bloom, Wing-Tsit Chan, Joseph Adler, Richard John Lufrano |isbn=0-231-10938-5 |edition=2nd |location=New York |oclc=39217011}}</ref>

Modern forms of debating and the establishment of debating societies in the Western world occurred during the [[Age of Enlightenment]] in the 18th century.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Kingdom of Politesse: Salons and the Republic of Letters in Eighteenth-Century Paris |url=https://arcade.stanford.edu/rofl/kingdom-politesse-salons-and-republic-letters-eighteenth-century-paris |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230321012352/https://arcade.stanford.edu/rofl/kingdom-politesse-salons-and-republic-letters-eighteenth-century-paris |archive-date=2023-03-21 |access-date=2023-03-21 |website=ARCADE |language=en}}</ref>

=== Emergence of debating societies ===
[[File:IsaacCruikshank-DebatingSoc.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|''Debate Tonight: Whether a man's wig should be dressed with honey or mustard!'', a 1795 cartoon satirizing the content of debates]]
[[Trinity College Dublin]] boasts two of Europe's oldest debating societies: [[The Hist]] in 1770, inspired by a debating club created by [[Edmund Burke]] in 1747, and [[The Phil]], founded in 1683. The [[Cogers|Society of Cogers]] was founded in London in 1755 and still operates today. [[London Debating Societies|Debating societies]] had emerged in [[London]] in the early 18th century, and soon became a prominent societal fixture of life in London.<ref name="Mary Thale 1999">Mary Thale, "The Case of the British Inquisition: Money and Women in Mid-Eighteenth-Century London Debating Societies", ''Albion'' 31, no. 1 (Spring 1999).</ref> Although debating societies had existed in London since at least 1740, they were exclusive and secretive societies. However, by the mid-18th century, London fostered a vibrant debating society culture, largely due to increased membership from London's growing middle class.<ref name="Mary Thale 1999"/> The topics debated covered a broad spectrum, and debating societies allowed participants from all genders and social backgrounds, making them an example of the enlarged [[public sphere]] of the [[Age of Enlightenment]].<ref>Mary Thale, "London Debating Societies in the 1790s", ''The Historical Journal'' 32, no. 1 (March 1989): 58–59.</ref> Debating societies were a phenomenon associated with the simultaneous rise of the [[public sphere]].<ref>James Van Horn Melton, ''The Rise of the Public in Enlightenment Europe'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001).</ref> A sphere of discussion, separate from traditional authorities and accessible to all people, acted as a platform for criticism and the development of new ideas and philosophy.<ref>Thomas Munck, ''The Enlightenment: A Comparative Social History 1721–1794'' (New York: Oxford University Press, 2000).{{ISBN?}}</ref>

[[John Henley (clergyman)|John Henley]], a clergyman,<ref>Donna T. Andrew, "Popular Culture and Public Debate" in ''The Historical Journal'', Vol. 39, Issue 02 (Cambridge University Press, June 1996), p. 406.</ref> founded an Oratory in 1726 with the principal aim of "reforming the manner in which public presentations should be performed".<ref name=goring>Goring, P. (2005), ''The Rhetoric of Sensibility in Eighteenth-Century Culture''</ref>{{rp|63}} He extensively utilized the print industry to advertise the events of his Oratory, establishing it as a ubiquitous part of the London public sphere. Henley also played a crucial role in shaping the space of the debating club; he introduced two platforms to his room in the [[District of Newport|Newport district]] of London for the staging of debates and organized the entrances to facilitate the collection of admission fees. These modifications were further carried out when Henley relocated his enterprise to [[Lincoln's Inn Fields]]. With the public now willing to pay for entertainment, Henley capitalized on the growing [[commercialization]] of British society.<ref name=goring />{{rp|65–66}} By the 1770s, debating societies had become a firmly established part of London society.<ref name="ReferenceA">Andrew, "Popular Culture and Public Debate", 409.</ref>

The year 1785 was pivotal: The ''[[Morning Chronicle]]'' announced on March 26:<ref>Andrew, ''London Debating Societies,'' 82.</ref>

{{blockquote|The Rage for public debate now shows itself in all quarters of the metropolis. Exclusive of the oratorical assemblies at Carlisle House, Freemasons Hall, the Forum, Spring Gardens, the Casino, the Mitre Tavern, and other polite places of debating ''rendezvous'', we hear that new Schools of Eloquence are preparing to be opened in St. Giles, Clare-Market, Hockley in the Hole, Whitechapel, Rag-Fair, Duke's Place, Billingsgate, and the Back of the Borough.}}

[[File:Married-state-ca1780.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|left|Many subjects were debated in the [[London Debating Societies]] of the 18th century. This is a cover to a [[panegyric]] on marriage and family life, {{Circa|1780}}.]]

In 1780, 35 distinct societies advertised and hosted debates accommodating between 650 and 1200 individuals.<ref>Andrew, Introduction to ''London Debating Societies,'' ix; Thale, "London Debating Societies in the 1790s", 59; Munck, ''The Enlightenment,'' 72.</ref> The topic for debate was introduced by a president or moderator, who then moderated the discussion. Speakers were allotted specific time frames to present their arguments, and, following the debate, a vote was conducted to reach a conclusion or to adjourn the topic for further deliberation.<ref>Thale, "London Debating Societies in the 1790s", 60.</ref> Speakers were prohibited from slandering or insulting other speakers or straying from the designated topic, underscoring the premium placed on politeness by late 18th-century debaters.<ref name="ReferenceA" />

=== Student debating societies ===
{{Main|College literary societies|List of college literary societies}}
[[Princeton University]] in the [[Thirteen Colonies|future United States of America]] was home to several short-lived student debating societies throughout the mid-1700s. The [[American Whig-Cliosophic Society|American Whig Society]] at the university was co-founded in 1765 by future revolutionary [[James Madison]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The American Whig-Cliosophic Society |url=https://whigclio.princeton.edu/ |access-date=2024-01-26 |website=The American Whig-Cliosophic Society |language=en-US}}</ref>

The [[Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies]] were formed at the [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]] in 1795 and are still active. They are considered the first of the post-revolutionary debating societies.{{citation needed|date=May 2021}}

[[File:A debate at the Union Club - c1887.JPG|thumb|A debate at the [[Cambridge Union Society]] ({{Circa|1887}})|right]]

The first student debating society in Great Britain was the [[University of St Andrews Union Debating Society|St Andrews Debating Society]], formed in 1794 as the ''Literary Society''. The [[Cambridge Union Society]] was founded in 1815 and claims to be the oldest continually operating debating society in the World.<ref>[http://www.cus.org/about/history-union History of the Union | The Cambridge Union Society] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224120439/http://www.cus.org/about/history-union |date=2013-12-24 }}. Cus.org. Retrieved on 2013-07-15.</ref>

Over the next few decades, similar debate societies emerged at several other prominent universities, including the [[Oxford Union]], the [[Durham Union]], the [[Yale Political Union]], and the [[Conférence Olivaint]].
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== Political debate ==
{{Rhetoric}}

=== Parliamentary debate ===
In [[parliament]]s and other [[legislature]]s, members debate proposals regarding [[legislation]] before voting on resolutions, which become [[law]]s. Debates are usually conducted by proposing a law, or changes to a law known as [[amendment]]s. Parliamentary-style debates are structured with two opposing sides, the [[Leader of the Opposition|Leader of Opposition]] (LO) and the Government (GOV).<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|title=PHSSL Guide to Parliamentary Debate|url=https://www.phssl.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/ParliamentaryDebateGuide-20201229.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=20 October 2021|website=PHSSL|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121035616/https://www.phssl.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/ParliamentaryDebateGuide-20201229.pdf |archive-date=2021-01-21 }}</ref> After each side is allowed to speak once, members are permitted to give reply speeches to the opposing side's points. Afterward, members of the parliament discuss the proposal before casting their votes for or against such a law.<ref name=":3" /> The first example of parliamentary debate took place in [[Liverpool]] in 1882.<ref>{{ISSN|1576-4184}}, p. 27</ref>

Although [[United Kingdom|Britain]] invented the system of parliamentary debate, it is not the only modern country to use a parliamentary system. Countries today that use a parliamentary system and parliamentary debate include [[Canada]], [[Italy]], [[Japan]], [[Latvia]], the [[Netherlands]], and [[New Zealand]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-08-04|title=Parliamentary System|url=https://www.annenbergclassroom.org/glossary_term/parliamentary-system/|access-date=2021-10-22|website=Annenberg Classroom|language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Participatory democracy ===
{{See also|Participatory Democracy}}
Participatory Democracy is a form of government in which citizens participate individually and directly in political decisions, which may be achieved through public debate.

In France, the procedure for public debate was defined in the Law of February 2, 1995 relating to the re-enforcement of the protection of the environment (commonly known as the [[Michel Barnier|Barnier]] Law, after the then minister for the environment).<ref name="Loi Barnier">{{Legifrance|base=JORF|number=ENVX9400049L|text=Text of the Barnier Law (''Loi n° 95-101 du 2 février 1995 relative au renforcement de la protection de l'environnement'')}}</ref>

=== Emergency debating ===
In some countries (e.g., Canada<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/marleaumontpetit/DocumentViewer.aspx?Sec=Ch15&Seq=4&Language=E|title=Special Debates – Emergency Debates|website=www.parl.gc.ca|access-date=2017-02-12|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170212163839/http://www.parl.gc.ca/marleaumontpetit/DocumentViewer.aspx?Sec=Ch15&Seq=4&Language=E|archive-date=2017-02-12}}</ref> and the UK<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/business/application-for-emergency-debates/|title=Emergency debates|website=UK Parliament|language=en|access-date=2017-02-12|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161115130409/http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/business/application-for-emergency-debates/|archive-date=2016-11-15}}</ref>), [[Member of parliament|members of parliament]] may request debates on urgent matters of national importance. According to [[Standing orders in the Parliament of the United Kingdom|Standing Order]] rules, an emergency debate may take precedence on Friday, or if the Speaker decides, at the next sitting within normal hours. The Speaker also determines when any other regular business, superseded by the emergency debate, is considered or discarded.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Emergency Debates - Special Debates - House of Commons Procedure and Practice, Third Edition, 2017 - ProceduralInfo - House of Commons of Canada |url=https://www.ourcommons.ca/procedure/procedure-and-practice-3/ch_15_3-e.html |access-date=2023-09-03 |website=www.ourcommons.ca}}</ref>

=== Debate between candidates for high office ===
{{Main|Leaders debate}}
In jurisdictions that [[Election|elect]] holders of high political office, such as the [[President (government title)|President]] or [[Prime Minister]], candidates sometimes debate in public, usually during a [[general election]] campaign.

==== U.S. presidential debates ====
{{Main|United States presidential election debates}}[[File:President Ronald Reagan and Walter Mondale during the presidential debate on foreign policy in Louisville.jpg|thumb|[[Walter Mondale]] (left) and [[Ronald Reagan]] during the [[1984 United States presidential debates]]]]Since the [[U.S. presidential election, 1976|1976 general election]], [[American presidential debate|debates between presidential candidates]] have been a part of U.S. presidential campaigns. Unlike debates sponsored at the high school or collegiate level, the participants and format are not independently defined. Nevertheless, in a campaign season heavily dominated by [[television commercial|television advertisements]], [[talk radio]], [[soundbite|sound bites]], and [[spin (public relations)|spin]], they still offer a rare opportunity for citizens to see and hear the major candidates side by side. The format of the presidential debates, though defined differently in every election, is typically more restrictive than many traditional formats, forbidding participants to ask each other questions and restricting discussion of particular topics to short time frames.

The presidential debates were initially moderated in [[1976 United States presidential debates|1976]], [[1980 United States presidential debates|1980]], and [[1984 United States presidential debates|1984]] by the [[League of Women Voters]], and the [[Commission on Presidential Debates]] (CPD) was established in 1987 by the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] and [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] parties. The presidential debate's primary purpose is to sponsor and produce debates for the United States presidential and vice-presidential candidates in a nonpartisan environment. The organization, which is a nonprofit, nonpartisan corporation, sponsored all of the presidential debates in [[1988 United States presidential debates|1988]], [[1992 United States presidential debates|1992]], [[1996 United States presidential debates|1996]], [[2000 United States presidential debates|2000]], [[2004 United States presidential debates|2004]], [[2008 United States presidential debates|2008]], [[2012 United States presidential debates|2012]], [[2016 United States presidential debates|2016]], and [[2020 United States presidential debates|2020]], 2024

However, in announcing its withdrawal from sponsoring the debates, the League of Women Voters stated that it was withdrawing "because the demands of the two campaign organizations would perpetrate a fraud on the American voter."<ref name="lwvfraud">{{cite web | url= http://www.lwv.org/press-releases/league-refuses-help-perpetrate-fraud | title= League Refuses to "Help Perpetrate a Fraud" | first= Nancy M. | last= Neuman | date= October 2, 1988 | publisher= [[League of Women Voters]] | work= Press release | access-date= 2012-07-26 | url-status= live | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120823044254/http://www.lwv.org/press-releases/league-refuses-help-perpetrate-fraud | archive-date= August 23, 2012 }}</ref> In 2004, the [[Citizens' Debate Commission]] was formed in the hope of establishing an independent sponsor for presidential debates, with a more voter-centric role in the definition of the participants, format, and rules.

== Competitive debating ==
{{anchor|Competitive debate|reason=This is probably a better title for the section, and more likely what people will guess at.}}
<!--'Styles' because, well, it is a list of styles with a lead section.-->
[[File:VIII. Internationales Finale Warschau.JPG|thumb|Finalists in the German-language [[Jugend debattiert international]] debating contest]]
In '''competitive debates''', teams compete against each other and are judged the winner by a list of criteria that is usually based around the concepts of "content, style, and strategy".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cus.org/members/debating/what-debating |title=What Is Debating? |publisher=Cambridge Union Society |access-date=2015-08-20 |quote=Typically, judges decide how persuasive debaters have been through three key criteria: Content: What we say and the arguments and examples we use. Style: How we say it and the language and voice we use. Strategy: How well we engage with the topic, respond to other people's arguments, and structure what we say. |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150814220549/https://cus.org/members/debating/what-debating |archive-date=2015-08-14 }}</ref> There are numerous styles of competitive debating, organizations, and rules, and competitive debates are held across the world at all levels.<ref>{{cite web |date=2010-09-29 |title=Inter-college debate contest |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/Inter-college-debate-contest/articleshow/6646692.cms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106122351/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-09-29/patna/28222218_1_renewable-energy-fight-climate-pwc |archive-date=2012-11-06 |access-date=2011-12-10 |work=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref>

Competitive debating is often most commonly found in [[secondary school]]s and institutions of higher education, [[Competitive debate in the United States|especially in the United States]], where competitive debating is often known as ''forensics'' or ''speech and debate''. Many countries often also hold tournaments in competitive debates between different schools.<ref>{{Cite web |title=National Tournament 2023 |url=https://www.speechanddebate.org/national-tournament-2023/ |access-date=2023-05-03 |website=National Speech & Debate Association |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=FDA |url=http://www.frenchdebatingassociation.fr/ |access-date=2023-05-03 |website=FDA |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Our competitions |url=https://www.schoolsdebate.de/index.php/about-us/our-competitions |access-date=2023-05-03 |website=www.schoolsdebate.de |language=en-gb}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-11-21 |title=2023 – 2017 NSDA China |url=https://asiandebateleague.com/2017-nsda-china-tournaments/ |access-date=2023-05-03 |website=Asian Debate League |language=en-AU}}</ref>

=== Australasia debating ===
{{Main|Australia-Asia debate}}
The Australasian style of debate consists of two teams of three people, debating a topic. The topic is presented in the form of an affirmative statement beginning with "That" or "This House", for example, "That cats are better than dogs", or "This House should raise taxes". Most topics are usually specific to local Australian regions to facilitate participant and audience interest.<ref>Ray D'Cruz, "The Australia-Asia Debating Guide" 2nd edition, (February 2003)</ref>

Each of the six speakers (three affirmative and three negative) speak in succession to each other, beginning with the Affirmative Team. The speaking order is as follows: First Affirmative, First Negative, Second Affirmative, Second Negative, Third Affirmative, and finally Third Negative.<ref name="Speaker Roles">{{cite web |url=http://www.dav.com.au/resources/itd_speaker_roles.php |title=Debaters Association of Victoria – Introduction to debating – Speaker roles |publisher=Debating Association of Victoria |access-date=11 June 2019}}</ref> The debate is finished with a closing argument by the last speaker from each team. "Points of Information" (an interrupting question), more commonly known as "POIs", are used in Australian and New Zealand Secondary School level debating.

The context in which the Australasia style of debate is used varies, but in Australia and New Zealand, it is mostly used at the Primary and Secondary school level.<ref>{{cite web |title=School Debating |url=http://www.dav.com.au/schools/ |website=www.dav.com.au|publisher=Debating Association of Victoria |access-date=11 June 2019}}</ref>

=== European square debating ===
European square debating has a Paris-style inspired format with four teams. France, the United Kingdom, and Germany are always represented, in addition to one other major European nation (for example, Russia). These "Nations" then confront each other in a policy debate on European issues, as parts of two broad coalitions.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fb-connections.org/gallery/201204-square-debate-on-european-energy-supply/ |title=2012/04 Square Debate on European Energy Supply |work=fb-connections.org |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813225923/http://www.fb-connections.org/gallery/201204-square-debate-on-european-energy-supply/ |archive-date=2014-08-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fb-connections.org/gallery/201104-square-debate-on-european-defence/ |title=2011/04 Square Debate on European Defence |work=fb-connections.org |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813231649/http://www.fb-connections.org/gallery/201104-square-debate-on-european-defence/ |archive-date=2014-08-13}}</ref> Each team is composed of two speakers (the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary). The debate starts with the first speaker from France, followed by the first speaker of Germany (the opposite side), followed by the second speaker of France, and the second speaker of Germany. The debate continues with the first speaker of the United Kingdom, followed by the first speaker of Russia, and it goes on with the respective second speakers. Each debater speaks for 5 minutes. The first and the last minutes are protected time: no Points of Information may be asked. During the rest of the speech, the speaker may be interrupted by Points of Information (POIs) from the opposite countries (debaters from France and the UK may ask POIs from debaters representing Germany and Russia, and vice versa, respectively). The format forces each debater to develop a winning strategy while respecting the coalition. This format was commonly developed by the Franco-British Comparative Project<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fb-connections.org/debating/ |title=Comparative Project |work=fb-connections.org |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141020135645/http://www.fb-connections.org/debating/ |archive-date=2014-10-20}}</ref> and Declan McCavanna, Chairman of the FDA <ref name="FDA's Web Page" /> and featured France, the UK, Germany, Russia and Italy.

=== Impromptu debating ===
{{Main|Impromptu debate}}
Impromptu debating is a relatively informal style of debating when compared to other highly structured formats of debate. The topic for the debate is given to the participants between fifteen and twenty minutes before the debate starts. The debate format is relatively simple; each team member of each side speaks for five minutes, alternating sides. A ten-minute discussion period, similar to other formats' "open cross-examination" time follows, and then a five-minute break (comparable to other formats' preparation time). Following the break, each team gives a 4-minute rebuttal.<ref name="speechanddebate.org">{{cite web|url=https://www.speechanddebate.org/competition-events/|title=national-forensic-journal – National Forensic Association|work=speechanddebate.org|access-date=2021-05-26}}</ref>

Impromptu debate is often considered to be more akin to Public Speaking since speeches can be anywhere between stand-up routines, to the reputations of nations, depending on the topic given to the contestants. Contestants will be given a list of abstract topics when the event begins and will create a speech on their chosen topic.<ref name="speechanddebate.org"/>
<!-- Editor's note: This format seems to be an oddball, similar to a comedic debate. If anyone knows more about it, please expand and correct this section! -->

=== Lincoln–Douglas debating ===
{{Main|Lincoln–Douglas debate format}}
{{more citations needed section|date=May 2024}}
Lincoln-Douglas debating is primarily a form of [[United States]] high school debate (though there is a collegiate Lincoln-Douglas debate) and is named after the 1858 [[Lincoln-Douglas debates]]. It is a one-on-one event that applies philosophical theories to real-world issues. The debaters normally alternate sides from round to round as either the "affirmative", which upholds the resolution, or the "negative", which attacks it. The resolution, which changes bimonthly, generally asks whether a certain policy or action conforms to a specific value. National Forensic Association Lincoln-Douglas debate (NFA-LD), the collegiate Lincoln-Douglas debate, uses one resolution per academic year, and is a one-on-one form of policy debate.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-04-10 |title=Competition |url=https://nationalforensicassociation.org/competition/ |access-date=2024-01-06 |website=National Forensic Association |language=en}}</ref>

Though established as an alternative to policy debate, there has been a strong movement to embrace certain techniques that originated in policy debate. Traditional LD debate attempts to be free of policy debate "jargon". Lincoln-Douglas speeches can range in speed from a conversational pace to well over 300 words per minute. This technique of fast-talking is often called [[Spreading (debate)|spreading]] and is also prevalent in policy debates.

=== Mace debating ===
The Mace debating style is prominent in [[United Kingdom|Britain]] and [[Ireland]] at the school level and is composed of two teams of two people, debating a motion, which one team will propose, and the other will oppose.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kings-taunton.co.uk/latest-news-and-events/esu-mace-debate-goes-ahead-via-zoom|title=ESU Mace Debate Goes Ahead Via Zoom|website=King's Hall School|access-date=2021-05-28|archive-date=2021-05-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210518140454/https://www.kings-taunton.co.uk/latest-news-and-events/esu-mace-debate-goes-ahead-via-zoom|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Each speaker will make a seven-minute speech in the order; 1st Proposition, 1st Opposition, 2nd Proposition, 2nd Opposition. After the first minute of each speech, members of the opposing [[team]] may request a '[[Point of information (competitive debate)|point of information]]' (POI). If the speaker accepts, they are permitted to ask a question. POIs are used to attack a speaker on a weak point or to argue against something the speaker said.<ref name="ESU">ESU, "Mace Format", ''English Speaking Union'', no. 1 (2019)</ref> After all four debaters have spoken, the debate will be opened to the [[floor (legislative)|floor]], in which members of the [[audience]] will question the teams. Finally, one speaker from each team will speak for 4 minutes. In these [[:wikt:summary|summary]] speeches, the speaker will answer the questions posed by the floor and opposition, before summarizing their key points. The Mace format of the debate is designed to be beginner-friendly and to prepare students for British [[Parliamentary style debate]] (which it is modeled on).<ref name="ESU"/>

=== Mock trial ===
{{Main|Mock trial}}

=== Model United Nations ===
{{Main|Model United Nations}}

=== Moot court ===
{{Main|Moot court}}

=== Oxford-style debating ===
Derived from the [[Oxford Union]] debating society of [[Oxford University]], Oxford-style debating is a competitive debate format featuring a sharply assigned motion that is proposed by one side and opposed by another.  Oxford-style debates follow a formal structure that begins with audience members casting a pre-debate vote on the motion that is either for, against, or undecided. Each panelist presents a seven-minute opening statement, after which the [[Moderator (debate)|moderator]] takes questions from the audience with inter-panel challenges.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oxford-union.org/members/rules/formsofthehouse|title=the Oxford Union – Forms of the House in Debate|work=oxford-union.org|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930231248/http://www.oxford-union.org/members/rules/formsofthehouse|archive-date=2011-09-30}}</ref> Finally, each panelist delivers a two-minute closing argument, and the audience delivers their second (and final) vote for comparison against the first.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.collegecompass.org/downloads/Debate_Forum_Guide.pdf|title=College Compass|work=collegecompass.org|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104033707/http://www.collegecompass.org/downloads/Debate_Forum_Guide.pdf|archive-date=2013-11-04}}</ref> A winner is then declared either by the [[majority]] or by which team has swayed more audience members between the two votes.<ref>{{cite web|title=The English-Speaking Union|url=http://www.britishdebate.com/universities/resources/ox_roughguide.asp|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110530122048/http://www.britishdebate.com/universities/resources/ox_roughguide.asp|archive-date=2011-05-30|work=britishdebate.com}}</ref>

=== Paris-style debating ===
In Paris debating, two teams of five debate a given motion. One team will attempt to defend the motion while the other team will attack the motion. The debate is judged on the quality of the arguments, the strength of the rhetoric, the charisma of the speaker, the quality of the humor, the ability to think on one's feet, and teamwork. Despite this format being specifically used in France debates are commonly held in English.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}

The first speaker of the Proposition (Prime Minister) opens the debate, followed by the first speaker of the Opposition (Shadow Prime Minister), then the second speaker of the Proposition, and so on.

Every speaker speaks for 6 minutes. After the first minute and before the last minute, debaters from the opposite team may ask for Points of Information, which the speaker may accept or reject as he wishes (although they are supposed to accept at least one, and it is recommended they accept two).<ref name="FDA's Paris Debating Web Page">{{cite web|url=https://www.frenchdebatingassociation.fr/debating-rules|title=French Debating Association Debating Rules}}</ref>

The French Debating Association<ref name="FDA's Web Page">{{cite web|url=http://www.frenchdebatingassociation.fr|title=French Debating Association|work=frenchdebatingassociation.fr|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402122218/http://www.frenchdebatingassociation.fr/|archive-date=2012-04-02}}</ref> organizes its National Debating Championship in this style.<ref name="FDA's Paris Debating Web Page"/>

=== Parliamentary style debating ===
{{Main|Parliamentary style debate}}
Parliamentary debate is conducted under rules originally derived from British [[parliamentary procedure]], though parliamentary debate now has several variations, including American, Brazilian, British, Canadian, and German forms. It features the competition of individuals in a multi-person setting. It borrows terms such as "government" and "opposition" from the British parliament (although the term "proposition" is sometimes used rather than "government" when debating in the United Kingdom).<ref name="Colm Flynn">1997, "Debating Tutorial Handouts", ''UVM'', no. 3 (1997)</ref>

Parliamentary debate is practiced worldwide and many international variations have been created. The premier event in the world of parliamentary debate is the [[World Universities Debating Championship]]. This tournament is conducted in the traditional British Parliamentary style of debate.<ref name="about-wudc">{{cite web|url=http://www.wudc2020.au.edu/index.php/about-wudc-menu/about-wudc|title=Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about The World Universities Debating Championship 2020|work=WUDC2020|access-date=2021-05-27}}</ref>

=== Policy debating ===
{{Main|Policy Debate}}
{{Unreferenced section|date=August 2015}}
''Policy debate'' is a fast-paced form of debate mostly commonly practiced in the U.S. Policy debate is composed of two teams of two that will advocate for and against a resolution (typically a proposed policy for the United States federal government or an international organization).<ref>{{cite book|last=Bellon|first=Joe|title=The Policy Debate Manual|publisher=Dr. Joe Bellon|year=2008}}</ref> Affirmative teams generally present a proposal to implement a specific modified form of the resolution called a plan. The negative will either try to disprove or undermine this plan or display that the opportunity costs of their opponent's plan are so great that it should not be implemented. Policy Debate is sometimes also referred to as cross-examination debate (shortened to CX) because of the 3-minute questioning periods following each constructive speech.

=== Public debating ===
{{Main|Public debate}}
<!-- Copied from the [[Public debate]] lead, notice on the talk page -->

'''Public debate''' may mean simply debating by the public, or in public. The term is also used for a particular formal style of debate in a competitive or educational context. Two teams of two compete through six rounds of argument, giving persuasive speeches on a particular topic.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web|url=http://www.osaa.org/publications/handbook/0708SPEECHHandbook.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011010249/http://www.osaa.org/publications/handbook/0708SPEECHHandbook.pdf|archive-date=2007-10-11|title=2007–2008 Oregon School Activities Association Speech Handbook|work=osaa.org}}</ref>

=== Public forum debating ===
{{Main|Public forum debate}}
"Public forum" debating combines aspects of both [[policy debate]] and [[Lincoln-Douglas debate]] but makes them easily understood by the general public by having shorter speech lengths, an absence of jargon, and longer questioning periods, called "cross-fires," where the debaters interact. This form of debate is also designed to address current affairs, with topics that change monthly and address both U.S. policy and international issues. This form of debate is primarily found within the United States. The core basis of this type of debate is that anyone is eligible to become a judge for the debate, unlike the Policy debate or Lincoln-Douglas debate, which requires more experience in debate to judge.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hannan |first1=Jeffrey |last2=Berkman |first2=Benjamin |last3=Meadows |first3=Chad |date=2012 |title=Introduction to Public Forum and Congressional Debate |url=https://www.speechanddebate.org/wp-content/uploads/Public-Forum-and-Congressional-Debate-Textbook.pdf}}</ref>

=== Tibetan Buddhist debating ===
This is a traditional [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] form of debating that was influenced by earlier Indian forms.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://asiasociety.org/tibetan-buddhist-debate |title=Tibetan Buddhist Debate |last=Perdue |first=David |date= |website= |publisher=Asia Society |access-date=2021-02-07 |quote="The Tibetan argument forms were brought over with minor adaptations from the Indian logical forms."}}</ref> Largely developed in Tibet, this style includes two individuals, one functioning as the Challenger (questioner) and the other as the Defender (answerer). The debaters must depend on their memorization of the points of doctrine, definitions, illustrations, and even whole text, together with their measure of understanding gained from instruction and study.

Characteristics that uniquely define the Tibetan Buddhist style of debating are ceremonial recitation and symbolic movements and hand gestures by debaters. At the opening of a debate, the standing Challenger claps his hands together and invokes [[Manjushri]], who is the manifestation of the wisdom of all the Buddhas and, as such, is the special deity of debate.<ref name=perdue>Daniel Perdue, The Course in Buddhist Reasoning and Logic: An Asian Approach to Analytical Thinking Drawn from Indian and Tibetan Sources. Snow Lion / Shambhala. (Boston, 2014). See also: https://thubtenchodron.org/2019/02/debate-deity/</ref>

When the Challenger first puts their question to the sitting Defender, their right hand is held above the shoulder at the level of their head, and the left hand is stretched forward with the palm turned upward. At the end of their statement, the Challenger punctuates by loudly clapping together their hands and simultaneously stomping their left foot. They then stylistically drawback their right hand slowly with the palm held upward and, at the same time, hold forth their left hand with the palm turned downward. Holding forth the left hand after clapping symbolizes closing the door to rebirth in [[samsara]]. The drawing back and raising of the right hand symbolizes one's will to raise all sentient beings out of samsara, and cyclic existence, and to establish them in the omniscience of Buddhahood. The left hand represents "[[Wisdom (Buddhism)|Wisdom]]" – the "antidote" to cyclic existence, and the right hand represents "Method" – the altruistic intention to become enlightened for the benefit of all.<ref name=perdue/> The clap represents a union of Method and Wisdom.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gomang.org/packet_files/debate_notes.pdf |title=Debate in Tibetan Buddhism* |access-date=2015-07-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304081754/http://www.gomang.org/packet_files/debate_notes.pdf |archive-date=2016-03-04 }}</ref>

=== Turncoat debating ===
{{Unreferenced section|date=August 2015}}
In this debating style,<ref>{{Cite web |last=IEEE.vTools |title=Turncoat |url=https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/172020 |access-date=2023-10-12 |website=[[IEEE]] |language=en}}</ref> the same speaker shifts allegiance between "For" and "Against" the motion. It is a solo contest, unlike other debating forms. Here, the speaker is required to speak for 2 minutes "For the motion", two minutes "Against the motion", and finally draw up a 1-minute conclusion in which the speaker balances the debate. At the end of the fifth minute, the debate will be opened to the house, in which members of the [[audience]] will put questions to the candidate, which they will have to answer. In the Turncoat format, the emphasis is on transitions, the strength of [[argument]], and the balancing of opinions.

== International groups and events ==

=== Asian Universities Debating Championship ===

[[United Asian Debating Championship]] is the biggest university debating tournament in Asia, where teams from the Middle East to Japan <ref>{{cite web|title=About the UADC|url=http://mmuuadc2012.org/node/3|publisher=MMU UADC|access-date=2 December 2012|archive-date=17 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317114319/http://mmuuadc2012.org/node/3|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Rules.pdf">{{cite web|title=UDAC Rules|url=https://debate.uvm.edu/dcpdf/UADC%20Tournament%20Rules.pdf|publisher=UADC|access-date=25 May 2021}}</ref> come to debate. It is traditionally hosted in Southeast Asia, where participation is usually highest compared to other parts of Asia.<ref>{{cite web|title=Macau WSDC 2021|url=https://schoolsdebate.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Macau_Bid_Document_WSDC_2021-1.pdf|publisher=Macau WSDC|access-date=25 May 2021}}</ref>

Asian debates are largely an adaptation of the Australasian format. The only difference is that each speaker is given 7 minutes of speech time, and there will be points of information (POI) offered by the opposing team between the 2nd to 6th minutes of the speech. This means that the 1st and 7th minute is considered the 'protected' period where no POIs can be offered to the speaker.<ref name="Rules.pdf"/>

The debate will commence with the Prime Minister's speech (first proposition) and will be continued by the first opposition. This alternating speech will go on until the third opposition. Following this, the opposition bench will give the reply speech. In the reply speech, the opposition goes first and then the proposition. The debate ends when the proposition ends the reply speech. 4 minutes are allocated for the reply speech, and no POIs can be offered during this time.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}}

=== International Public Debate Association ===
{{excerpt|International Public Debate Association}}

== Other forms of debate ==

=== Online debating ===

With the increasing popularity and availability of the [[Internet]], differing opinions arise frequently. {{citation needed|date=October 2021}} Though they are often expressed via [[Flaming (Internet)|flaming]] and other forms of argumentation, which consist primarily of assertions, formalized debating websites do exist. The debate style varies from site to site, with local communities and cultures developing. Some sites promote a contentious atmosphere that can border on "flaming" (the personal insult of your opponent, also known as a type of ad hominem fallacy), while others strictly admonish such activities and strongly promote independent research and better arguments.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}}

[https://debatewise.org/ debatewise.org], [https://www.versytalks.com versytalks.com],[https://www.debateart.com debateart.com] and [https://debate.club/ debate.club] are known as debate portals.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Al Khatib |first1=Khalid |last2=Trautner |first2=Lukas |last3=Wachsmuth |first3=Henning |last4=Hou |first4=Yufang |last5=Stein |first5=Benno |chapter=Employing Argumentation Knowledge Graphs for Neural Argument Generation |title=Proceedings of the 59th Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics and the 11th International Joint Conference on Natural Language Processing (Volume 1: Long Papers) |date=August 2021 |pages=4744–4754 |doi=10.18653/v1/2021.acl-long.366 |chapter-url=https://aclanthology.org/2021.acl-long.366/ |access-date=29 January 2022 |publisher=Association for Computational Linguistics|s2cid=236460348 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Rulesets on various sites usually serve to enforce or create a good culture with the site's owner, or in some more open communities, the community itself.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} Managing post content, style, and access combined with frequent use of "reward" systems (such as reputation, titles, and forum permissions) to promote activities seen as productive while discouraging unwelcome actions.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} Those cultures vary sufficiently that most styles can find a forum. Some online debate communities and [[internet forum|forums]] practice [[Policy Debate]] through uploaded speeches and preset word counts to represent time limits present in the offline debate.<ref>{{cite web|title=Standard Rules and How-To|url=http://www.cross-x.com/topic/33919-standard-rules-and-how-to/|access-date=3 April 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120105044653/http://www.cross-x.com/topic/33919-standard-rules-and-how-to/|archive-date=5 January 2012}}</ref> Those online debates typically feature long periods of theoretical prep time, as well as the ability to research during a round or to step away from attending online.

[[File:Debate televisivo Canal 13 CNN.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|A televised debate held during the [[2005–06 Chilean presidential election|2005 Chilean presidential elections]]]]

=== Debate shows ===
{{main|Debate show}}
Debates have also been made into a [[television show]] genre.

== See also ==
{{Wikiquote}}
* [[:Category:Debates|Debates]]
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Audience response]]
* [[Crowd manipulation]]
* [[Declamation]]
* [[Dialectic]]
* [[Disputation]]
* [[Eloquence]]
* [[Eulogy]]
* [[Glossophobia]]
* [[List of speeches]]
* [[Public orator]]
* [[Persuasion]] 
* [[Rhetoric]]
* [[Speechwriter]]
* [[Speakers' bureau]]
* [[Thematic interpretation]]
* [[Toastmasters International]]
* [[:Category:Speeches by type]]
{{div col end}}

;International high-school debating
* [[Heart of Europe Debating Tournament]]
* [[World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships]]
* [[World Schools Debating Championships]]
* [[National High School Debate League of China]]
;International University debating
{{colbegin}}
* [[Debate camp#Popular camps/institutes]]
* [[Australasian Intervarsity Debating Championships]]
* [[American Parliamentary Debate Association]]
* [[Canadian University Society for Intercollegiate Debate]]
* [[International Public Debate Association]]
* [[National Association of Urban Debate Leagues]]
* [[North American Debating Championship]]
* [[North American Public Speaking Championship]]
* [[World Universities Debating Championship]]
* [[World Universities Debating Championship in Spanish]]
* [[Peruvian Debate Society]]
{{colend}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
{{Wiktionary|debate|debating|debation|debater|discuss|discussion}}

* [http://ibdebates.org/ Brazilian Institute of Debates]

{{University debating}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Debating| ]]
[[Category:Debating societies]]