National Debate Tournament
Policy debate |
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Organization |
Format |
Argument types |
Policy debate |
The National Debate Tournament is one of the national championships for collegiate policy debate in the United States. The tournament is sponsored by the American Forensic Association with the Ford Motor Company Fund.
History of the NDT
The National Debate Tournament (NDT) began in 1947 at the United States Military Academy at West Point.[1] Twenty-nine schools competed at the first NDT debating: "Resolved: That labor should be given a direct share in the management of industry". It remained at West Point until 1967 when it was assumed by the American Forensic Association in part because of the Vietnam War.[2] Since then the tournament has moved to different member schools each year and only three schools have hosted it twice.[3]
In the first NDT, teams were nominated by committees from their district. This was soon replaced with district qualifying tournaments. Eight, post district tournament, "second round" at-large bids were awarded beginning in 1968 and continuing through 1970, enlarging the field to 44 teams, and two of these second round selections "cleared", or finished in the top sixteen in the preliminary rounds, in 1968, three cleared in 1969 and four of the eight post district tournament qualifiers cleared in 1970.
Prior to 1970, a school could only send one team to the NDT, but the tournament committee relented to pressure from some of the more successful programs and a total of eight schools sent two teams to the 1970 National Debate Tournament that year. The winner of that tournament, designated Kansas "B", would not have been eligible to participate if the one team per school rule had remained in force.
In 1971, the format was amended to assign seventeen at large bids prior to district qualifying tournaments followed by the selection of an additional 27 teams by the district tournaments and another eight in a second at large selection round, enlarging the field to 52 teams. Ten regular season tournaments were designated to be "qualifying tournaments", such that winning one earned that team an automatic NDT berth, and the remainder of the first at-large round teams were selected by vote of the selection committee. That format lasted for just two years.
Starting in 1973 and continuing to the present, sixteen at large bids are awarded to teams based on records prior to the district tournament selections, and additional at-large bids are awarded after the district qualifying tournaments. The field was enlarged to 62 teams in 1973 and stayed that size until 1987, when it was enlarged to include 74 teams, and it then varied in size from 72 to 78 teams over the next decade.
Since 1992, a limited number of schools, currently six, have been allowed to send a third team.
Mutual preference judging (MPJ) is a relatively recent addition to the NDT. Under MPJ, each debate team ranks the judging pool according to their preferences and judges are selected such that both teams prefer the chosen judge equally (if possible). Attempts are made to place as many mutual "1"s (the highest rating) in rounds, with preference given to the teams with the best record.
2011- Held at University of Texas, Dallas 2012- Held at Emory University 2013- Held at Weber State University 2014- Held at Indiana University
Selection of Teams
Currently, selection of the 78 teams participating at the NDT involves a three stage process.[4] First, the national committee selects 16 teams and awards them a First Round At-Large Bid. These 16 teams are generally considered to be the 16 best debate teams in the nation. The national committee then disperses 46 bids proportionally to each of the nine NDT Districts. Each district is free to decide how these bids will be awarded to teams within each district. Most, although not all, districts decide to hold a district tournament, where the top teams will receive a bid. The final and third step for qualification is the Second Round At-Large Bid. Similar to a First Round Bid, the national committee selects the top 16 teams not already qualified to fill out the field for the NDT. Although in some cases, these final 16 teams may not be the true best 16 teams not already qualified to the tournament. The NDT has a standing rule stating a school cannot qualify more than two teams to the tournament, with the exception of at most six schools per year, who are allowed to qualify a third team, if the third team in question has shown merit for selection.
National Debate Tournament champions
Year | National Champions | School |
---|---|---|
1947 | W. Scott Nobles & Gerald Sanders | Southeastern State College |
1948 | Keith Parks & David Cotton | North Texas State College (University of North Texas) |
1949 | Oscar Newton & Mitchell Latoff | University of Alabama |
1950 | Richard O'Connell & Thomas Hayes | University of Vermont |
1951 | James Q. Wilson & Holt Spicer | University of Redlands |
1952 | James Q. Wilson & Holt Spicer | University of Redlands |
1953 | Gerald Kogan & Lawrence Perlmutter | University of Miami |
1954 | William Amold & Hubert Bell | University of Kansas |
1955 | Dennis Holt & Elis Storey | University of Alabama |
1956 | George Walker & James Murphy | United States Military Academy |
1957 | Norman Lefstein & Phillip Hubbart | Augustana College |
1958 | William Welsh & Richard Kirshberg | Northwestern University |
1959 | William Welsh & Richard Kirshberg | Northwestern University |
1960 | Anthony Roisman & Saul Baernstein | Dartmouth College |
1961 | Laurence Tribe & Gene Clements | Harvard University |
1962 | Dale Williams & Sarah Benson | Ohio State University |
1963 | Fank Wohl & Stephen Kessler | Dartmouth College |
1964 | Raoul Kennedy & Douglas Pipes | University of the Pacific |
1965 | John Wittig & Barnett Pearce | Carson-Newman College |
1966 | Bill Snyder & Mike Denger | Northwestern University |
1967 | Tom Brewer & John Isaacson | Dartmouth College |
1968 | Robert Shields & Lee Thompson | Wichita State University |
1969 | Richard Lewis & Joel Perwin | Harvard University |
1970 | Robert McCulloh & David Jeans | University of Kansas |
1971 | Don Hornstein & Barrett McInerney | University of California, Los Angeles |
1972 | Mike Clough & Mike Fernandez | University of California, Santa Barbara |
1973 | Elliot Mincberg & Ron Marmer | Northwestern University |
1974 | Charles Garvin & Greg Rosenbaum | Harvard University |
1975 | Jay Hurst & David Kent | Baylor University |
1976 | Robin Rowland & Frank Cross | University of Kansas |
1977 | John Walker & David Ottoson | Georgetown University |
1978 | Mark Cotham & Stuart H. Singer | Northwestern University |
1979 | Michael King & John Bredehoft | Harvard University |
1980 | Don Dripps and Tom Fulkerson | Northwestern University |
1981 | Michael Alberty & Stephen Marzen | University of Pittsburgh |
1982 | Dave Sutherland & Dan Sutherland | University of Louisville |
1983 | Mark Gidley & Rodger Payne | University of Kansas |
1984 | Leonard Gail & Mark Koulogeorge | Dartmouth College |
1985 | Jonathan Massey & Ed Swaine | Harvard University |
1986 | David Brownell & Ouita Papka | University of Kentucky |
1987 | Griffin Vincent & Lyn Robbins | Baylor University |
1988 | Shaun Martin & Rob Wick | Dartmouth College |
1989 | Martin Loeber & Daniel Plants | Baylor University |
1990 | David Coale & Alex Lennon | Harvard University |
1991 | Roger Cole and Marc Rubinstein | University of Redlands |
1992 | Ahilan Arulanantham & Kevin Kuswa | Georgetown University |
1993 | Ara Lovitt & Steven Sklaver | Dartmouth College |
1994 | Sean McCaffity & Jody Terry | Northwestern University |
1995 | Sean McCaffity & Jody Terry | Northwestern University |
1996 | Kate Shuster & David Heidt | Emory University |
1997 | Daveed Gartenstein-Ross & Brian Prestes | Wake Forest University |
1998 | Michael Gottlieb & Ryan Sparacino | Northwestern University |
1999 | Michael Gottlieb & Ryan Sparacino | Northwestern University |
2000 | Michael Horowitz & Jon Paul Lupo | Emory University |
2001 | Andy Peterson & Andy Ryan | University of Iowa |
2002 | Jake Foster & Jonathan Paul | Northwestern University |
2003 | Geoff Garen & Tristan Morales | Northwestern University |
2004 | Greta Stahl & Dave Strauss | Michigan State University |
2005 | Tristan Morales & Josh Branson | Northwestern University |
2006 | Ryan Burke & Casey Harrigan | Michigan State University |
2007 | Aimi Hamraie & Julie Hoehn | Emory University |
2008 | Seth Gannon & Alex Lamballe | Wake Forest University |
2009 | Brett Bricker & Nate Johnson | University of Kansas |
2010 | Carly Wunderlich & Eric Lanning | Michigan State University |
2011 | Matt Fisher & Stephanie Spies | Northwestern University |
2012 | Andrew Arsht & Andrew Markoff | Georgetown University |
2013 | Elijah Smith & Ryan Wash | Emporia State University |
2014 | Andrew Arsht & Andrew Markoff | Georgetown University |
Tournament victories by school
Rex Copeland Award
The Rex Copeland award, presented on the eve of the NDT, goes to the team with the best season-long performance, ranked #1 among the 16 teams with automatic bids to the tournament.[5] Rex Copeland, a debater at Samford University, was murdered by his debate coach, William Slagle, in 1989.
Academic Year | Copeland Award Winner | School |
---|---|---|
TOP FIRST ROUND TEAMS - (Prior to establishing the Copeland Award) | ||
1972–1973 | Stewart Jay & Bradley Ziff | Georgetown University |
1973–1974 | Charles Garvin & Greg Rosenbaum | Harvard University |
1974–1975 | Thomas Rollins & Bradley Ziff | Georgetown University |
1975–1976 | Robert Feldhake & Richard Godfrey | Augustana College |
1976–1977 | David Ottoson & John Walker | Georgetown University |
1977–1978 | David Ottoson & Tom Rollins | Georgetown University |
1978–1979 | Chris Wonnell & Susan Winkler | Northwestern University |
1979–1980 | James Kirkland & John Thompson | Georgetown University |
1980–1981 | Cy Smith & Mark Weinhardt | Dartmouth College |
1981–1982 | Mark Gidley & Zac Grant | University of Kansas |
1982–1983 | Melanie Gardner & Erik Walker | Samford University |
1983–1984 | Leonard Gail & Mark Koulogeorge | Dartmouth College |
1984–1985 | David Bloom & Greg Mastel | Claremont McKenna College |
1985–1986 | Dan Povinelli & Mark Friedman | University of Massachusetts Amherst |
1986–1987 | Griffin Vincent & Lyn Robbins | Baylor University |
1987–1988 | Ben Attias & Gordon Mitchell | Northwestern University |
1988–1989 | Martin Loeber & Daniel Plants | Baylor University |
Copeland Award Winner | ||
1989–1990 | David Coale & Alex Lennon | Harvard University |
1990–1991 | Roger Cole and Marc Rubinstein | University of Redlands |
1991–1992 | Kenny Agran & Ara Lovette | Dartmouth College |
1992–1993 | Ara Lovitt & Steven Sklaver | Dartmouth College |
1993–1994 | Paul Skiermont & Jason Patil | University of Kentucky |
1994–1995 | John Hughes & Adrienne Brovero | Wake Forest University |
1995–1996 | Sean McCaffity and Mason Miller | Northwestern University |
1996–1997 | Scott Hessell and Corey Stoughton | University of Michigan |
1997–1998 | George Kouros and Anjan Sahni | Emory University |
1998–1999 | Michael Gottlieb & Ryan Sparacino | Northwestern University |
1999–2000 | Kristen Langwell & Andy Ryan | University of Iowa |
2000–2001 | Randy Luskey & Dan Shalmon | University of California, Berkeley |
2001–2002 | Alex Berger & Ben Thorpe | Dartmouth College |
2002–2003 | Geoff Garen & Tristan Morales | Northwestern University |
2003–2004 | Dan Shalmon & Tejinder Singh | University of California, Berkeley |
2004–2005 | Tristan Morales & Josh Branson | Northwestern University |
2005–2006 | Michael Klinger & Nikhil Mirchandani | Harvard University |
2006–2007 | Brent Culpepper & Kevin Rabinowitz | University of Georgia |
2007–2008 | Jacob Polin & Michael Burshteyn | University of California, Berkeley |
2008–2009 | Matt Fisher & John Warden | Northwestern University |
2009–2010 | Stephen Weil & Ovais Inamullah | Emory University |
2010–2011 | Stephen Weil & Ovais Inamullah | Emory University |
2011–2012 | Ryan Beiermeister & Layne Kirshon | Northwestern University |
2012–2013 | Andrew Arsht & Andrew Markoff | Georgetown University |
2013–2014 | Alex Miles and Arjun Vellayappan | Northwestern University |
- "Copeland Award Winners By School"
9- Northwestern
6- Georgetown
5- Dartmouth
3- Cal-Berkeley, Harvard, Emory
2- Baylor
1- Augustana, Claremont McKenna, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, UMass, Redlands, Samford, Wake Forest
Traditions
- "The Big Board": Started at the first NDT, complete results for each team are listed on the "Big Board" in the central area, horse-race style.
- Orally announcing pairings: Started at the first NDT, the pairings for each round are read out loud to the contestants. The announcements are known for the unusual manner in which they are conveyed. For instance, the announcer might say, "The 51st National Debate Tournament, round the first." This is then followed by the "pairings" of opposing teams, judges, room numbers, and the expected start time. A poll conducted at the 2005 NDT showed strong support for continuing this tradition.
- Cadet escorts: Cadets at the USMA escort debaters to their rounds and carry their tubs. Although this tradition was discontinued when the NDT moved from the USMA, it has reemerged at the regular season tournament hosted by the USMA.
Debate Topics
Academic Year | Topic |
---|---|
1940s | |
1946–1947 | RESOLVED: That labor should be given a direct share in the management of industry. |
1947–1948 | RESOLVED: That a federal world government should be established. |
1948–1949 | RESOLVED: That the federal government should adopt a policy of equalizing educational opportunity in tax-supported schools by means of annual grants. |
1949–1950 | RESOLVED: That the United States should nationalize the basic nonagricultural industries. |
1950s | |
1950–1951 | RESOLVED: That the non-communist nations should form a new international organization. |
1951–1952 | RESOLVED: That the federal government should adopt a permanent program of wage and price control. |
1952–1953 | RESOLVED: That the Congress of the United States should enact a compulsory fair employment practices law. |
1953–1954 | RESOLVED: That the United States should adopt a policy of free trade. |
1954–1955 | RESOLVED: That the United States should extend diplomatic recognition to the communist government of China. |
1955–1956 | RESOLVED: That the nonagricultural industries should guarantee their employees an annual wage. |
1956–1957 | RESOLVED: That the United States should discontinue direct economic aid to foreign countries. |
1957–1958 | RESOLVED: That the requirement of membership in a labor organization as a condition of employment should be illegal. |
1958–1959 | RESOLVED: That the further development of nuclear weapons should be prohibited by international agreement. |
1959–1960 | RESOLVED: That Congress should be given the power to reverse decisions of the Supreme Court. |
1960s | |
1960–1961 | RESOLVED: That the United States should adopt a program of compulsory health insurance for all citizens. |
1961–1962 | RESOLVED: That labor organizations should be under the jurisdiction of anti-trust legislation. |
1962–1963 | RESOLVED: That the non-communist nations of the world should establish an economic community. |
1963–1964 | RESOLVED: That the federal government should guarantee an opportunity for higher education to all qualified high school graduates. |
1964–1965 | RESOLVED: That the federal government should establish a national program of public work for the unemployed. |
1965–1966 | RESOLVED: That law enforcement agencies in the United States should be given greater freedom in the investigation and prosecution of crime. |
1966–1967 | RESOLVED: That the United States should substantially reduce its foreign policy commitments. |
1967–1968 | RESOLVED: That the federal government should guarantee a minimum annual cash income to all citizens. |
1968–1969 | RESOLVED: That executive control of United States foreign policy should be significantly curtailed. |
1969–1970 | RESOLVED: That the federal government should grant annually a specific percentage of its income tax revenue to the state governments. |
1970s | |
1970–1971 | RESOLVED: That the federal government should adopt a program of compulsory wage and price controls. |
1971–1972 | RESOLVED: That greater controls should be imposed on the gathering and utilization of information about United States citizens by government agencies. |
1972–1973 | RESOLVED: That the federal government should provide a program of comprehensive medical care for all its citizens. |
1973–1974 | RESOLVED: That the federal government should control the supply and utilization of energy in the United States. |
1974–1975 | RESOLVED: That the power of the Presidency should be significantly curtailed. |
1975–1976 | RESOLVED: That the federal government should adopt a comprehensive program to control land use in the United States. |
1976–1977 | RESOLVED: That the federal government should significantly strengthen the guarantee of consumer product safety required of manufacturers. |
1977–1978 | RESOLVED: That the United States law enforcement agencies should be given significantly greater freedom in the investigation and/or prosecution of felony crime. |
1978–1979 | RESOLVED: That the federal government should implement a program which guarantees employment opportunities for all United States citizens in the labor force. |
1979–1980 | RESOLVED: That the federal government should significantly strengthen the regulation of mass media communication in the United States. |
1980s | |
1980–1981 | RESOLVED: That the United States should significantly increase its foreign military commitments. |
1981–1982 | RESOLVED: That the federal government should significantly curtail the powers of the labor unions in the United States. |
1982–1983 | RESOLVED: That all United States military intervention into the internal affairs of any foreign nation or nations in the Western Hemisphere should be prohibited. |
1983–1984 | RESOLVED: That any and all injury resulting from the disposal of hazardous waste in the United States should be the legal responsibility of the producer of that waste. |
1984–1985 | RESOLVED: That the United States federal government should significantly increase exploration and/or development of space beyond the Earth's mesosphere. |
1985–1986 | RESOLVED: That more rigorous academic standards should be established for all public elementary and/or secondary schools in the United States in one or more of the following areas: language arts, mathematics, natural sciences. |
1986–1987 | RESOLVED: That one or more presently existing restrictions on First Amendment freedoms of press and/or speech established in one or more federal court decisions should be curtailed or prohibited. |
1987–1988 | RESOLVED: That the United States should reduce substantially its military commitments to NATO member states. |
1988–1989 | RESOLVED: That United States foreign policy toward one or more African nations should be substantially changed. |
1989–1990 | RESOLVED: That the federal government should adopt an energy policy that substantially reduces nonmilitary consumption of fossil fuels in the United States. |
1990s | |
1990–1991 | RESOLVED: That the United States should substantially change its trade policy toward one or more of the following: China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan. |
1991–1992 | RESOLVED: That one or more United States Supreme Court decisions recognizing a federal Constitutional right to privacy should be overruled. |
1992–1993 | RESOLVED: That the United States should substantially change its development and assistance policies toward one or more of the following nations: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka. |
1993–1994 | RESOLVED: That the Commander-in-Chief power of the President of the United States should be substantially curtailed. |
1994–1995 | RESOLVED: That the federal government should substantially change rules and/or statutes governing criminal procedure in federal courts in one or more of the following areas: pretrial detention, sentencing. |
1995–1996 | RESOLVED: That the United States government should substantially increase its security assistance to one or more of the following: Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Palestinian National Authority, Syria. |
1996–1997 | RESOLVED: That the United States Federal Government should increase regulations requiring industries to substantially decrease the domestic emission and/or production of environmental pollutants. |
1997–1998 | RESOLVED: The United States Federal Government should substantially increase its security assistance to one or more of the following Southeast Asian nations: Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam. |
1998–1999 | RESOLVED: That the United States Federal Government should amend Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, through legislation, to create additional protections against racial and/or gender discrimination. |
1999–2000 | RESOLVED: That the United States Federal Government should adopt a policy of constructive engagement, including the immediate removal of all or nearly all economic sanctions, with the government(s) of one or more of the following nation-states: Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Syria, North Korea |
2000s | |
2000–2001 | RESOLVED: That the United States Federal Government should substantially increase its development assistance, including increasing government to government assistance, within the Greater Horn of Africa. |
2001–2002 | RESOLVED: That the United States Federal Government should substantially increase federal control throughout Indian Country in one or more of the following areas: child welfare, criminal justice, employment, environmental protection, gaming, resource management, taxation. |
2002–2003 | RESOLVED: That the United States Federal Government should ratify or accede to, and implement, one or more of the following:
|
2003–2004 | RESOLVED: That the United States Federal Government should enact one or more of the following:
|
2004–2005 | RESOLVED: That the United States Federal Government should establish an energy policy requiring a substantial reduction in the consumption in the total non-governmental consumption of fossil fuels in the United States. |
2005–2006 | RESOLVED: The United States Federal government should substantially increase diplomatic and economic pressure on the People's Republic of China in one or more of the following areas: trade, human rights, weapons nonproliferation, Taiwan. |
2006–2007 | RESOLVED: The United States Supreme Court should overrule one or more of the following decisions: Planned Parenthood v. Casey, 505 U.S. 833 1992); Ex parte Quirin, 317 U.S. 1 (1942); U.S. v. Morrison, 529 U.S.598 (2000); Milliken v. Bradley, 418 U.S. 717 (1974). |
2007–2008 | RESOLVED: The United States Federal Government should increase its constructive engagement with the government of one or more of: Afghanistan, Iran, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, and Syria, and it should include offering them a security guarantee(s) and/or a substantial increase in foreign assistance. |
2008–2009 | RESOLVED: The United States Federal Government should substantially reduce its agricultural support, at least eliminating nearly all of the domestic subsidies, for biofuels, Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, corn, cotton, dairy, fisheries, rice, soybeans, sugar and/or wheat. |
2009–2010 | RESOLVED: The United States Federal Government should substantially reduce the size of its nuclear weapons arsenal, and/or substantially reduce and restrict the role and/or missions of its nuclear weapons arsenal. |
2010s | |
2010–2011 | RESOLVED: The United States Federal Government should substantially increase the number of and/or substantially expand beneficiary eligibility for its visas for one or more of the following: employment-based immigrant visas, nonimmigrant temporary worker visas, family-based visas, human trafficking-based visas. |
2011–2012 | RESOLVED: The United States Federal Government should substantially increase its democracy assistance for one or more of the following: Bahrain, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen. |
2012–2013 | RESOLVED: The United States Federal Government should substantially reduce restrictions on and/or substantially increase financial incentives for energy production in the United States of one or more of the following: coal, crude oil, natural gas, nuclear power, solar power, wind power. |
2013–2014 | RESOLVED: The United States Federal Government should substantially increase statutory and/or judicial restrictions on the war powers authority of the President of the United States in one or more of the following areas: targeted killing, indefinite detention, offensive cyber operations, or introducing United States Armed Forces into hostilities. |
2014-2015 | RESOLVED: The United States should legalize all or nearly all of one or more of the following in the United States: marijuana, online gambling, physician-assisted suicide, prostitution, the sale of human organs. |
References
- ^ "The West Point National Tournament". Retrieved 26 April 2012.
- ^ Ziegelmueller, George. "Selected Personal History of the NDT". Retrieved 26 April 2012.
- ^ "An Introduction to the National Debate Tournament". Retrieved 26 April 2012.
- ^ Parson, Donn. "W(h)ither the NDT?". Retrieved 26 April 2012.
- ^ "National Debate Tournament Copeland Award". Retrieved 26 April 2012.