Debate Team Materials
Websites used for Research
Spring 2017 Tournament Topics
(Not necessarily in tournament order)
1. Resolved: The Commonwealth of Massachusetts should no longer require participation in state standardized tests.
Government/Opposition:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/regionals/south/2015/01/03/two-views-standardized-tests-f
or-massachusetts-students/uY0lk6DmRGNw9UFbL8WJkM/story.html
Informational/ neutral:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/10/18/new-tests-bring-worse-scores-for-mass-students/YYiJaH6OC
mVcOsolkYRN7M/story.html
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/12/05/massachusetts-look-beyond-test-scores-judging-schools/Kpgx
HsgwpzMTgVXtFKGLdP/story.html
Opposition:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2017/04/13/why-mass-must-not-let-testing-students/pHyTyjROmW6Ji
NQwVU4MgL/story.html
2. Resolved: The United States should not have left the Paris Climate Accords.
Government: https://www.nrdc.org/experts/han-chen/why-paris-agreement-good-united-states
Opposition: https://www.heritage.org/environment/report/consequences-paris-protocol-devastating-economic-costs-essentially-zero
3. Resolved: Beauty pageants are inherently sexist.
Government:
https://www.fromthesquare.org/is-the-miss-america-pageant-good-or-bad-for-women/#.WmtuWJ
M-fVp
https://www.racked.com/2016/3/7/11157032/beauty-pageant-history
Opposition:
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2014/12/13/370408433/a-reason-to-respect-the-mis
s-world-pageant
http://college.usatoday.com/2014/07/01/viewpoint-how-i-changed-my-opinion-of-beauty-pageant
s/
Neutral
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/quora/what-is-it-like-to-compet_b_3767973.html
http://www.slate.com/culture/2018/01/vanity-fair-digitally-removed-james-franco-from-its-annual-
hollywood-cover.html
4. Resolved: Law enforcement officers in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts should be required to wear body cameras while on duty.
Government: http://time.com/4771417/jordan-edwards-body-cameras-police/
Opposition: https://www.urban.org/debates/evaluating-impact-police-body-cameras
Neutral: http://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/justice-studies/blog/pros-and-cons-of-police-body-cameras/
(Not necessarily in tournament order)
1. Resolved: The Commonwealth of Massachusetts should no longer require participation in state standardized tests.
Government/Opposition:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/regionals/south/2015/01/03/two-views-standardized-tests-f
or-massachusetts-students/uY0lk6DmRGNw9UFbL8WJkM/story.html
Informational/ neutral:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/10/18/new-tests-bring-worse-scores-for-mass-students/YYiJaH6OC
mVcOsolkYRN7M/story.html
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/12/05/massachusetts-look-beyond-test-scores-judging-schools/Kpgx
HsgwpzMTgVXtFKGLdP/story.html
Opposition:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2017/04/13/why-mass-must-not-let-testing-students/pHyTyjROmW6Ji
NQwVU4MgL/story.html
2. Resolved: The United States should not have left the Paris Climate Accords.
Government: https://www.nrdc.org/experts/han-chen/why-paris-agreement-good-united-states
Opposition: https://www.heritage.org/environment/report/consequences-paris-protocol-devastating-economic-costs-essentially-zero
3. Resolved: Beauty pageants are inherently sexist.
Government:
https://www.fromthesquare.org/is-the-miss-america-pageant-good-or-bad-for-women/#.WmtuWJ
M-fVp
https://www.racked.com/2016/3/7/11157032/beauty-pageant-history
Opposition:
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2014/12/13/370408433/a-reason-to-respect-the-mis
s-world-pageant
http://college.usatoday.com/2014/07/01/viewpoint-how-i-changed-my-opinion-of-beauty-pageant
s/
Neutral
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/quora/what-is-it-like-to-compet_b_3767973.html
http://www.slate.com/culture/2018/01/vanity-fair-digitally-removed-james-franco-from-its-annual-
hollywood-cover.html
4. Resolved: Law enforcement officers in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts should be required to wear body cameras while on duty.
Government: http://time.com/4771417/jordan-edwards-body-cameras-police/
Opposition: https://www.urban.org/debates/evaluating-impact-police-body-cameras
Neutral: http://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/justice-studies/blog/pros-and-cons-of-police-body-cameras/
Debate Manual
Click HERE for a link to the PDF file of the debate manual