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Breaking Down Barriers: Ask Jim about Debate |
You can submit questions too, just email Jim at hansonjb@whitman.edu
Incrementalism is an argument that negatives advance. Incrementalism argues that the status quo is slowing evolving to address the problems the affirmative has cited. Coupled with a disadvantage that argues moving too quickly would be harmful, this can be a very strong argument. Negatives can present incrementalism as an inherency argument or as a counterplan. As an inherency argument, negatives can present arguments directly against the affirmative inherency contention that say the status quo is adapting, evolving, and moving to solve the problem. As a counterplan, the negative includes a plan to act incrementally, includes an observation on why incremental action is not topical (and/or why topical incremental action is acceptable), incremental action is competitive with the affirmative proposal, and why incrementalism is the best way to solve the problem. In addition, as I mentioned, the negative should present a disadvantage to immediate action (like the Clinton disadvantage, immediate action would lead to bad approaches to the problem, etc.).
Thanks to Jason Regnier and Matthew Ho Puck for this question.