Agent counterplan

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Part of the series Policy Debate

Organization

Policy debate competitions Inter-Collegiate policy debate

Format

Structure of policy debate · Resolution Constructive · Rebuttal · Prep Time Evidence · Flow

Participants

Affirmative · Negative · Judge

Types of Arguments

Stock Issues · Case· Disadvantage Counterplan · Kritik Impact calculus · Topicality

Argumentative Concepts

Offense · Defense · Turn · Drop

In policy debate, an agent counterplan is a counterplan which proposes to do affirmative's plan (or part of it) with another agent. Many judges consider agent counterplans theorhetically legitimate although it is possible for the affirmative to defeat them on the grounds that they are illegitimate. Because they moot much of the 1AC offense, they are considered one of the deadliest negative strategies.

Most affirmative's try to avoid agent counterplans by not specifying their agent beyond the United States federal government in their plan text. On international topics, international agent counterplans cannot be similarly avoided, although many consider them object fiat.

For example, if the affirmative plan were: "The USFG should send troops to Liberia" an agent counterplan would be "France should send troops to Liberia."

[edit] References

• Cheshire, David. (2003). Debating Agent Specification. Rostrum. Retrieved December 30, 2005.