National Debate Tournament

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

YearNational ChampionsSchool
1947W. Scott Nobles & Gerald Sanders Southeastern State College
1948Keith Parks & David Cotton North Texas State College (University of North Texas)
1949Oscar Newton & Mitchell Latoff University of Alabama
1950Richard O'Connell & Thomas Hayes University of Vermont
1951James Q. Wilson & Holt Spicer University of Redlands
1952James Q. Wilson & Holt Spicer University of Redlands
1953Gerald Kogan & Lawrence Perlmutter University of Miami
1954William Amold & Hubert Bell University of Kansas
1955Dennis Holt & Elis Storey University of Alabama
1956George Walker & James Murphy United States Military Academy
1957Norman Lefstein & Phillip Hubbart Augustana College
1958William Welsh & Richard Kirshberg Northwestern University
1959William Welsh & Richard Kirshberg Northwestern University
1960Anthony Roisman & Saul Baernstein Dartmouth College
1961Laurence Tribe & Gene Clements Harvard University
1962Dale Williams & Sarah Benson Ohio State University
1963Fank Wohl & Stephen Kessler Dartmouth College
1964Raoul Kennedy & Douglas Pipes University of the Pacific
1965John Wittig & Barnett Pearce Carson-Newman College
1966Bill Snyder & Mike Denger Northwestern University
1967Tom Brewer & John Isaacson Dartmouth College
1968Robert Shields & Lee Thompson Wichita State University
1969Richard Lewis & Joel Perwin Harvard University
1970Robert McCulloh & David Jeans University of Kansas
1971Don Hornstein & Barrett McInerney University of California, Los Angeles
1972Mike Clough & Mike Fernandez University of California, Santa Barbara
1973Elliot Mincberg & Ron MarmerNorthwestern University
1974Charles Garvin & Greg RosenbaumHarvard University
1975Jay Hurst & David KentBaylor University
1976Robin Rowland & Frank CrossUniversity of Kansas
1977John Walker & David OttosonGeorgetown University
1978Mark Cotham & Stuart H. SingerNorthwestern University
1979Michael King & John BredehoftHarvard University
1980Don Dripps and Tom FulkersonNorthwestern University
1981Michael Alberty & Stephen MarzenUniversity of Pittsburgh
1982Dave Sutherland & Dan SutherlandUniversity of Louisville
1983Mark Gidley & Rodger PayneUniversity of Kansas
1984Leonard Gail & Mark KoulogeorgeDartmouth College
1985Jonathan Massey & Ed SwaineHarvard University
1986David Brownell & Ouita PapkaUniversity of Kentucky
1987Griffin Vincent & Lyn RobbinsBaylor University
1988Shaun Martin & Rob WickDartmouth College
1989Martin Loeber & Daniel PlantsBaylor University
1990David Coale & Alex LennonHarvard University
1991Roger Cole and Marc RubinsteinUniversity of Redlands
1992Ahilan Arulanantham & Kevin KuswaGeorgetown University
1993Ara Lovitt & Steven SklaverDartmouth College
1994Sean McCaffity & Jody WashingtonNorthwestern University
1995Sean McCaffity & Jody TerryNorthwestern University
1996Kate Shuster & David HeidtEmory University
1997Daveed Gartenstein-Ross & Brian PrestesWake Forest University
1998Michael Gottlieb & Ryan SparacinoNorthwestern University
1999Michael Gottlieb & Ryan SparacinoNorthwestern University
2000Michael Horowitz & Jon Paul LupoEmory University
2001Andy Peterson & Andy RyanUniversity of Iowa
2002Jake Foster & Jonathan PaulNorthwestern University
2003Geoff Garen & Tristan MoralesNorthwestern University
2004Greta Stahl & Dave Strauss Michigan State University
2005Tristan Morales & Josh BransonNorthwestern University
2006Ryan Burke & Casey Harrigan Michigan State University
2007Aimi Hamraie & Julie HoehnEmory University
2008Seth Gannon & Alex Lamballe Wake Forest University
2009Brett Bricker & Nate Johnson University of Kansas
2010Carly Wunderlich & Eric Lanning Michigan State University
2011Matt Fisher & Stephanie Spies Northwestern University
2012Andrew Arsht & Andrew Markoff Georgetown University
2013Elijah Smith & Ryan Wash Emporia State University
2014Andrew Arsht & Andrew Markoff Georgetown University
2015Alex Miles & Arjun Vellayappan Northwestern University
James T. Struck BA,BS, AA, MLIS was given Presidential or other Scholarships after his GBN team won the 1986 National Championship to University Pittsburgh Panthers, Fordham University Rams, University of Houston Cougars, Vanderbilt Commodores, Drew Ranger Bears. Following the Endangered Species Act and Buddhist concepts of not desiring to attain nirvana, he shows how an individual can claim debate championships related to species preservation and the EPA Act.

Tournament victories by school

School Tourn. Won Years
Northwestern University 15 1958, 1959, 1966, 1973, 1978, 1980, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2011, 2015
Dartmouth College 6 1960, 1963, 1967, 1984, 1988, 1993
Harvard University 6 1961, 1969, 1974, 1979, 1985, 1990
University of Kansas 5 1954, 1970, 1976, 1983, 2009
Georgetown University 4 1977, 1992, 2012, 2014
Baylor University 3 1975, 1987, 1989
Emory University 3 1996, 2000, 2007
Michigan State University 3 2004, 2006, 2010
University of Redlands 3 1951, 1952, 1991
University of Alabama 2 1949, 1955
Wake Forest University 2 1997, 2008
Augustana College (Illinois) 1 1957
Carson-Newman College 1 1965
University of California at Los Angeles 1 1971
University of California at Santa Barbara 1 1972
University of Iowa 1 2001
University of Kentucky 1 1986
University of Louisville 1 1982
University of Miami 1 1953
North Texas State College 1 1948
Ohio State University 1 1962
University of the Pacific 1 1964
University of Pittsburgh 1 1981
Southeastern State College 1 1947
United States Military Academy 1 1956
University of Vermont 1 1950
Wichita State University 1 1968
Emporia State University 1 2013

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 YearCopeland Award WinnerSchool
TOP FIRST ROUND TEAMS - (Prior to establishing the Copeland Award)
1972–1973 Stewart Jay & Bradley ZiffGeorgetown University
1973–1974 Charles Garvin & Greg RosenbaumHarvard University
1974–1975 Thomas Rollins & Bradley ZiffGeorgetown University
1975–1976 Robert Feldhake & Richard GodfreyAugustana College
1976–1977 David Ottoson & John WalkerGeorgetown University
1977–1978 David Ottoson & Tom RollinsGeorgetown University
1978–1979 Chris Wonnell & Susan WinklerNorthwestern University
1979–1980 James Kirkland & John ThompsonGeorgetown University
1980–1981 Cy Smith & Mark WeinhardtDartmouth College
1981–1982 Mark Gidley & Zac GrantUniversity of Kansas
1982–1983 Melanie Gardner & Erik WalkerSamford University
1983–1984 Leonard Gail & Mark KoulogeorgeDartmouth College
1984–1985David Bloom & Greg MastelClaremont McKenna College
1985–1986 Dan Povinelli & Mark FriedmanUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst
1986–1987 Griffin Vincent & Lyn RobbinsBaylor University
1987–1988 Ben Attias & Gordon MitchellNorthwestern University
1988–1989 Martin Loeber & Daniel PlantsBaylor University
Copeland Award Winner
1989–1990David Coale & Alex LennonHarvard University
1990–1991Roger Cole and Marc RubinsteinUniversity of Redlands
1991–1992Kenny Agran & Ara LovetteDartmouth College
1992–1993Ara Lovitt & Steven SklaverDartmouth College
1993–1994Paul Skiermont & Jason PatilUniversity of Kentucky
1994–1995John Hughes & Adrienne BroveroWake Forest University
1995–1996Sean McCaffity and Mason MillerNorthwestern University
1996–1997Scott Hessell and Corey StoughtonUniversity of Michigan
1997–1998George Kouros and Anjan SahniEmory University
1998–1999Michael Gottlieb & Ryan SparacinoNorthwestern University
1999–2000Kristen Langwell & Andy RyanUniversity of Iowa
2000–2001Randy Luskey & Dan ShalmonUniversity of California, Berkeley
2001–2002Alex Berger & Ben ThorpeDartmouth College
2002–2003Geoff Garen & Tristan MoralesNorthwestern University
2003–2004Dan Shalmon & Tejinder SinghUniversity of California, Berkeley
2004–2005Tristan Morales & Josh BransonNorthwestern University
2005–2006Michael Klinger & Nikhil MirchandaniHarvard University
2006–2007Brent Culpepper & Kevin RabinowitzUniversity of Georgia
2007–2008Jacob Polin & Michael BurshteynUniversity of California, Berkeley
2008–2009Matt Fisher & John Warden Northwestern University
2009–2010Stephen Weil & Ovais Inamullah Emory University
2010–2011Stephen Weil & Ovais Inamullah Emory University
2011–2012Ryan Beiermeister & Layne Kirshon Northwestern University
2012–2013Andrew Arsht & Andrew Markoff Georgetown University
2013–2014Alex Miles and Arjun Vellayappan Northwestern University
2014–2015Alex Miles and Arjun Vellayappan Northwestern University

10- 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

Debate Topics

Academic Year Topic
1940s
1946–1947 RESOLVED: That labor should be given a direct share in the management of industry.
1947–1948RESOLVED: That a federal world government should be established.
1948–1949RESOLVED: That the federal government should adopt a policy of equalizing educational opportunity in tax-supported schools by means of annual grants.
1949–1950RESOLVED: That the United States should nationalize the basic nonagricultural industries.
1950s
1950–1951RESOLVED: That the non-communist nations should form a new international organization.
1951–1952RESOLVED: That the federal government should adopt a permanent program of wage and price control.
1952–1953RESOLVED: That the Congress of the United States should enact a compulsory fair employment practices law.
1953–1954RESOLVED: That the United States should adopt a policy of free trade.
1954–1955RESOLVED: That the United States should extend diplomatic recognition to the communist government of China.
1955–1956RESOLVED: That the nonagricultural industries should guarantee their employees an annual wage.
1956–1957RESOLVED: That the United States should discontinue direct economic aid to foreign countries.
1957–1958RESOLVED: That the requirement of membership in a labor organization as a condition of employment should be illegal.
1958–1959RESOLVED: That the further development of nuclear weapons should be prohibited by international agreement.
1959–1960RESOLVED: That Congress should be given the power to reverse decisions of the Supreme Court.
1960s
1960–1961RESOLVED: That the United States should adopt a program of compulsory health insurance for all citizens.
1961–1962RESOLVED: That labor organizations should be under the jurisdiction of anti-trust legislation.
1962–1963RESOLVED: That the non-communist nations of the world should establish an economic community.
1963–1964RESOLVED: That the federal government should guarantee an opportunity for higher education to all qualified high school graduates.
1964–1965RESOLVED: That the federal government should establish a national program of public work for the unemployed.
1965–1966RESOLVED: That law enforcement agencies in the United States should be given greater freedom in the investigation and prosecution of crime.
1966–1967RESOLVED: That the United States should substantially reduce its foreign policy commitments.
1967–1968RESOLVED: That the federal government should guarantee a minimum annual cash income to all citizens.
1968–1969RESOLVED: That executive control of United States foreign policy should be significantly curtailed.
1969–1970RESOLVED: That the federal government should grant annually a specific percentage of its income tax revenue to the state governments.
1970s
1970–1971RESOLVED: That the federal government should adopt a program of compulsory wage and price controls.
1971–1972RESOLVED: That greater controls should be imposed on the gathering and utilization of information about United States citizens by government agencies.
1972–1973RESOLVED: That the federal government should provide a program of comprehensive medical care for all its citizens.
1973–1974RESOLVED: That the federal government should control the supply and utilization of energy in the United States.
1974–1975RESOLVED: That the power of the Presidency should be significantly curtailed.
1975–1976RESOLVED: That the federal government should adopt a comprehensive program to control land use in the United States.
1976–1977RESOLVED: That the federal government should significantly strengthen the guarantee of consumer product safety required of manufacturers.
1977–1978RESOLVED: That the United States law enforcement agencies should be given significantly greater freedom in the investigation and/or prosecution of felony crime.
1978–1979RESOLVED: That the federal government should implement a program which guarantees employment opportunities for all United States citizens in the labor force.
1979–1980RESOLVED: That the federal government should significantly strengthen the regulation of mass media communication in the United States.
1980s
1980–1981RESOLVED: That the United States should significantly increase its foreign military commitments.
1981–1982RESOLVED: That the federal government should significantly curtail the powers of the labor unions in the United States.
1982–1983RESOLVED: That all United States military intervention into the internal affairs of any foreign nation or nations in the Western Hemisphere should be prohibited.
1983–1984RESOLVED: 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.
1984–1985RESOLVED: That the United States federal government should significantly increase exploration and/or development of space beyond the Earth's mesosphere.
1985–1986RESOLVED: 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.
1986–1987RESOLVED: 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.
1987–1988RESOLVED: That the United States should reduce substantially its military commitments to NATO member states.
1988–1989RESOLVED: That United States foreign policy toward one or more African nations should be substantially changed.
1989–1990RESOLVED: That the federal government should adopt an energy policy that substantially reduces nonmilitary consumption of fossil fuels in the United States.
1990s
1990–1991RESOLVED: That the United States should substantially change its trade policy toward one or more of the following: China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan.
1991–1992RESOLVED: That one or more United States Supreme Court decisions recognizing a federal Constitutional right to privacy should be overruled.
1992–1993RESOLVED: 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.
1993–1994RESOLVED: That the Commander-in-Chief power of the President of the United States should be substantially curtailed.
1994–1995RESOLVED: 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.
1995–1996RESOLVED: 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.
1996–1997RESOLVED: That the United States Federal Government should increase regulations requiring industries to substantially decrease the domestic emission and/or production of environmental pollutants.
1997–1998RESOLVED: 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.
1998–1999RESOLVED: 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.
1999–2000RESOLVED: 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
2000–2001RESOLVED: That the United States Federal Government should substantially increase its development assistance, including increasing government to government assistance, within the Greater Horn of Africa.
2001–2002RESOLVED: 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.
2002–2003RESOLVED: That the United States Federal Government should ratify or accede to, and implement, one or more of the following:
  • The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty;
  • The Kyoto Protocol;
  • The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court;
  • The Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights aiming at the Abolition of the Death Penalty;
  • The Treaty between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on Strategic Offensive Reductions, if not ratified by the United States.
2003–2004RESOLVED: That the United States Federal Government should enact one or more of the following:
  • Withdrawal of its World Trade Organization complaint against the European Union’s restrictions on genetically modified foods;
  • A substantial increase in its government-to-government economic and/or conflict prevention assistance to Turkey and/or Greece;
  • Full withdrawal from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization;
  • Removal of its barriers to and encouragement of substantial European Union and/or North Atlantic Treaty Organization participation in
    • Peacekeeping in Iraq and reconstruction in Iraq;
    • Removal of its tactical nuclear weapons from Europe;
    • Harmonization of its intellectual property law with the European Union in the area of human DNA sequences;
    • Rescission of all or nearly all agriculture subsidy increases in the 2002 Farm Bill.
2004–2005RESOLVED: 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.
2005–2006RESOLVED: 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.
2006–2007RESOLVED: 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).
2007–2008RESOLVED: 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.
2008–2009RESOLVED: 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.
2009–2010RESOLVED: 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
2010–2011RESOLVED: 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.
2011–2012RESOLVED: The United States Federal Government should substantially increase its democracy assistance for one or more of the following: Bahrain, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen.
2012–2013RESOLVED: 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.
2013–2014RESOLVED: 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.
2014-2015RESOLVED: 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

  1. ↑ "The West Point National Tournament". Retrieved 26 April 2012.
  2. ↑ Ziegelmueller, George. "Selected Personal History of the NDT". Retrieved 26 April 2012.
  3. ↑ "An Introduction to the National Debate Tournament". Retrieved 26 April 2012.
  4. ↑ Parson, Donn. "W(h)ither the NDT?". Retrieved 26 April 2012.
  5. ↑ "National Debate Tournament Copeland Award". Retrieved 26 April 2012.

External links