What is Parliamentary Debate?

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Parliamentary is an on-the-spot, audience-centered debate format which stresses rigorous argumentation, logical analysis, and quick thinking. Each team consists of two individuals with both teams speaking for a total of forty minutes. Debaters are presented with their round topic and side twenty minutes prior to the start of the debate, encouraging competitors to have a breadth and depth of knowledge, as they can be forced to debate topics addressing any current political, economic, social, or philosophical issue on such short notice. While evidence plays a role in each team's case, parliamentary debaters focus on argumentation and rhetoric rather than technical rule based strategies. Debates are structured to not only argue against the validity of a team's contentions, but also against a team's mindset and assumptions of the status quo, making parliamentary an adaptable and intellectually demanding format.