NCFCA Lincoln-Douglas Debate: Democracy (NEG)

This case is intended to counter the affirmative democracy case. The affirmative’s theme is that democracy hinges on citizens having the knowledge they need to make informed decisions. Since that argument is simple and persuasive, you’ll have to take this idea and build on it. Since both the right to privacy and the right to know are valuable, we obviously need to uphold them both as far as possible.

However, when it comes to political candidates, we should only disclose information that is absolutely necessary. Privacy should be the rule, not the exception. Implicit in this case is the idea that individual rights are the of highest importance to democracy, and the cards of evidence support this. Privacy is foundational for democracy, while the right to know is limited and secondary. The applications show specific examples of how this plays out. If you can shift the debate to your theme, you’ll have a persuasive case that sticks in your judges’ minds. Good luck!