Lincoln-Douglas debate
How to write a Lincoln-Douglas case
A Lincoln-Douglas case is built in a specific order: value, then criterion, then contentions that actually connect to it, not the other way around. Writing contentions first and trying to retrofit a framework underneath them is the single most common structural mistake, and it's usually why a case that sounds good out loud still falls apart under cross-examination.
Read the resolution three times, differently
First read for the plain meaning. Second read to circle every word that could be interpreted more than one way. Third read to say out loud who the resolution actually pits against whom, which two values or groups are genuinely in tension.
Choose a value
Ask what the biggest moral concept the resolution is actually about is: justice, autonomy, societal welfare, and so on. Write it as one sentence: "The value in this round is ___, because the resolution is fundamentally a question about ___."
Stress-test the value
Ask whether someone arguing the other side of the resolution could also claim to support the same value. If yes, and it usually is, the value alone will not win the round on its own. That's exactly what the next step is for.
Build a real criterion
The criterion is the specific, measurable standard that shows whether the value was actually achieved. Ask: if I win that my side better achieves the value, what specific standard proves that? A value without a working criterion is easy to agree with and hard to use to decide a round.
Write contentions that link to the criterion
A contention is a distinct argument with its own reasoning and evidence. Before writing one, ask how it helps win the criterion specifically. A contention that sounds persuasive but doesn't clearly connect back to the criterion is doing decoration, not real work in the round.
Cut it to time, then read it out loud
Write more than you need, then cut ruthlessly to what actually fits your speech time with room for delivery pacing. A case that looks complete on paper but runs long in practice isn't actually finished.
Want to practice this directly?
Our free Value & Criterion Builder Worksheet walks through steps 2-4 above as a fill-in worksheet, and our Case Structure Checklist is a pre-round checklist to confirm a finished case actually has every piece before you walk into a round with it.
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