The Value & Criterion Builder Worksheet

A value/criterion framework is what separates Lincoln-Douglas from a plain persuasive speech: it names the moral goal the round is actually about, then gives the judge a concrete way to measure who achieved it.

Step 1: Find your value

Ask: "What is the biggest moral concept this resolution is actually about?" Common values include justice, morality, individual autonomy, societal welfare. Write one candidate value in a sentence: "The value in this round is ___, because the resolution is fundamentally a question about ___."

Step 2: Stress-test the value

Ask yourself: could someone on the other side of this resolution also claim to support this same value? If yes (and often, yes), your value alone will not win the round, you need step 3.

Step 3: Build your criterion

The criterion is how the judge measures whether your value was achieved. Ask: "If I win that my side better achieves [value], what specific standard proves that?" Example: value = justice; criterion = "protecting individual rights from majoritarian overreach." The criterion turns an abstract value into something a judge can actually use to compare two cases.

Step 4: Write the framework sentence

Combine steps 1-3 into one sentence you will say early in your speech: "The value in this round is ___, and the criterion to achieve it is ___, because ___."

Step 5: Test it against your own contentions

Look at each argument (contention) in your case. Does it clearly link back to your criterion? If a contention does not obviously help you win the criterion, either cut it or rewrite it so the connection is explicit. A framework that is not used by your own contentions is decoration, not a real framework.