Argumentation
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Arguments in the Middle School Public Debate Program should follow the ARESR format. Adhering to this structure not only increases your speaker points since the rubric explicitly references ARESR but also ensures that your arguments cover every needed aspect. Below is an explanation of each aspect of ARESR and examples based on the topic “The United States should implement a single-payer healthcare system” although an actual argument would require more elaboration.
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Assertion
An assertion is a brief, simple sentence that summarizes the argument. Since the judge will write down your assertion, make sure that your assertion is memorable and accurately encapsulates your argument.
“Single-payer healthcare saves money”
Reasoning
The reasoning is the logical explanation that demonstrates why the assertion is true.
“In the status quo, each insurance company must individually negotiate with healthcare providers and pharmaceutical companies. Since insurance companies each have relatively small market shares while healthcare providers and pharmaceutical companies can have monopoly power, the current system allows corporations to charge exorbitant prices that make healthcare prohibitively expensive. Under a single-payer healthcare system, however, the government functions as the sole negotiator, providing it with greater bargaining power that allows it to negotiate lower prices; it is for this reason that drug prices under Medicare and Medicaid are relatively low. Moreover, single payer healthcare would streamline billing and other administrative processes by conjoining the fragmented healthcare system into one cohesive entity, alleviating the burden of mindless paperwork drowning insurers and hospitals. Therefore, a single-payer healthcare system would drive down the cost of healthcare and allow more people to access care.”
Evidence
To substantiate your reasoning, you need to provide evidence: studies, examples, anecdotes, and/or expert testimony that shows why your reasoning is valid. Your evidence should be supported by a credible source such as a respected newspaper, a think tank, government research, or academic articles. In order to prevent the other team from invalidating your argument simply due to the absence of a source, state the author, publication, and date of your source. Each argument should be supported by multiple pieces of evidence, with both the first and second speakers presenting different evidence.
“According to Hannah Kuchler of the Financial Times in 2019, the eight most popular prescription drug brands cost between twice and six times as much in the United States than in England and Canada, both countries with a single payer system. By averaging the numbers from five studies authored by renowned economists, think tanks, and health policy experts, we see that, propelled by lower administrative costs, lower drug costs, and lower imbursement rates for physicians and hospitals, single payer healthcare would only raise total health expenditure by about 8% while providing insurance for 30 million more people.”
Significance
Given that your assertion is true, you need to explain why it’s important; the judge cannot give your argument much weight unless you clearly spell out why they should. Students often fail to thoroughly explain the significance (also known as impact) of their argument, but it might be the most important aspect of your argument. Significance contains two parts: quantitative significance (how many people are affected) and qualitative significance (how much these people are affected). To successfully convey significance, continue to answer the question “so what?” until you can no longer do so.
“In the status quo, healthcare saps up an average of over $10,000 per person per year in the United States, according to Ester Bloom of CNBC in 2017. By decreasing healthcare costs, single-payer healthcare would save money for families and taxpayers, allowing them to spend more money on food, shelter, and consumption. With a single-payer healthcare system, fewer people would skip meals or sell their houses because of healthcare costs, elevating the quality of life of millions across the United States.”
Result
After illustrating the importance of your argument in the real world (on the macro level), you need to convey why it’s important in the debate itself (on the micro level). Explain to the judge why your argument is more important than those of the other team and why you win the debate based on the argument.
“Therefore, although the opposition team argues that single-payer healthcare is too expensive, it would actually save money for American taxpayers, thereby refuting their main argument. Rather than leeching money from taxpayers, single-payer healthcare would eliminate inefficiency and diminish healthcare costs.”