forensics debate test
Terms
undefined, object
copy deck
- chair
- leader of an assembly who runs its meeting by recognizing members to speak or move (also: presiding officer, speaker, or president)
- floor
- when a member has the full attention of the assembly to speak and also the area of those who meet
- commitee
- a small group of assembly members who meet and bring recommendations to the full assembly
- legislation
- specific, written proposal (bill or resolution) made by a member or committee for assembly to debate
- ammendment
- a specific change in legislation explaining exactly which words it modifies, not changing intent
- docket
- a packet of legislation drafted for consideration by the assembly
- bill
- legislation that describes the details of how a policy would be enacted; a plan of action
- resolution
- an expression of conviction, or value/belief of an assembly which may urge/request/suggest further action by another decision - making authority (resolution, rational, resolved clause)
- agenda
- the order or legislation as suggested by a member or "rules" or "calendar" committee, and adopted by a vote of the assembly
- authorship
- constructive speech of up to 3 minutes, introducing legislation for debate, authored by that members school. These speeches are followed by a 2 min. cross examination period.
- sponsorship
- same as authorship, except that it's not given by the authoring school (when the author/school declines this privilege)
- negative speech
- expressing opposition to legislation
- motion
- a proposal that a member wished to bring before the group (putting it "on the floor")
- main motion
- an item for discussion (proposed laws or actions)
- subsidiary motion
- to change the course of action on a motion (amendment)
- incidental motion
- to change how an assembly works
- privileged motion
- to alter the physical constraints of the assembly
- procedence
- standard rule in most languages, which requires the p.o. to choose speakers who have spoken least or not at all
- recency
- widely used system, but not a rule, where the P.O. not only employs precedence, but also selects speakers based on who has spoken least recently or earlier
- simple majority
- those voting; abstentations do not count, so if 3 members vote, 2 to 1, and 12 abstain, the ayes have it and the motion passes
- fractional majority
- taken of the static (unchanging) count of those sealed at the beginning of the assembly, so no's and abstentions need not be counted
- division
- when a count is not clear, a member may call "division" for a standing vote
- unanimous conscent
- when it is apparent there would be no opposition to a motion
- objection
- the P.O. then takes a vote
- longest standing
- the P.O. makes note of who rises to speak initially
- activity
- the P.O. keeps track of questions and motions and rewards member who are "more active"
- geography
- balances recognition of speakes among various areas in chamber. The P.O. should ensure that an equal members of affirmative and negative speeches are called from the same zone.
- open chambers
- these are discouraged - when you wish to exit chambers say, "I move for a personal privilege".