Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Prep #12
Prep #12
Questions of policy concern what should be done, what law should be changed, or what policy
should be followed.
o For example: The United States should stop capital punishment.
o Burden of proof:
Defining key term: Which arm of the US government are you talking about?
What do you mean by capital punishment?
Some problem or harm must exist: The speaker of the above topic can argue that
capital punishment costs more than imprisonment or rehabilitation programs.
There are inherent barriers exist that is preventing the status quo from acting to
solve the problem: Why is the current policy on capital punishment not effective
in reducing crime and reducing cost for the government?
The speaker must establish that his/her recommended course of action will solve
the problem.
4. How do you know whether your topic needs to be argued from fact, value, or policy?
Your topic needs to be argued from fact if your topic posits whether something is true or untrue,
or is the potential for controversy. It also must be specific as to time, place, people involved, and
situation.
o For example: Global warming is caused by increased greenhouse gases
Your topic needs to be argue from value if your topic posits whether something is right or wrong,
and it involves judgments arise from social, religious, and/or cultural values.
o For example: Affirmative action should be ban because it reinforces social inequality
Your topic needs to be argue from policy if your topic posits whether an social entity should or
should not do something
o For example: The US government should stop commercial bank from getting too big to
fail
Organizational Patterns
5. What organizational patterns are best for questions of fact, value, or policy?
Topical, spatial, or chronological organizational patterns are best for questions of fact
Topic pattern is best for question of value. However, the speaker may weaver his/her criteria into
main points to highlight his/her arguments.
Problem-solution, problem-cause-solution, comparative advantage, and Monroes motivated
sequence are best for questions of policy:
o Problem-solution is best when you are advocating a change in policy
o Problem-cause-solution is best when you want to highlight the causes associated with a
problem.
o Comparative advantage order is best when you want to compare the advantages and
disadvantages of two competing solutions.
o Monroes motivated sequence includes five steps
Attention capture attention of your audience
Need demonstrate that the problem must be addressed
Satisfaction address your recommended course of action
Visualization Help the listeners visualize the benefits of adopting your plan
Action Tell the listeners what they should do and how they can do it.
6. How do you decide which organizational pattern is most appropriate for your topic?
First, one need to decide whether he/she is going to argue the topic from facts, values or policy.
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Next, one need to understand what the focus of the topic is: Does he/she want to focus on the
different aspects of the problem, the cause associated with the problem, or the course of actions
needed to solve the problem?
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