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Introduction
Introduction
In a speech during a congressional debate, each and every word is as valuable as gold. You will find yourself trying to jam multiple detailed arguments and clash into a single speech, and thus want to make the most of the words that you can afford.
Most congressional debaters, ranging from slow and deliberate speakers to fast but clear ones, will find themselves clocking in at around 300 to 500 words in a speech. That’s not exactly a lot to work with when you want to fit multiple arguments, refutation, and more.
So, your goal in Congress is to make the most of the words that you do have. How do you do this? By managing your word economy, or how you use your words efficiently. Well, let’s explore that.
Unnecessary Sources
Unnecessary Sources
More evidence does not make your speech automatically more convincing. Evidence should only be used when it is relevant and used in your argument. Otherwise, it should be cut out or shrunken down to save space. When you do use evidence, try to paraphrase it and make it as small as possible. A major offender in this case is overlapping evidence:
Overlapping sources
There are two types of usage of overlapping sources in debate. The first is when different sources report the same statistic or statement and are conjoined together (These are not real sources, examples):
“Pew Research Center in 2023 and The State of Wyoming in 2023 find that…”
The second type of overlapping sources is when two different sources make the same statement, but report essentially the same statistics.
“Pew Research Center in 2023 finds that peanut butter sales have increased 13% this year. On a similar note, The State of Wyoming in 2023 shows statistics that peanut butter sales have increased 14% this year.”
The first example can usually be left as it is, as it provides reinforcement from 2 sources for just a few extra words. This can be useful when attempting to dilute the significance of the opposing side’s evidence with overwhelming evidence on your side using ethos. However, the second one will cost a lot more in terms of word economy and time, rehashes the same statement, and should be avoided at all costs. When you encounter this situation, try to cut out the least significant one of the sources.
Check out this presentation on evidence by Ojasvi Saxena to learn to weed out ineffective evidence.
For more help, use this website to learn how to use more advanced Google Search Operators
Irrelevant Sources
Irrelevant Sources
While some sources may be synonymous with each other, others may not be needed at all. When you put a source into your argument, always ask yourself these two questions:
How is the evidence relevant to the topic?
Can I use this evidence to make a convincing argument?
If the answer to either of these questions is no, then don’t use that source and take it out of your speech. For example, in a speech about taxing carbon emissions to reduce climate change, if you use a piece of evidence about foreign policy in Nigeria, it acts as dead weight and you will not be able to effectively use it to improve your arguments in your speech.
Analyzing evidence is the same processes you use in your high school history class!
Understand the entirety of the evidence
Connect to your argument
Check to see if the evidence counters any of the other Senator’s points
This evidence refutes Senator XYZ’s claim, as it states …. which the Senator fails to realize.
You want to make sure that the link is clear, and that your analysis actively engages with the debate.
Make sure it does not stray away from the debate
Using Google search operators is crucial to find the proper sources:
For example, Site:.edu (filters search to only .edu sources), Site:.gov (filters search to only .gov sources)
This reduces time spent searching for evidence, higher chance you come across a better source.
Never use AI to find statistics
Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing
Being able to paraphrase a piece of evidence or quotation in a Congressional Debate is one of the most important things you can do. At its core, paraphrasing is putting a piece of evidence in your own words, and it can be used to significantly further your word economy. Here’s an example:
(NSDA 2023 Nationals-Resize House of Representatives)
Original:
A survey by Pew Research in the July of 2022 finds that: “Both Democrat and Republican parties have moved further away from the ideological center since the early 1970s, with both sides becoming more polarized than ever.”
Paraphrased:
A Pew Research survey in the July of 2022 found that over 50 years, Democrats and Republicans have become more polarized than ever.
See how much paraphrasing the quote shortens it? Even though it may not seem like much of a difference, paraphrasing the quote, while still retaining its original meaning, costs much less in terms of word economy, which can be critical in round. In addition, in certain cases by paraphrasing the quote, you can eliminate potential evidence that might prove to the detriment of your side, and only summarize the beneficial parts.
However, remember: Do not paraphrase impactful quotes!
However, remember: Do not paraphrase impactful quotes!
If your quote contains a deeply sentimental personal quote from a person or anything else with a deep emotional impact or pathos, then it should not be paraphrased.
For example, here’s a quote from Joe Biden:
“Corruption is a cancer: a cancer that eats away at a citizen's faith in democracy, diminishes the instinct for innovation and creativity; already-tight national budgets, crowding out important national investments.”
Here is another impactful quote that should not be paraphrased…
If the affirmation still doesn’t believe me, Bringham University explains in a 2023 article that School shootings reached an all-time high in 2022 and have increased by 1,900% from 2010–2022.
Although it may be longer than usual, this quote carries significant emotional baggage with it in the form of pathos (quality that invokes sadness), and that emotional luggage is something that you do not want to cut out by simply reducing it to a paraphrased “Joe Biden states that corruption is bad”. In this case, do not paraphrase the quote, and instead deliver it as it is instead.
Modulate your voice when you deliver an impactful quote, if it is a shocking statistic or finding, emphasize that with your voice. (Watch NSDA Nationals House/Senate Finals 2023 on YouTube, to get an idea)...
Fluffy Rhetoric
Fluffy Rhetoric
The saying goes: “Too many chefs ruin the broth”. Too much rhetoric ruins a speech as well. Rhetoric will always remain a crucial part of any successful and stirring Congress speech, but too much rhetoric can be bad! A good one-liner will usually be able to beat a long story that takes up most of your introduction and leaves you with less time to construct your arguments. Rhetoric is meant to supplement your speech, not become your speech.
Remember the judges and your parliamentarians are going to spend hours in your chamber. They are going to be BORED. Rhetoric that is eye-catching, funny, and concise is the BEST.
So how much rhetoric is too much…
When your rhetoric feels forced and unnatural, then it’s a sign that you’re using too much rhetoric. This is especially common when using humorous rhetoric, you feel as though you are forcing your jokes into the speech. Don’t. If you don’t feel like you should make a joke, it’s probably not the right topic to make a joke on, and will only be extra fluff that will weigh down your speech. A good standard is to make no more than 3 jokes in a speech with humorous rhetoric, 2 in the intro, 1 in the main body of the speech.
Even when using dramatic rhetoric or when drawing comparison rhetoric, you should limit it to the most impactful areas only, where it is most likely to have an effect. Here’s a list of where rhetoric is most likely to be impactful in your speech.
Introduction/Conclusion (humor is key)
Transitions
In-text comparisons
Miscellaneous statements.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary
Remember when you compete, you are presenting to judges and they must be able to understand your arguments. Extremely high-level vocab can just leave the room in confusion even though you understand it. The whole purpose of debate is to get your points across, and you want to do that most efficiently.
For example (Extremely Complicated Response): "In the paradigm of substantive elucidation, the quintessential proclivity of the ontological framework becomes intrinsically imperative for the comprehensive instantiation of perspicacious discourses, thereby engendering an ineluctable hermeneutical conundrum."
Simplify: "To explain things clearly, it's crucial to understand the fundamentals of the subject. This is necessary for creating insightful discussions and can sometimes lead to unavoidable challenges."
Remember using simpler language will not take away from your credibility or impact as a Senator/Rep.
Benefits of simplifying language:
Reduces the probability of mispronouncing the words during a speech
Judges will understand your arguments and if your lay/delivery is good, it sounds AMAZING
Stay within the word limit (making your speeches as concise as possible)
Timing
Timing
Many novice representatives often make the mistake of overwriting because they fear running under time or want to cram in as much information as possible to buttress their arguments. However, when they come up to deliver their speech, they might realize that they have written too much to finish, and will begin to speak faster and faster to avoid running overtime. Don’t do this! Speaking faster means that not only do your words become more unintelligible to the judges in the round, but you also risk running severely under time before the presiding officer even brings their gavel down. Sometimes these situations may seem uncontrollable, but they aren’t! Here’s how you can work on that.
Know your limits
You want to know how many words you can speak per minute under normal circumstances, and thus how many words you can fit into a 3-minute speech. A good target to aim for is somewhere around 350-400 words per speech, but that can differ depending on the mood of delivery and other factors such as the clarity of your speaking. Set that as the boundary for the amount of words in your speech, and practice it once or twice to get a feeling for how fast you are supposed to deliver it. When adding on or editing a speech mid-round for clash, try as best as you can to stick to the word limit as well.
Remember if you type your speeches online (Ctrl + Shift + C shows word count on Google Doc)
It all depends on how fast you speak when you give a congressional speech, time yourself to get an idea.
Calm down
Many newer representatives may think of stress management as a secondary factor in congressional debate, but it’s just as important as anything else! Stress can be a major factor in causing you to speed up when speaking. When you’re the center of the stares of judges and competitors, it’s normal to want to escape from it as fast as you can, and so you instinctually start reading faster. Don’t. Relax, and right before your speech starts, when the judges are ready, take a deep breath in and out. You’ll find yourself talking much slower and much more coherently.
Clarity
If you can make your evidence and arguments as simple and compact as possible, you should do so. Try targeting smaller segments of vocabulary and general statements instead of the speech as a whole.
Avoid using complex words that take up extra time and lower clarity. Always think: “Is there a way I can make this simpler?” When you encounter complex phrases that can be substituted for a shorter one, it’s always a good idea to do so.
Conclusion
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are many ways that you can cut down on your word count in a speech while also delivering it more concisely, and maintaining the same impact on the audience. Some key details to remember are…
Cut down on unnecessary or overlapping sources and quotations.
Paraphrase any long and winding quotes
Cut out unnecessary rhetoric
Doing so will not only significantly help your clarity, but will also allow you to make more space for arguments, refutations, and more, which should always be the key focus of any effective Congress speech. Happy writing!
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