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Champion Briefs is a trusted debate resource provider. We help students become Champions –individuals who excel at critical thinking, public speaking, performance, and argumentation while positively contributing to the community.
We offer comprehensive guides for Public Forum and Lincoln-Douglas debate topics. In each of our topic briefs, you'll find detailed topic analyses, cited evidence, and comprehensive information to help students and coaches prepare for debates and learn about the world.
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Files on the most recent topics to help your team prepare for upcoming debates.
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Free Resources
Competing Definitions of Non-Intervention – Adjusting for Month 2 of the March/April LD Topic
The March/April Lincoln-Douglas topic—Resolved: The United States military ought to abide by the principle of non-intervention—seems straightforward at first glance. But by the second month of debate, most rounds aren’t being decided by better evidence or more cards—they’re being decided by something much more fundamental: what each debater means by “non-intervention.” Some debaters treat non-intervention as an absolute rule—no military action abroad, under any circumstances. Others allow for exceptions, especially in cases like genocide or mass atrocities. Still others interpret non-intervention as a general preference for restraint, not a strict prohibition. These aren’t small differences. They fundamentally change what the resolution means, which arguments are relevant, and how judges evaluate the round. In practice, debaters often talk past each other—one side defending absolute restraint while the other assumes exceptions are obvious. This article breaks down the competing interpretations of non-intervention, then shows how each one shapes the frameworks, arguments, and clash points that decide debates. By understanding these models, you can stop debating vague abstractions and start controlling the round.
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Who Should Decide When the U.S. Goes to War?
The April Public Forum topic asks debaters to evaluate one of the most fundamental questions in American government – Resolved: The United States should eliminate the President’s authority to deploy military forces abroad without Congressional approval. At first glance, this debate may seem like a technical question about constitutional powers. But at its core, the resolution asks something much bigger: who should decide when the United States uses military force—and whether the current system actually works as intended. The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war, while the President serves as Commander in Chief of the armed forces. In theory, this creates a balance: Congress decides when to enter conflict, and the President directs how that conflict is fought. However, over the past several decades, that balance has shifted dramatically. Presidents have increasingly deployed military force without formal declarations of war, often justifying their actions through broad authorizations or by avoiding the label of “war” altogether. For debaters, this topic is not just about legal definitions—it’s about constitutional design, historical evolution, and whether modern warfare has outgrown the system the Founders created. This article will explore those tensions, helping you understand the key arguments on both sides of the resolution.
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Video: April Public Forum Topic Analysis
Prepping for the April topic in Public Forum? Here's an in-depth, high-level topic analysis from our writers about the presidential military powers topic! Resolved: The United States should eliminate the President’s authority to deploy military forces abroad without Congressional approval.
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Flexbooks from Champion Press
Flexbooks are the best way for students to learn how to debate! Guided tutorials and 125+ interactive activities make these comprehensive books perfect for classes or after-school teams.
All Briefs
Here are our recent files for Public Forum and Lincoln-Douglas Debate. All briefs we've published over 13+ years are available in the Archive.
