Legislation

Participating schools may submit legislation when they register their entries for competition. If the purpose of legislation is to affect change in the status quo, then ideas should stem from a desire to solve problems or meet needs. The best legislation in Student Congress is debatable, meaning there is some degree of controversy in either the topic or how the legislation intends to addresses the issue(s). Before students draft legislation, they should research the scope of jurisdictional power Congress has for lawmaking on the given topic, and what agency (or agencies) of the federal government would be responsible for enforcement and implementation of that legislation. See the “Writing Legislation” article.

Researching the Docket

The tournament will send participating schools a docket of legislation, usually e-mailed, posted online or shared as titles (that indicate the intent/topic area of the bills/resolutions, for which copies will be brought to the competition by the authoring schools). Each squad will then brainstorm affirmative and negative arguments and find supporting evidence through research.

Role Playing

• Students should act the part → being the senator or representative, who weighs the needs of the theoretical constituents they represent. This includes speaking as a legislator would talk, and acting genuinely nice to other delegates. If students think of the purpose of Congress as serving a higher need of solving problems in our society (rather than as a debate competition), they will take it more seriously. Humor is okay, but shouldn’t be the emphasis of speaking or conduct.
• Students should dress the part → professional legislators wear business attire. Dress shoes are highly recommended with restraint toward tasteful accessories that would not distract an audience.

Chamber Opening Business

Upon arrival at a meet, students are assigned to chambers, sometimes labeled as a “Senate” or “House (of Representatives),” where they would be assigned the appropriate courtesy title (Senator or Representative). When tournaments prepare placards (name cards) with students’ names (or make cardstock paper and markers available), it enhances the dignity of the event, and makes identification of speakers by judges more efficient. The first task a chamber assumes is to determine seating arrangement. Either the tournament will provide a seating chart with assigned placements, or students will fill in a blank seating chart. This facilitates easier identification by student presiding officers and judges.

Setting the Agenda

With the legislative docket provided to schools, students in each chamber will:

• Offer proposed agendas, which are written in the order they wish to debate it. The chamber will conduct a single-ballot election until one agenda receives a majority vote.
• Convene an “Agenda,” “Calendar” or “Rules” Committee, comprised of one representative from each school, who will collaboratively determine an agenda for the duration of the session. By virtue of procedure, whatever order this committee settles upon becomes binding unless rules are suspended.
• Convening several committees based on issues (whereby all members of a chamber serve on a committee).

Presiding Officer Election

Using a single ballot election, presiding officers are elected for each session (or fragment thereof as established by each individual tournament’s procedural rules).

Competition Structure

There are many methods of determining who earns a trophy or gavel as the “Best Legislator/Speaker,” or “Best Presiding Officer.” These methods vary in their degree by tournament of including adult judge scores and nominations and student voting. The most common method is where judges either nominate students, or the cumulative point totals they award students determines who advances. Students then cast a “preferential ballot” ranking their peers, in order of favor.

© 2008 Adam J. Jacobi for Student Congress Debate