overview
1. Research and write a bill.
2. Form Congressional committees.
3. Congressional committees discuss bills and rank them for presentation.
4. Prepare an authorship speech to deliver to introduce your bill.
4. Choose one bill to speak for and one to speak against.
5. Prepare a pro speech and a con speech on the bills.
7. Learn the basics of parliamentary procedure.
8. Participate in a Mock Congress in which the bills are presented, debated, and voted on using parliamentary procedure
2. Form Congressional committees.
3. Congressional committees discuss bills and rank them for presentation.
4. Prepare an authorship speech to deliver to introduce your bill.
4. Choose one bill to speak for and one to speak against.
5. Prepare a pro speech and a con speech on the bills.
7. Learn the basics of parliamentary procedure.
8. Participate in a Mock Congress in which the bills are presented, debated, and voted on using parliamentary procedure
Researching and writing your bill
Task #1: To research and write a bill for the mock Congress that will take place in our class.
Each bill must be original — you may research actual bills, but your bill should contain original ideas.
Use examples from actual bills at http://www.house.gov and http://senate.gov to assist you.
Must be a minimum of one page, single-spaced typed. You will submit your completed bill to Google Classroom. Your bill will include these sections:
Sources - a minimum of three sources listed using MLA bibliographic forms
Refer to the template.
Each bill must be original — you may research actual bills, but your bill should contain original ideas.
Use examples from actual bills at http://www.house.gov and http://senate.gov to assist you.
Must be a minimum of one page, single-spaced typed. You will submit your completed bill to Google Classroom. Your bill will include these sections:
- Preamble
- Section 1: Title
- Section 2: Purposes
- Section 3: Definitions
- Section 4: Main Provisions
- Section 5: Funding
- Section 6: Administration
- Section 7: Penalty Clause
- Section 8: Effective Date
Sources - a minimum of three sources listed using MLA bibliographic forms
Refer to the template.
preparing to speak - authorship, affirmative or negative?
Debate on each piece of legislation starts with a speech introducing the bill, which is called authorship and is delivered by the student representative who wrote it. The authorship speech is considered an affirmative speech, one that supports the bill.
This authorship speech on each piece of legislation will be followed by a three-minute technical question period. Technical questions are questions asked about the bill that can be answered by the author of the bill with a fact or a yes/no answer. Questions and answers are timed continuously once the first questioner is recognized by the chair.
Once the opening authorship(affirmative) and the first negative speech have been given, other members will be given the option of taking the floor to speak in favor or against the proposed bill, alternating affirmative and negative speeches. Each of these speeches will be limited to three minutes, with a one -minute Q&A period unless the membership votes to suspend the rules in favor of a longer questioning time.
This authorship speech on each piece of legislation will be followed by a three-minute technical question period. Technical questions are questions asked about the bill that can be answered by the author of the bill with a fact or a yes/no answer. Questions and answers are timed continuously once the first questioner is recognized by the chair.
Once the opening authorship(affirmative) and the first negative speech have been given, other members will be given the option of taking the floor to speak in favor or against the proposed bill, alternating affirmative and negative speeches. Each of these speeches will be limited to three minutes, with a one -minute Q&A period unless the membership votes to suspend the rules in favor of a longer questioning time.
Summary - order of speeches
- Author of Bill speaks first (Affirmative)
- First Negative Speech
- 2nd Affirmative Speech
- 2nd Negative Speech
- Speeches continue to alternate until there are no opposition speeches. At this time the speaker will allow additional affirmative speeches as are available.
authorship/Affirmative/Negative speech - up to 3 minutes
structure: Introduction, Body, Refutation, and Conclusion
Writing the introduction of your speech
Introduction (15-30 sec.)
"Fellow representatives the motion up for discussion today is Bill # ___, [Title of the bill]"
Purpose ("I stand in affirmative/negative on the bill...")
Preview ("for the following reasons" preview your arguments)
Explain the Importance of Your Bill
What problem or issue does your bill address? Develop this section as you did the Need step of your charity speech.
Show the representatives why your bill is needed. Cite the sources of your evidence.
Writing the body of your speech is as easy as A.R.E. X 3
The Argument is the point that you are making about why the bill should be affirmed or negated. [What do you think?]
The Reasoning is the three or four explanations of what the argument means and why it is relevant. [Why do you think that?]
The Evidence is the facts, examples, reasoning from two sources (minimum) used to support the argument. [How do you know?]
Repeat the pattern for each of your arguments for or against the bill.
(Argument - What you think) My first point is that gun control laws lead to greater rates of black market gun sales. (Reasoning - why you think that) Gun control laws lead to strict regulation of who can and who cannot buy guns. Often those who seek to purchase a gun are those who would not pass the necessary background checks in order to purchase a gun. As a result, these individuals seek back channel methods to purchase firearms. In turn this helps to support criminal and dangerous groups in our society.(Evidence - how you know) According to The Future of Freedom Foundation in an article written May 23, 2010, black market gun sellers service “over 2 million customers each year.” Further the Cato Institute contends that the profits made by black market gun sellers leads to “further expansion of illegal gun and drug empires into struggling communities.” Without question the well-intentioned gun control laws have had an adverse effect on gun sales and safety in America.
Refuting the Opposition's Argument
Refuting an argument can be easily done in 4 simple steps
Opponents of this bill say that gun control laws lead to increases in gun sales made through the black market, but eliminating gun control laws would cause greater hikes in crime as almost anyone would be able to purchase firearms. This is because it becomes easier to purchase guns after laws are eliminated. According to a Mayors Against Illegal Guns study, over half of the violent gun crimes in America occurred with guns purchased legally from states with relaxed gun control laws. Therefore while gun control laws may lead to greater sales in black markets, eliminating gun control laws all together would drastically increase violent crime even further.
Writing the Conclusion
Conclusion (30 sec.)
Introduction (15-30 sec.)
"Fellow representatives the motion up for discussion today is Bill # ___, [Title of the bill]"
Purpose ("I stand in affirmative/negative on the bill...")
Preview ("for the following reasons" preview your arguments)
Explain the Importance of Your Bill
What problem or issue does your bill address? Develop this section as you did the Need step of your charity speech.
Show the representatives why your bill is needed. Cite the sources of your evidence.
Writing the body of your speech is as easy as A.R.E. X 3
The Argument is the point that you are making about why the bill should be affirmed or negated. [What do you think?]
The Reasoning is the three or four explanations of what the argument means and why it is relevant. [Why do you think that?]
The Evidence is the facts, examples, reasoning from two sources (minimum) used to support the argument. [How do you know?]
Repeat the pattern for each of your arguments for or against the bill.
(Argument - What you think) My first point is that gun control laws lead to greater rates of black market gun sales. (Reasoning - why you think that) Gun control laws lead to strict regulation of who can and who cannot buy guns. Often those who seek to purchase a gun are those who would not pass the necessary background checks in order to purchase a gun. As a result, these individuals seek back channel methods to purchase firearms. In turn this helps to support criminal and dangerous groups in our society.(Evidence - how you know) According to The Future of Freedom Foundation in an article written May 23, 2010, black market gun sellers service “over 2 million customers each year.” Further the Cato Institute contends that the profits made by black market gun sellers leads to “further expansion of illegal gun and drug empires into struggling communities.” Without question the well-intentioned gun control laws have had an adverse effect on gun sales and safety in America.
Refuting the Opposition's Argument
Refuting an argument can be easily done in 4 simple steps
- Briefly restate the point the speaker just made and the point you are about to answer.
- For example: [What the opposition says]“Those against this bill say that gun control laws lead to increases in gun sales made through the black market.
- Make your counter assertion
- For example: [What you say] “But eliminating gun control laws would cause greater hikes in crime as almost anyone would be able to purchase firearms.”
- Offer reasoning and evidence to support your counter-assertion.
- For example: [Why you say that] “This is because it becomes easier to purchase firearms after laws are eliminated [How do you know]. According to a Mayors Against Illegal Guns study, over half of the violent gun crimes in America occurred with guns purchased legally from states with relaxed gun control laws”
- Conclude your point by comparing your point to the point you’re answering.
- For example: [They say/you say] “Therefore while gun control laws may lead to greater sales in black markets, eliminating gun control laws all together would drastically increase violent crime even further.”
Opponents of this bill say that gun control laws lead to increases in gun sales made through the black market, but eliminating gun control laws would cause greater hikes in crime as almost anyone would be able to purchase firearms. This is because it becomes easier to purchase guns after laws are eliminated. According to a Mayors Against Illegal Guns study, over half of the violent gun crimes in America occurred with guns purchased legally from states with relaxed gun control laws. Therefore while gun control laws may lead to greater sales in black markets, eliminating gun control laws all together would drastically increase violent crime even further.
Writing the Conclusion
Conclusion (30 sec.)
- Summarize key arguments.
- Summarize counter-argument(s)
- Instruct the representatives how they should vote on the bill. ("For these reasons I urge my fellow representatives to vote . . .")
- Open yourself to questions. ("I now yield my time to the chair.")