Round 1:
1. It's 1793, and the recently formed American nation has lost the protection of the British navy. Barbary pirates captured 11 US ships and over 100 citizens prompting a commercial and humanitarian crisis. You, President George Washington, are given an ultimatum to pay a tribute in order to get hostages returned and have no more ships attacked. Resolved: Don't pay the tribute.
2. It’s 1798, and the young US has concerns over national security. Congress has passed the Alien and Sedition Acts. As President Adams, you are concerned about the impact these will have on the new nation. Resolved: Veto the bills.
3. It’s October 2001, and the 9/11 attacks have led the US to initiate the Global War on Terror. The Executive Branch is asking for powers to ensure that this attack doesn’t happen again. Congress is considering the Patriot Act. Resolved: Vote down the Patriot Act.
Round 2:
1. Within international relations, reciprocity should be valued more than rules.
2. A two-party system is to be preferred over a multi-party system.
3. Resiliency should be valued more than efficiency.
Round 3:
1. The USFG should reinstate the National Strategic Helium Reserve.
2. The USFG should ban corporate acquisition of single family residences in the US.
3. The USFG should confiscate Chinese owned farmland.
Round 4:
1. The USFG should lead the establishment of an international regulatory framework for lunar resource extraction.
2. The UN should make the Artemis Accords legally binding.
3. The USFG should grant SpaceX permission to operate orbital data centers.
Round 5:
1. "In mathematics, the art of asking questions is more valuable than solving problems." – Georg Cantor.
2. Dumb appliances should be preferred over smart appliances
3. As an instrument, the accordion is undervalued.
Round 6:
1. The Petrodollar is king.
2. America's democratic beacon on a hill should cast a wider light.
3. The pioneer wagon train should head for Mars.
Double-Octo Finals:
1. The use of automated officiating systems is good for the game.
2. Players from the "steroid era" should not be excluded from induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame
3. Current funding disparities between high school sports and fine arts programs are detrimental to student development.
Octo Finals:
1. "A power over a man's subsistence amounts to a power over his will." -- Alexander Hamilton
2. "Mercy to the guilty is cruelty to the innocent." -- Adam Smith
3. "The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults." -- Alexis de Tocqueville
Quarter Finals:
1. USFG should revoke the District of Columbia Home Rule Act for Washington, DC
2. Astronomy is undervalued
3. It’s summer 1945. VE Day has occurred, but Japan is still fighting in Asia and the Pacific. The Manhattan Project has successfully created an atomic weapon. Advisors are counseling you, President Harry Truman, to use it against Japan to stop the war. Resolved: Don’t drop atomic bombs in Japan.
Semi Finals:
1. USFG should revoke the District of Columbia Home Rule Act for Washington, DC
2. Astronomy is undervalued
3. It’s summer 1945. VE Day has occurred, but Japan is still fighting in Asia and the Pacific. The Manhattan Project has successfully created an atomic weapon. Advisors are counseling you, President Harry Truman, to use it against Japan to stop the war. Resolved: Don’t drop atomic bombs in Japan.
Finals:
1. Societal stability is better secured by personal virtue than by statutory law.
2. The second 250 years will be better than the first 250 years for America.
3. Being a good follower is an underrated skill.
4. A Constitutional Convention has been called. Resolved: Repeal the 17th Amendment
5. "Remember, all men would be tyrants if they could." -- Abigail Adams