The National Forensic Association (NFA) is an American intercollegiate organization designed to promote excellence in individual events and debate. Founded in 1971, the NFA National Tournament is dedicated to a full range of literature interpretation, public address, limited preparation, and Lincoln-Douglas debate. The NFA sponsors the NFA National Tournament on an annual basis.
Lincoln Douglas Debate NFA is unique in its NFA-LD Policy format. High school debate is primarily divided into individual debaters engaged in values-oriented competition or teams of debaters in rapid-paced evidence-based policy analysis. Instead of choosing one of these formats, NFA offers evidence-based policy analysis in one-on-one competition.
LD Policy Format At the beginning of each year a topic area and corresponding resolution is voted upon and subject to the entire season's debate. Each round competitors find themselves assigned to affirm or negate the resolution. Rather than affirm general ideas or values, affirmative competitors propose a particular policy to adopt as a representation of the resolution. Negative competitors will generally attempt to either demonstrate a lack of need for that policy or argue that said policy's disadvantages outweigh its benefits.
The first affirmative and negative speeches are constructive speeches, intended to put forth the arguments which will comprise the issues in dispute. A cross-examination period of three minutes follows each of these speeches in order to clarify arguments and gain information relevant to each competitor's position. Each competitor is then given a six-minute rebuttal in which their responses and development of the arguments are finalized. At the end of the round, the affirmative is given one final three-minute speech to review why their plan ought to be passed in support of the resolution. An assigned judge will then cast a ballot to affirm or negate the resolution.cas.bethel.edu
Past LD Debate Resolutions Year Resolution 1990-1991 (Exact resolution not available; it was on Supreme Court justice tenure) 1991-1992 Unknown 1992-1993 Resolved: That the terms of federal legislators should be limited to a specific duration. 1993-1994 Resolved: That the USFG should significantly alter laws for immigration into the US. 1994-1995 Resolved: That the FG should significantly reform the US public welfare system. 1995-1996 Resolved: That participation in one or more of the six principal bodies of the United Nations should be significantly restricted by altering the U.N. charter and/or rules of procedure. 1996-1997 Resolved: that the U.S. Department of Education should require the implementation of more rigorous methods of teacher and/or student performance evaluation in secondary school systems. 1997-1998 Resolved: that the United States federal government should significantly change its foreign policy toward Taiwan. 1998-1999 Resolved: that the US Federal Government should significantly increase its regulation of electronically mediated communication. 1999-2000 Resolved: that the United States federal government should increase restrictions on the development, use, and/or sale of genetically modified organisms. 2000-2001 Resolved: That the United States Federal Government should significantly increase restrictions on civil lawsuits. 2001-2002 Resolved: That the United States Federal Government should significantly alter its policy for combating international terrorism. 2002-2003 Resolved: that the United States Federal Government should significantly increase assistance to United States residents living below the poverty line. 2003-2004 Resolved: that the United States Federal Government should substantially increase environmental regulations on industrial pollution. 2004-2005 Resolved: that the United States Federal Government should significantly reform the criminal justice system. 2005-2006 Resolved: that the United States Federal Government should adopt a policy to increase the protection of human rights in one or more of the following nations: Tibet, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, East Timor, Indonesia, Philippines, and/or Pakistan. 2006-2007 Resolved: that the United States Federal Government should adopt a policy to significantly increase the production of energy from renewable sources. 2007-2008 Resolved: That the United States Federal Government should substantially increase assistance to the Greater Horn of Africa in one of the following areas: economic development, human rights protection, or public health. 2008-2009 Resolved: The United States Federal Government should substantially increase its constructive engagement with Cuba. 2009-2010 Resolved: That the United States Federal Government should substantially reform domestic transportation infrastructure. 2010-2011 Resolved: the United States Federal Government should substantially reform the provision of mental health services to the chronically mentally ill. 2011-2012 Resolved: the United States Federal Government should substantially change its trade policy and/or practices with the People’s Republic of China. 2012-2013 Resolved: the United States Federal Government should substantially increase assistance for organic and/or sustainable agriculture in the United States. 2013-2014 Resolved: The USFG should substantially reform elementary and/or secondary education in the U.S. 2014-2015 Resolved: the United States Federal Government should increase its development of the Earth's moon in one or more of the following areas: energy, minerals, and/or water. 2015-2016 Resolved: the United States Federal Government should substantially increase restrictions on bioprospecting. 2016-2017 Resolved: the United States Federal Government should substantially reduce the role of the United States Southern Command in Latin America. 2017-2018 Resolved: the United States federal government should substantially increase the regulation of state and/or local police misconduct in the United States. 2018-2019 Resolved: the United States federal government should substantially increase actions by United States Cyber Command to prevent complex catastrophe and/or protect critical infrastructure. 2019-2020 Resolved: The United States federal government should implement an energy policy that substantially increases investments in one or more of the following domestic energy sectors: nuclear, hydroelectric, geothermal, wind, solar. 2020-2021 Resolved: The United States federal government should implement immigration reform that removes substantial statutory restrictions on legal immigration into the United States. 2021-2022 Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially curtail its counterterrorism operations in one or more of the following areas: statutory authorization for use of military force, air and/or drone strikes, combat and/or 127e programs. 2022-2023 Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase restrictions on political campaigns for public office in one or more of the following areas: political communication, campaign spending, interest groups. 2023-2024 Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially reduce the number and/or role of its nuclear weapons. 2024-2025 Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase prohibitions on the development and/or use of artificial intelligence in one or more of the following areas: law enforcement, automation, and/or privacy. 2025-2026 Resolved: The United States Federal Government should substantially increase its military presence and/or scientific exploration in the Arctic or Antarctic.
Previous National Tournaments
List of Speech Sweepstakes Champions
Year Pentathlon Champion Team Sweepstakes 1971 Robert Reider, Ohio University Ohio University 1972 Jim Molnar, Ohio University Ball State University 1973 Dave Beal, Ohio University Eastern Michigan University 1974 Bobbi Rowe, Stetson University Ohio University (2) 1975 Bobbi Rowe, Stetson University Ohio University (3) 1976 Irene Ziegler, Stetson University Eastern Michigan University (2) 1977 Michael Garcia, Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University (3) 1978 William Allen Young, University of Southern California Eastern Michigan University (4) 1979 George Denger, Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University (5) 1980 Jon Capecci, Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University (6) 1981 Jon Capecci, Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University (7) 1982 Theresa McElwee, Eastern Michigan University Bradley University 1983 Mike Jones, Eastern Michigan University Bradley University (2) 1984 Brad Johansen, Bradley University Bradley University (3) 1985 John Broer, Miami University Bradley University (4) 1986 Greg Dolph, Bradley University Eastern Michigan University (8) 1987 Laura Duncan, Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University (9) 1988 Brenda Dempsey, Eastern Michigan University Bradley University (5) 1989 Cam Jones, Cornell University Bradley University (6) 1990 Stephanie Kaplan, University of Wisconsin-Madison Bradley University (7) 1991 Karon Bowers, Bradley University Bradley University (8) 1992 Ronnie Stewart, Bradley University Bradley University (9) 1993 Jason Berke, Illinois State University Bradley University (10) 1994 Andy Wood, Berry College Bradley University (11) 1995 Jason Berke, Illinois State University Illinois State University 1996 August Benassi, Bradley University Bradley University (12) 1997 Chris Grove, Illinois State University Bradley University (13) 1998 Grant Ward, Illinois State UniversityBrendan Kelly, Eastern Michigan University Bradley University (14) 1999 Brian Davis, Arizona State University Illinois State University (2) 2000 Dan Hungerman, Miami University Illinois State University (3) 2001 Steve Zammit, Cornell University Bradley University (15) 2002 Eric Long, Bradley University Bradley University (16) 2003 Meredith Schnug, Miami University Western Kentucky University 2004 John Coleman, Berry College Western Kentucky University (2) 2005 A.J. Moorehead, Arizona State University Bradley University (17) 2006 Paul Davis, Arizona State University Western Kentucky University (3) 2007 Kashif Powell, Morehouse College Western Kentucky University (4) 2008 Jessy Ohl, Kansas State University Western Kentucky University (5) 2009 Joele Denis, Western Kentucky University Western Kentucky University (6) 2010 Dan Glaser, Ohio University Western Kentucky University (7) 2011 Jacoby Cochran, Bradley University Western Kentucky University (8) 2012 Jacoby Cochran, Bradley University Bradley University (18) 2013 Kaybee Brown, Bradley University Bradley University (19) 2014 Andrew Neylon, Ball State University Western Kentucky University (9) 2015 Jerome Gregory, Bradley University Western Kentucky University (10) 2016 Farrah Bara, University of Texas at Austin Western Kentucky University (11) 2017 Jerome Gregory, Bradley University Western Kentucky University (12) 2018 Abigail Onwunali, University of Texas at Austin Western Kentucky University (13) 2019 Andrea Ambam, Western Kentucky University Bradley University (20) 2021 Derek Collins, Western Kentucky University Western Kentucky University (14) 2022 Fernando Cereceres, University of Texas at Austin Western Kentucky University (15) 2023 Doniven Hill-Bush, Illinois State University Western Kentucky University (16) 2024 Fernando Cereceres, University of Texas at Austin Western Kentucky University (17) 2025 Cecilia Alali, Western Kentucky University Western Kentucky University (18) 2026 Mason Lloyd, Wayne State University University of Texas at Austin