As usual, the most useful advice I can offer is to read stuff like the New York Times &

The Economist to keep up with current issues in the socio-economic spectrum

FEEDBACK: Proper feedback produces debate medals. Judges are tired of listening
to compliments aimed at being "polite". Instead, use the time provided to analyse
the opponent's points & help them come up with better argument styles. Show the
judge that you are worthy of 7 points in feedback by producing proper analysis of
the scenarios & how they can improve themselves. Just don't try to undermine their
points & you will be polite enough!
TEAMWORK: Discuss during prep. Seriously, do not go off & write your own points
down without consulting your teammates. Spend 5-10 mins whispering to each
other - I promise you will score higher in everything.
STYLE & CONTENT: Study my notes for content, but do not use evidence from Art &
Literature, even if the judge is DAA (which shows they know the syllabus enough to
coach others). Or else you would be having hell for trying to incorporate deep
symbolism into policy debate. It is best for you to develop your own style, though
Juniors benefit from being louder, because judges are looking for confidence more
than analysis & content in young pacas. For Seniors, especially for those going to
Yale, judges are looking for more cohesion e.g. more poised methods of delivering
your content - like the one I gave you below.
1. Define key terms in the motion.
Using these definitions, show how your side provides more benefit to individuals &
society.
2. Tell the judge & opponents the key points you need to prove to win the debate.
Prove that you hold the moral high ground over your opponents.
Prove that your arguments can be applied more efficiently in status quo.
3. Frame arguments and team stance into case context.
Back up your team stance with arguments that provide solutions to the problems
posed.
This allows you to apply both constructive & destructive approaches to the debate.
4. Rebut the opposition by turning their arguments into your favour.
This generates clash issues where both sides are not in consensus.
Show how your side provides better solutions & outcomes to specific scenarios
within the debate.

6 Ways to Win a Debate Without Even Speaking by Terry Guo

Remember: Prep Phase is IMPORTANT
1. Quality over Quantity
Remember, you DO NOT need to have 3 arguments for your side of the debate.
Inexperienced debaters might have an obsession over thinking of three arguments
during the 15 minutes of the preparation phase, but what matters in the end is
making sure that your arguments stay intact by the end of the debate. Compared to
3 weak arguments, two robust arguments are more likely to stand by the end of the
debate.
2. Impwaafect Definitions are 'kay
Another mistake inexperienced debaters often make during the 15 minutes of
preparation time is that they spend too much time looking up the perfect definition
that will best suit their side. Although definitions are definitely somewhat important
in a debate, they become gradually less important in debates with more experienced
debaters. This is because both sides will often be able to reach a consensus on the
way terms in a motion should be defined. It’s also very important to never resort to
definition debates, as it shows the judge that your team has a very low-level analysis
of the motion. If you happen to disagree with your opponent’s definition,
respectfully tell your opponents and judge on the points of contention and explain to
them why your definition is better by citing a more credible source or telling the
judge why your definition is more appropriate for the debate.
3. Define outside the box
You do not need to take the definitions in a motion literally. For example, during the
2017 Shanghai Regional Round, one of the debate motions was: "We should revive
great leaders from the past". The word “revive” here does not need to be in the
literal sense here; according to the Oxford English Dictionary, revive could also
mean to "restore interest in or the popularity of”. By doing this, you make it a lot
easier for your team in argument construction. In the end, it’s all about using the
most efficient amount of time to find the definition that best helps your side of the
debate.
4. Causation =/= correlation
Never mix the two up. When thinking of arguments, always pay close attention to
whether two parameters in a debate have a correlative or causal relationship
because mixing the two up would make it very easy for the opposition to rebut.
Always tell the judge the threshold for a certain outcome and how your side of the
debate fulfills this threshold. Let’s consider the motion for the 2017 ToC debate
showcase: "That is is more important for a country’s citizens to be happy than well-
informed". The affirmative first speaker came up and talked about depression
leading to suicide and that it is a bad thing. However, how much depression leads to
suicide? Is being well-informed equivalent to higher rates of depression? Again, be
careful when using extreme examples to support your argument. There is no doubt
that suicide is a terrible thing, but you must prove how your side of the debate
fulfills the threshold before you can have access to the impact.
TAKE NOTE OF THIS! 5. Dodge the Bullet
Ever found yourself spending most of your time thinking of rebuttals for the
opposition’s first contention and not having much to say for subsequent arguments?
Well…don’t do that, but also use it to your own advantage. There’s a tendency for
debaters to spend a lot of time trying to take the first opposing argument down.
Sequence your stronger argument later in your case and your weaker first so that
there is higher chance that the stronger point will still be standing by the end of the
debate.
6. Do the Work
Darren has already said in the OG Debate Guide that WSC debate does not support
high-level frameworks, but there’s still much you can do to frame the debate.
Identify the crux of the argument for both sides of the debate and add it into your
case. For example, in a debate about whether or not humans should put more
research in artificial intelligence, one can say the following to set up a framework:
“Our team believes that the crux of this debate is a matter of who can have full
control of artificial intelligence and here’s why our side of the debate fulfills this”.
Let’s face it, judges don’t like to do the work figuring out what is most important, so
you need to instead. Single out the most important thing in the debate that will lead
your team to victory for them; once you fulfill what you said is most important,
there’s no reason for the judge to vote for the opposition! "Crux" means burden.

SOCIAL STUDIES:
Introducing Markets
Essential Questions
Do all markets function the same way around the world?
Yes and no. In today’s globalised world, markets often interact internationally, e.g.
stock markets and trading. However there are always differences since markets do
not function on its own. It is largely affected by a country’s government and their
regulations and influence on markets.
What (or who) determines the prices of goods and services?
Usually in Economics, the prices of a good or service is determined by the demand
and supply diagram. The equilibrium price is the point where the demand curve
meets the supply curve. In a market economy, which is when there is little to no
government interference, the prices are determined by the consumers as their
demand for a product gives perfect information to the firms and how they set the
prices, occurs during perfect competition of firms. However this is not always true
since governments often intervene e.g. price ceilings.
What is money - and where do the different types of money derive their value?
Money serves as a medium of exchange, a unit of accounting, and a store of value.
Money is a medium of exchange in the sense that we all agree to accept it in making
transactions. A value of a currency derives from its supply and demand. If the
demand for one currency is higher, then its external value (placed against another
currency) will be higher.
To what degree can governments control prices or quantities of goods and services
exchanged?
Although we learn about market and planned economies in Economics, the majority
of countries function in a mixed economy, which is a mixture of both. This refers to
an economy where the government adjusts for any market failure or inefficiencies in
allocating its resources. In doing so, governments set price ceilings, price floors,
quotas, bans, subsidies and regulations on products to control its quantity and
quality. However, this cannot be overdone as this puts pressure on government’s
expenditure and may hurt the economy as it slows down due to too many
restrictions.