Copyright 2019 by Champion Briefs, LLC All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner and the publisher. The Evidence Standard March 2019 The Evidence Standard Speech and Debate provides a meaningful and educational experience to all who are involved. We, as educators in the community, believe that it is our responsibility to provide resources that uphold the foundation of the Speech and Debate activity. Champion Briefs, its employees, managers, and associates take an oath to uphold the following Evidence Standard: 1. We will never falsify facts, opinions, dissents, or any other information. 2. We will never knowingly distribute information that has been proven to be inaccurate, even if the source of the information is legitimate. 3. We will actively fight the dissemination of false information and will provide the community with clarity if we learn that a third-party has attempted to commit deception. 4. We will never support or distribute studies, news articles, or other materials that use inaccurate methodologies to reach a conclusion or prove a point. 5. We will provide meaningful clarification to any who question the legitimacy of information distributed by ourselves or by any third-party. 6. We will actively contribute to students’ understanding of the world by using evidence from a multitude of perspectives and schools of thought. 7. We will, within our power, assist the community as a whole in its mission to achieve the goals and vision of this activity. These seven statements, while simple, represent the complex notion of what it means to advance students’ understanding of the world around them, as is the purpose of educators. Champion Briefs 4 Letter from the Editor March 2019 Letter from the Editor The March resolution for Public Forum Debate is “Resolved: The United States should promote the development of market rate housing in urban neighborhoods.” Many debaters may feel a sense of topic fatigue, as this topic is strikingly similar to the pharmaceutical topic that was chosen for debate in November. However, this topic has a number of differences, mainly due to the uniqueness of the American housing market. I personally am excited for this topic because it means my students will further research the economic concepts that they struggled with in November. Furthermore, this topic is incredibly timely given that rents are spiraling out of control in many cities across the continental U.S. Overall, I applaud this topic selection because I think it has a high potential to be an educational experience for both competitors and judges who may not be as familiar with the world of economics. From a strategic standpoint, this topic is very straightforward. There are two groups of stakeholders to consider; the landlords and the renters. Intuitively, most will prioritize the renter seeing as they likely have less leverage and less economic stability. Much of the literature surrounds the effects on the renter, and the potential for quality and price changes under rent control policies. On the other hand, there are plenty of articles that discuss the rights of the landlord, and the change of a property owner’s incentives under a price ceiling. The best way to debate this topic will be finding a way to weigh between the countervailing interests of these two groups while still benefiting all stakeholders in the process. Ultimately, while many of you may have groaned at the sight of another economics topic, I personally think that it’s a great opportunity to learn. Part of the reason so many people dislike these topics is because they’re complex and hard to explain, but as a teacher, that’s largely why I like this topic. Challenging topics make you a better researcher, a better writer, and a better speaker because they force you out of your comfort zone. I urge you to step outside your comfort zone this month, like every month, and if you do I’m sure you’ll excel throughout March. As always, best of luck from the team here at Champion Briefs. We’ll be rooting for you all month! Michael Norton Editor-in-Chief Champion Briefs 5 Table of Contents March 2019 Table of Contents The Evidence Standard ....................................................................................... 4 Letter from the Editor ......................................................................................... 5 Table of Contents ............................................................................................... 6 Topic Analyses .................................................................................................... 8 Topic Analysis by Jakob Urda ...................................................................................................... 9 Topic Analysis by Belén Mella .................................................................................................. 17 Topic Analysis by Michael Norton ............................................................................................ 27 General Information ......................................................................................... 34 Pro Arguments with Con Responses ................................................................. 46 PRO: Rent Control Creates Shortages ....................................................................................... 47 A/2: Rent Control Creates Shortages .................................................................................... 51 PRO: The Poor Cannot Access Affordable Housing .................................................................. 54 A/2: The Poor Cannot Access Affordable Housing ................................................................ 58 PRO: Rent Control hurts economic growth .............................................................................. 61 A/2: Rent Control hurts economic growth ............................................................................ 65 PRO: Market rate housing increases school funding ................................................................ 68 A/2: Market rate housing increases school funding ............................................................. 72 PRO: Market rate housing increases inclusive gentrification ................................................... 76 A/2: Market rate housing increases inclusive gentrification ................................................. 80 PRO: Market rate housing increases funding for welfare programs ........................................ 84 A/2: Market rate housing increases funding for welfare programs ...................................... 88 PRO: Market rate housing encourages property development ............................................... 92 A/2: Market rate housing encourages property development ............................................. 96 PRO: Market rate housing reduces crime ............................................................................... 100 A/2: Market rate housing protects the poor from illegal eviction ...................................... 104 PRO: Market rate housing creates a path for social mobility ................................................. 108 A/2: Market rate housing creates a path for social mobility .............................................. 113 PRO: Market rate housing is key to solving the housing crisis ............................................... 117 A/2: Market rate housing is key to solving the housing crisis ............................................ 122 PRO: Market rate housing alleviates displacement ................................................................ 125 A/2: Market rate housing alleviates displacement ............................................................ 130 PRO: Rent Controls significantly hurt minority groups ........................................................... 134 A/2: Rent Controls significantly hurt minority groups ........................................................ 139 PRO: Rent Control Undermines Property Rights .................................................................... 142 Champion Briefs 6 Table of Contents March 2019 A/2: Rent Control Undermines Property Rights .................................................................. 145 PRO: Rent Control Leads to Property Deterioration ............................................................... 147 A/2: Rent Control Leads to Property Deterioration ............................................................ 150 PRO: Rent Control Unfairly Targets Landlords ........................................................................ 152 A/2: Rent Control Unfairly Targets Landlords ..................................................................... 155 Con Arguments with Pro Responses ............................................................... 157 CON: Market Rates housing causes segregation .................................................................... 158 A/2: Market Rates housing causes segregation .................................................................. 163 CON: Rent Control decreases housing supply ........................................................................ 167 A/2: Rent Control decreases housing supply ...................................................................... 171 CON: Rent Control benefits communities .............................................................................