Policy debate also exists as a high school activity, with a very similar format, but different leagues, tournaments, speech times, resolutions, and styles.
Most affirmative teams present a specific policy option, or plan, as a normative defence of the resolution.
However, some teams partake in alternative forms of debate, including performance, personal advocacies, or otherwise critical approaches.
Negatives have several options for response, including solvency arguments against the effectiveness of the plan, external policy disadvantages, opportunity-cost-based counterplans, arguments stemming from debate theory such as the failure of the affirmative to advocate the resolution, and critical approaches.
Argument is highly evidence-based, with numerous lengthy excerpts from books and articles read by each side.