InstaGov/Debate Mapper
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Rules
adapted from InstaGov
- Every debate starts with a claim which asserts as fact the subject of the debate.
- Any claim may be answered by zero or more responses, each of which is also a claim
- Each response must relate to the target claim in one of the following ways:
- Support: an argument that the parent claim is true
- Counter: an argument that the parent claim is false
- Informal (or "informational"): information which neither supports nor contradicts the parent claim but helps narrow or guide the discussion in some way
- Any response may also be viewed as a target claim, and the rules for target claims (given above) apply without modification
- Any claim may either be standalone or bundled:
- A standalone claim remains active as long as it has at least one active supporting claim
- A bundled claim remains active only as long as all of its supporting claims remain active
- Any claim which has no active counterclaims is described as "active" and possibly true
- Any claim which has at least one active counterclaim is described as "inactive" and presumed to be false
- A response claim may require a chain of reasoning in support; in this case:
- each link of the chain becomes its own claim, subject to the same rules as any other claim
- failure (deactivation) of any one of the links in the chain invalidates (deactivates) the claim (normal claims remain active as long as any one supporting claim remains active)