1nc

The 1NC, or first negative constructive, is a key speech in many policy debate formats. It is delivered by the negative team after the affirmative’s 1AC and serves to present the negative case, respond to the 1AC, and persuade judges to vote against the resolution. The length of the 1NC varies by format but is commonly around four minutes in many high school and collegiate rounds.

A typical 1NC outlines the negative’s argumentative structure. Contentions may include topicality arguments to challenge whether the 1AC adheres to the resolution, solvency challenges to cast doubt on whether the plan will actually solve the stated problem, disadvantages to show negative impacts from the plan, and counterplans that offer alternatives. Some 1NCs also include critiques or klrites as the core framework. The speaker often cites evidence, provides analysis, and links each claim to potential impacts.

Strategically, the 1NC is both defensive and offensive. It refutes key 1AC contentions, questions the plan’s feasibility or consequences, and introduces the negative’s own proposals or alternatives. The 1NC sets the tone for the round, establishing what the negative team views as the central issues and impact calculus, and it lays groundwork for later speeches such as the 2AC and the 2NR. Cross-examination typically follows to test the 1NC arguments.

Variations exist across formats and leagues. Some 1NCs emphasize rapid refutation of the 1AC, while others foreground a structured set of contentions that foreground counterplans, conjunctional critiques, or preemptive definitions. Regardless of format, the 1NC is a foundational component of the negative case strategy.