Attitudinal inherency: Implications for policy debate

Abstract

The presence of attitudinal obstacles to reform cited by affirmative debaters implies a greater burden in demonstrating the adoption, implementation, and enforcement of the proposed policy. Requirements for the agency of change include (1) an efficacious mechanism for adoption of the policy, (2) authority to implement its key features, and (3) the ability to withstand circumvention of the policy goals. The experience of federal regulatory agencies suggests several areas of permissible “fiat” power in academic debate: (1) incorporation of deliberate bias in the agency's personnel and structure, and (2) the power of ongoing policy decisions under the rule‐making grant of the Administrative Procedure Act.