Parliamentary Debate at Berkeley

Parliamentary Debate at Berkeley is the most competitively successful student-run debate team in the history of the National Parliamentary Debate Association. We accept members of all experience levels, whether you’re a former debater or have never seen a debate round before, and the team guarantees that all members can attend tournaments for no personal cost. NPDA is a limited-prep style of debate, with arguments about domestic policy, international relations, scientific research, philosophy, and critical theory. Unlike other types of parliamentary debate, our team focuses more heavily on critical thinking and argument construction rather than speaking style and persuasion. Members compete in partnerships, sharing responsibilities for pre-round preparation and in-round argumentation. Parli at Berkeley will be continuing practices and competition online during the fall. We’ve put together lectures and other resources to get new members on board, and we’re planning to offer 8-10 practices a week to make sure we can adapt to your schedule.