Our Debates

Every week the Independent Party gathers to debate a resolution addressing a challenging philosophical, cultural, or policy issue.
 
Our debate is not a contest, and there is no winner or loser; rather, it is a forum for the structured exchange of ideas about issues relevant to our world and to our lives. Speeches on our floor are intended to make us think more deeply about certain subjects, or introduce us to new ways of reasoning. We follow Robert’s Rules of Order, which is easy for newcomers to pick up and ensures that the debate is fun, focused, and respectful. Once a semester, we have a joke debate, on a suitably hilarious resolution. After each debate, we traditionally adjourn to Yorkside, the esteemed New Haven pizza parlor, and continue working through the topic and hashing out our differences. 
 
IPsters also participate in the Yale Political Union’s weekly debate, keynoted by a prominent national figure. Our members are known for their active participation as Union officers, docketed speakers, question-posers, and undocketed speakers on both the Left and the Right. 
 
 
In Spring 2023, we debated:
 
  • R: Drop the First-Year Dinner
  • R: Abolish Religious Exemptions
  • R: Celebrate Corporate Charity
  • R: The Western Canon Poisons Our Taste
  • R: Mythologize the Founders
  • R: Stop Crimes Before They Happen
  • R: Relationships Should be Transactional
  • R: We Should All Know Less About Each Other
  • R: Man Ought to be a Political Animal
  • R: Grow Up
  • R: Impose Democracy
  • R: Education Should be Practical