Coolidge Debate Style
Learn the core norms, values, and format of our unique, citizen-focused debate style. Our competitions emphasize clear communication and logical reasoning.
1v1 “Singles” Debate
Review the rules, structure, and strategies for our traditional one-on-one debate format. This is the primary format used in our national tournament series.
2v2 “Doubles” Debate
Explore the guidelines, speaker responsibilities, and structure for our team format, designed for the Presidents’ Cup and North Carolina Open.
Judging Coolidge Debate
Access resources, rubrics, and training materials designed for our volunteer citizen judges to help provide constructive feedback.
Topics & Research Briefs
Dive into our extensive archive of past debate resolutions and comprehensive research packets to help prepare your cases.
Learning to Debate with Civic Virtue
Are you eager to find an activity that enhances debate skills and engages students in civil, substantive discourse about public policy issues? If so, the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation offers a distinctive debate format that delivers precisely that. Our competitions emphasize clear communication, logical reasoning, and information literacy.
Whether you’re interested in our 1v1 “singles” or 2v2 “doubles” debates, our structured formats provide an excellent platform for students to develop and showcase their persuasive speaking and evidence-based argumentation.
We invite you to explore our debate guides and resources to learn more about our style and join us in fostering a tradition of respectful and impactful debate. As our namesake, President Coolidge, said, “it is the ferment of ideas, the clash of disagreeing judgments, the privilege of the individual to develop his own thought and shape his own character which makes progress possible.”
Dr. Ben Voth, Coolidge Debate Fellow and SMU professor, leads a judge training session at the 2024 Presidents’ Cup tournament.