Link to the debate video- https://www.intelligencesquaredus.org/debates/swip...

In conducting this critical analysis, you will be employing the same skills that you developed for your first paper, but you will be taking them a step further in order to compare and contrast the two arguments presented and determine which side you believe won the debate. In other words, you will be using your skills of rhetorical analysis in order to make an evaluative judgment of the debate—hence, examining it critically.

Your analysis should be thesis-driven; that is, it should state explicitly which side of the debate you believe was stronger based on how the debaters presented their argument (not based on which side you happen to agree with). You’re looking at the arguments collectively; you certainly can concede if the opposition made some excellent points or used some successful strategies, but you must make an ultimate determination of a “winner.” Your paper should then support that thesis through your analysis of both sides of the debate, providing evidence for your thesis by referencing specific points, strategies, sources, etc. used by the debaters. Be sure to look at the source materials provided by each debater; you may discuss them in your analysis.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

CONTENT—Does the paper respond thoughtfully and creatively to the assignment? Have you presented a clear thesis that provides the ultimate focus of your discussion, and does your paper successfully work in the service of that thesis? Is your analysis sophisticated, detailed, nuanced, and thorough? Throughout the paper, do you provide concrete examples, evidence, and illustrations from the debate/debate materials to support the points you make? Are you accurately referencing and citing the debate as you quote, paraphrase, and summarize? Are you successfully avoiding personal bias and instead focusing on examining the debate itself?

ORGANIZATION—How effective is the organization (the order in which information is presented) of your paper? Is all of the material that is included, or information that is presented, made relevant to the discussion and thus to your thesis? Are you writing effective transitions and cohesive, coherent paragraphs? How effective are the opening and closing of the paper?

STYLE—Are you successfully maintaining a consistent third-person point of view (use of first person is not forbidden, but remember to try to maintain some emotional distance from the argument)? Are your sentences clear and maybe even sophisticated? Do you vary your sentence structures to create interest for the reader? Is your vocabulary precise and mature, avoiding repetition and vagueness? To what extent is your paper free of errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation? Is your writing style in line with conventional academic standards