Making the Case for Market Reforms: From Speech and Debate to Think Tank Research and Advocacy
Tens of thousands of debaters have over decades advocated economic freedom reforms for a range of public policy topics, including energy, transportation, health care, criminal justice, environmental, tax, trade, and foreign policies. Debaters research each year’s debate resolutions and often draw from Heritage, Cato, American Enterprise Institute, and other pro-market think tanks.
Many students from the three major homeschool debate leagues (NCFCA, Stoa, and CCA) continue on to debate in college, joining debate teams at Hillsdale, Grove City, Cedarville, Dallas Baptist, Liberty, Concordia-Irvine, Patrick Henry, Anderson, and other Christian and state universities.
Alumni homeschool debaters have interned at State Policy Network think tanks, and some hired later as staff. Michael Reitz, Executive Vice President of the Mackinac Center recently emailed:
You’ll be pleased to know that I just hired a former homeschool CCA [Christian Communicators of America] debater as my new director of finance… Another use case for your network of debaters, in addition to content production: I’m always looking for mission aligned, talented individuals. If I have a job opening, how might I get that opportunity in front of people you know?
Michael earlier shared his The Detroit News article about judging at a local homeschool tournament: Reitz: Debate is bringing civic literacy back one round at a time.
MIDLAND — A young woman dressed in a professional business outfit shook my hand and introduced herself.
“Hello, I’m Claire, your first affirmative speaker.”
“I’m Ethan, the second affirmative speaker,” said her partner, with a firm handshake.
Claire and Ethan were joined by another team, Megan and Scott (names all changed). Over the next 80 minutes, I watched a masterclass of civil debate and disagreement as they tackled the radioactive topic of election reform.
What I witnessed was both impressive and instructive.
Years earlier, this State Policy Network newsletter article (Got Interns?) suggested SPN members reach out to local and regional homeschool debate clubs for interns.
Over years attending State Policy Network annual conferences, I’ve talked with many young staff who earlier as debaters attended Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) and Economic Thinking workshops.
At SPN 2024 in Phoenix, I talked with former homeschool debaters Wyatt Eicholz, of the Badger Institute, and Jonathan Helton of the Grassroot Institute. I also talked with Jonathan Wolfson of the Cicero Institute, who had attended one of FEE’s homeschool debate workshops.
At an earlier SPN conference, Maxford Nelson introduced himself, commenting that his work with the Freedom Foundation seemed a continuation of his homeschool debate experience. Maxford attended our first Economic Thinking workshop in the Seattle area in 2003. Federal energy policy was the topic and Robert Bradley of the Institute for Energy Research was our guest speaker.
Joining Geoge Pearson’s table at an Atlas Freedom dinner in New York City, Jonathan Williams, now President and Chief Economist of ALEC, told me he was a homeschool debater in Michigan attending our workshop in St. Johns, Michigan, when the topic was US/Africa policy.
Kenyan journalist and entrepreneur June Arunga was our featured speaker that year and future years at FEE debate workshops, including this one in South Carolina, where Andrew McIndoe, future Heritage Foundation Vice President and Grove City College board member was attending.
For last fall’s Civic Summit in Hayward, California, we invited as speakers, alumni homeschool debaters active in health care reform (five! and four had attended FEE and Economic Thinking debate workshops).
Young people with speech and debate experience not only develop research, speaking, and advocacy skills, they are also prepared for opportunities as Congressional interns, staff, and even members of Congress.
When former homeschool debater Simon Sefzik was appointed at age 22 to the Washington State legislature in January 2022, he commented he had been researching and advocating public policy reforms since age thirteen.
Alumni homeschool debater and debate coach Anita Chen recently ran for Congress (CA congressional district 17). Anita drew from her homeschool debate experience, and knowledge gained attending Independent Institute, Acton Institute, and summer programs. (Here is discussion with Anita on developing Economics Courses and College Credit for Speech and Debate).
Homeschool debaters build on their experience and skills as they move forward in home, business, academic, community and sometimes political lives. Reach tomorrow’s idea leaders today by engaging local and regional homeschool debate clubs, students, parents and alumni!
• Stoa leadership and alumni committee
• Christian Communicators of America
• Classical Conversations: Why Homeschool Speech and Debate Matters: Preparing Citizen Leaders for Tomorrow
And let me know if I can help. — Greg Rehmke, Economic Thinking grehmke@gmail.com And :206-228-4569