National Issues Forum

The National Issues Forum is a body of Youth in Government delegates who seek to address policy issues of national and international importance. Ideas presented in NIF will tackle issues that should be handled at the Federal or international policy level. Delegates write and debate proposals, which are broad ideas for change rather than detail-oriented bills that are debated in the legislature.

First Committee: each delegate presents a proposal and each proposal is debated.
Second Committee: only proposals that move on are debated, but all delegates have the opportunity to debate them.
General Assembly: only the highest-ranked proposals move on to GA, but all delegates have the opportunity to debate them. Proposals are voted on pass/fail.

Ballot procedure

• The Chair or clerk hands out one ballot to each member of the committee.
• Ranking should be done quickly; delegates total their score at the bottom.
• The Chair or clerk collects ballots to be counted and scored.
• Each member may submit one completed Ranking Ballot per proposal per committee. A low score is a good score; the best possible score is 5 and the worst is 20.
• Members are required to indicate a total score. Failure to note a total score may result in nullification of an individual Ranking Ballot.
• There is no ranking in General Assembly.

Proposal hierarchy: all member proposals are heard in each first committee; only 7 move on from each first committee. 10 proposals are heard in each second committee; only 6 move on from each second committee. A total of 12 proposals are heard in General Assembly; each of the 12 final proposals is voted upon and adopted or not adopted.

Parliamentary procedure: even though NIF is not a legislative body in state government, it still follows the norms of parliamentary procedure, which you will need to become familiar with. Setting a framework for conversation and debate ensures each proposal has an equal chance at being heard in a respectful manner. Don't panic! It sounds complicated, but it's actually just a fancy way of having a conversation, and we'll teach you all you need to know. Any time you are in your program area (First and Second Committees and General Assembly), you will need to use this form of parliamentary procedure to run the meeting. It plays a major role in keeping meetings on an efficient track, using language and a format familiar to everyone. It's your responsibility to know it well and use it.

Inappropriate language · not using your placard · not stating name and delegation, debatable NDBQs, or speaking con on a pro speech · referring to a delegate or officer by name. If called out, take your seat unless told otherwise.

For the most part, the officers and chairs will lead the meetings and tell everyone what to do. Since you are an active participant, you need to know how to get involved.

Your turn to present: when the Chair asks if an author is present for your proposal number, you say "I MOVE MY PROPOSAL." Before presenting your opening statement, you must state your last name and delegation.

Getting recognized: delegates raising their placards are called on by last name or delegation. If recognized during Non-Debatable Technical Questions (NDBQs), you must state your name and delegation and then ask your question. A non-debatable question seeks to clarify facts about each proposal. You may only ask one NDBQ per recognition, but may be recognized by the presider multiple times. During CON-PRO debate, you must speak in alignment with the intent for which you are recognized. If the Chair announces a "PRO speech," you must speak in support of that proposal; con speakers present arguments against or about shortcomings of the proposal. Debate on a proposal must end with a CON speaker.

Yielding to the author's closing: only the proposal author and PRO speakers may yield to the author's summation, and the right to yield must be granted by the Chair before the author or pro-speaker begins talking for the first time, or before any other motion during their time: "I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO YIELD ANY REMAINING TIME TO (MY/THE AUTHOR'S) CLOSING SPEECH."

Yielding to another delegate (Second Committee and GA): a speaker may yield time to another delegate who will speak from the same viewpoint. That delegate must come up with the delegate who was recognized and display their placard. The right to yield must be granted by the Chair. The recognized delegate must first request to yield their remaining time to that speaker, and clearly state they are yielding after making their remarks. The second delegate is not allowed to make any other motions, and must state their name and delegation before making a comment. "I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO YIELD ANY REMAINING TIME TO DELEGATE ____." [remarks] "I NOW YIELD TO DELEGATE ____." In both cases, the Chair and/or Clerk records the yielded time and adds it to the author's closing statement time allotment.

Motions in committee: the only motions delegates may make are a motion to recess for ___ minutes and a motion to adjourn. If the Chair recognizes you, say "I move to ___" and another delegate must second your motion for it to be recognized and voted on. Delegates may not motion to end debate, due to the con-pro debate cycle.

Each delegate participating in NIF is required to write a proposal. Proposals focus on solutions to problems and issues of importance to our nation. They may be national or international in scope. The most important part of writing a proposal is that you choose a topic that is meaningful to you. The strength of commitment you feel toward your proposal will undoubtedly influence your overall experience in the Model Assembly. Whether your interests lie in the environment, business, education, or social programs, your proposal should be about something you believe in. Writing a proposal is simple if you know a few secrets.

Step 1. You should have some level of passion about the topic when you select it. This can be because you genuinely care about the outcome, or because you think it is so important that it must be discussed, even if you don't agree with the topic itself and hate the possible outcome. Love the outcome or loathe the outcome, they are the same. Feeling ambivalent about the outcome is dangerous. It will affect your thinking and the depth you go to in your research.

Best way: start with a common problem, propose a unique solution, and take a "sharp turn" on the way to the unique solution to increase interest.
Worst ways: unique problem + unique solution (can be hard to understand); important problem + common solution (others may also do this); common problem + common solution (skip for more exciting). These are worst because nearly all of them will make an audience more likely to move on to other proposals, at the expense of yours. You will need to make people care about your topic enough to listen to why you want to talk about it.

Sources of current issues: the newspaper (hometown daily or the New York Times) is one of the simplest and most accessible sources. See what is trending on your favorite social media platform; many causes use social media to boost their voice. Ask around: friends, family, teachers, librarians and peers all have things that matter to them. Consider any condition that exists in your school, family, community, nation, or world, then propose a solution to end the problem or resolve the issue.

There are many research resources available via the internet, your school library, teachers, or local library. Many delegates begin by reading current periodicals (such as Newsweek or US News & World Report) or newspapers (LA Times, New York Times, Washington Post) to get ideas of current national and international issues.

When considering a topic, keep three things in mind: (1) national or international importance, (2) debatability, and (3) "cutting edgeness." NIF is debate-oriented, so write your proposal with that in mind. You may have a fantastic policy idea, but if it is universally acceptable, it will be passed over in favor of proposals that will have good discussion. In this sense, proposals are much different than bills.

Step 2. If you only have a general topic, you may want help coming up with a more specific application. Helpful sources: state or national newspapers, internet, TV news, radio, issue advocacy websites; things that have personally affected you or someone you know; discussions with local leaders, teachers, family and friends. Spend some quality time in research. Know what you are saying and all the possible outcomes. Talk to your teachers, librarians, your Youth in Government advisors, your peers. You need to be excited and confident about your proposal to be successful and to give it the most exposure at the conference. You should have some statistics, some facts, and even some informed testimonies by people who are well informed. The more facts you find now, the better your proposal will be and the easier it will be to address Con speakers during debate. People who have done their work write the best proposals.

Step 3 · Analyze your topic

Use the seven analysis points to see if your proposal is checking all the boxes. The guide also provides this as a printout.

Step 4 · Write a first draft and get feedback

Writing a proposal will be simple if you have done your research.

• Proposals should not be more than one page (typed) and consist of four sections: Title, Major Areas to be Affected, Justification, and Proposal for Action.
• The format is designed to allow for creativity and persuasive argumentation. Proposals are a written idea, not rigid legislation.
• All proposals must follow this format and be approved by delegation directors before submission.
• Your proposal cannot exceed two pages (conference requirement) but really shouldn't be longer than one page, for clarity and conciseness.

Step 5 · Write the final draft and submit online

After you've passed your proposal around for feedback and made any necessary changes, write your final draft.

• Use your assigned template on Airtable, which has a variety of text boxes. Copy the content, section by section, from your text document and paste it into each corresponding text box.
• Airtable has the capabilities for back-and-forth editing. Your Delegation Director may review it and give you instructions or conditions to fulfill before it can be submitted to the State Office for publication in the Session Book.
• Submit before the posted deadline so your Delegation Director can review and suggest final improvements. Plan ahead in case of technical difficulties.
• If you do not "finalize" your proposal and send it to your Delegation Director, it will not be printed in the Session Book.
• It is strongly encouraged that you bring a printed and digital version to Youth in Government, just in case something goes wrong.

Step 6 · Final research and debate

Even though you have finished writing, your work is not over. Just because your proposal looks good doesn't mean it is going to pass. You must convince your fellow NIF delegates at Model Assembly that your topic is worth talking about.

Before Model Assembly:

• Interview a city councilperson, school board member, senator, representative, lawyer, or somebody with experience in public policy who can help with final preparation and organizing debate.
• Ask these people to attend a meeting of your delegation to critique and comment on the proposals of all the delegates.
• Seek out opposing views and take notes.

Debate it with your delegation. Ask your delegation for time to debate your idea to fine-tune it. Usually most delegations set aside time for this, but you may need to talk to your Delegation Director or Chair.

• You are looking for weak points, so be open to arguments against it.
• Deliberating with peers can help you clean up last messy sections.
• Write down areas you may need to address as you go along.

America's participation in trade agreements · Banning tobacco products (cultivation, manufacturing, sale, import/export of) · Campaign finance reform · Chemical castration for child offenders · Climate change response · Creating a carbon tax · Criminalizing/decriminalizing abortion · Cuban-American relations · Drafting U.S. prison inmates to serve in the U.S. Military · Debt ceiling regulation · Equal Rights Amendment · Federal Welfare · Federal mass transportation or highway construction · Female registration with the U.S. Selective Service · Fighting terrorism and terroristic threats · Firearms/Second Amendment · Free trade of pharmaceutical products/prescription drugs · Funding for prevention and rehabilitation programs for underage drinkers · The Kyoto Protocol · Grace period for adoption · Gun violence · Hate Crime legislation · Indecency fines levied by the FCC on broadcast television · Israeli/Palestinian foreign relations · Mandatory minimum sentences · No Child Left Behind Act · Oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge · Option of parole for federal crimes/offenses · Organ transplants for incarcerated federal, state, and county prisoners · Pharmacist distribution of medicine prescribed by a medical doctor · Presidential power to call for a referendum · Presumed consent for organ donation · Affirmative Action in college admissions · Artificial Insemination database · Deportation of illegal immigrants · Direct election of the President/Abolish Electoral College · Domestic spying prohibition without warrant/Domestic surveillance · Tax release requirements for public officials · Election Day voter registration · English proficiency exams for non-English speaking legalized immigrants in grades K-12 · Ethanol production and utilization · Flag defamation · Funding for high schools based on dropout rates · High school graduation requirements · HIV testing in high schools · Required service in the military · Immigration policies and reform · Mandatory voting/7-Day voting period · National Port security · Observance of race and gender-based history months · Parent/Guardian presence required for interrogation of mentally disabled · Cybersecurity methods and technology · Piracy, on water · Printing pertinent identifying numbers on insurance cards · Recognize Hamas and the Palestinian Government · Refugee treatment and resettlement policies · Renewable energy technology and funding · Rights of American forces detainees · School safety · Setting a protocol for Federal School Funding based on student performance · Solvency of Social Security · Stem Cell Research · Trigger locks on firearms · U.S. Humanitarian Aid to African nations · U.S. Nuclear Arsenal Disarmament/Nuclear non-proliferation treaty · United Nations as primary agent for war on terrorism · Voting rights, disenfranchisement

Author: John Doe · Delegation: International Falls YMCA
Title: To move the Capital of the United States of America from Washington, District of Columbia, to St. Paul, Minnesota

Major areas to be affected: US Federal government, Minnesota state government, federal government staff and employees, state and local infrastructure, US citizens, and citizens living in the United States

Justification: The United States Capital is the proverbial center of the country. Washington, D.C. is nowhere near the physical center of the United States and is prone to extreme weather catastrophes. Although the likelihood of tropical storms directly impacting Washington, D.C. is relatively low, it is even lower in Minnesota because of its geographical location. Minnesota is also a tectonically inactive state and the likelihood of an earthquake taking place is extremely low. According to U.S. News and World Reports, Minnesota is ranked 20th for best overall economic stability, 7th for best overall healthcare, 13th for best public education, and 2nd for best quality of life. Moving the Capital to Minnesota would mean that the center of the nation is one of the best states, based on statistics. The D.C. population as of 2017 is 693,972. The American Community Survey estimates that the population density as of 2013 is 10,528 people per square mile, whereas in Minnesota, the population density is about 68 people per square mile. With a large population density, limited space, and rising housing costs, it does not make sense to have the Capital of the United States of America to be in Washington, D.C.

Proposal for action: Create a third city in Minnesota near the Twin Cities to be the Capital of the United States, creating the triple cities, if you will. There will be a general election to name this new city. All working government officials and agencies will be stationed in the new Capital. All federal government buildings will be rebuilt in the new Capital. The current federal government buildings in Washington DC will instead be converted into local government buildings. The new capital city will abide by Minnesota state laws. All historic landmarks and historic sites will remain in their current locations. Washington DC will remain as a separate district and will not join any of its neighboring states.

Author: Tony the Tiger · Delegation: Sugarland
Title: To abolish the use of animals as political party mascots in the United States.

Major areas to be affected: The Republican and Democrat parties and all their State-run counterparts, The Modern Whig Party, the Prohibition Party, any other national or state political party that uses an animal mascot, and party members of these various organizations.

Justification: In 2008, the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota was host to the largest political party convention in United States history, the Republican National Convention. That same year, Denver Colorado hosted another large political gathering, the Democratic National Convention. These events were attended by hundreds of thousands of people, who used countless number of flyers, stickers and various other decorations and materials that used depictions of defenseless animals. When these events ended, thousands of injured and neglected animals were recovered from the floors of the stadiums.
These animals, such as the "Republican Elephant" and the "Democrat Donkey" are often stacked in piles waist high, until they can be distributed to party members at various events and meetings. They are put on stickers and banners, often hung at dangerous heights for extended periods. In addition, other less regulated national political parties, like the Modern Whig Party, that uses an Owl mascot, and the Prohibition Party, that uses a Camel, may be using these animals in other ways that are adverse to the health of the animal. Elephants and Donkeys deserve the same humane and ethical treatment that a human mascot would, whether they be in print form or in other forms of media.

Proposal for action: Animals in the United States that are used as political party mascots shall immediately be given ethical and humane treatment by their users. These animals will be allowed frequent and fulfilling periods of relaxation to reduce stress and ensure longevity. Any noncompliance or continued abuse will be illegal. Political parties will immediately begin a gradual decline in the frequency of use of animal logos. Any use of animals as political party mascots in the United States will become illegal following the next federal election.

In NIF, every author presents their proposal and has the opportunity to comment on other proposals throughout the conference. At LAUNCH and at the conference you will be offered training on how to present your proposal. Delegates may write and read their opening introduction, but your 2 minutes are for supporting your proposal and presenting additional evidence. Do not restate or read your written proposal.

Every proposal is ranked after it is heard in forum, on five criteria, from best to worst on a scale of 1 to 4 (1 = best score in category, 4 = worst). It is to your benefit to consider the ranking criteria when preparing your proposal.

Evidence of Research: Is there research cited? Is it evident that the author has the facts to support the proposal and gives a well-prepared presentation? The ideal presentation would be both informative and well supported.

Debatability: Is there ample room for argumentation on the proposal? Does it spark emotional or logistical debate? Ideally proposals will encourage intense and energetic debate on both sides of the issue presented.

Feasibility: Did the author describe a practical way of enforcing or implementing the action to be taken? The ideal presentation will detail methods for implementing the suggested policy changes.

National/International Relevance: Is the issue of national or international importance? Determining relevance is subjective. This criterion is partially intended to downgrade proposals that are not national or international in scope (issues that are purely local or state).

Creativity: Does this proposal present a new or creative way of looking at an issue? The ideal proposal will be both creative and practical in the way it addresses the issue at hand.

Presiding Officer: elected the prior year by the members of NIF. Expected to select all appointed officials and attend training sessions to prepare for Youth in Government. Serves as chair of General Assembly.
Appointed Officials: four Committee Chairs, who chair First and Second Committee and serve as Committee Clerks during General Assembly; one Administrator, who tracks and monitors the movement and progression of proposals throughout the conference. Appointed officers are required to attend training sessions identified by the Presiding Officer.
Members: must be registered participants in the Model Assembly conference. Membership is open to students in grades 10 to 12. Members prepare one proposal each and attend Fall LAUNCH Training in advance of the conference.
Proposals: may not be introduced until reviewed by the Center for Youth Voice State Office and in compliance with the Center for Youth Voice Code of Conduct. Proposals should consider a topic of national or international importance and are assigned to a committee by the officers. In First and Second Committees they are evaluated on Ranking Ballots by members.

First Committee: Committee Chairs who are Appointed Officers preside. Proposals are scored on Ranking Ballots provided; each member may submit one per proposal. The first seven proposals with the best scores in each First Committee move on to Second Committee. First Committee takes place Thursday and Friday morning. Lobbyists and cabinet members may give up to one minute of testimony per individual proposal.
Second Committee: Appointed Officers preside and serve as Committee Clerks. Proposals are scored on Ranking Ballots; one per member per proposal. The first six proposals with the best scores from each Second Committee move on to General Assembly. Second Committee takes place Friday and Saturday morning.
General Assembly: the Presiding Officer presides; Appointed Officers rotate as committee clerks. Proposals are voted upon by the members of the Assembly, one vote per proposal per member. The docket is in order of rank, with the best-ranking proposal from Second Committee presenting first. Proposals that pass are signed and sealed by the Presiding Officer as the final order of business on Saturday afternoon.

First Committee. During the author's opening speech, the author may yield time to the Chair, or to questions, at any point. After 1 minute of speaking, the author may yield remaining time to their closing, as long as they reserved that right when first recognized. During con/pro debate, a speaker may yield time at any point to the chair or to questions. After speaking for 30 seconds, a speaker may yield remaining time to the author's closing summation, as long as they reserved that right when first recognized. During the author's opening speech, the committee chair gives 1 rap to indicate 1 minute is left and 2 raps to indicate 30 seconds are left.

Second Committee. Same as First, except that during con/pro debate, after 30 seconds a speaker may yield remaining time to the author's closing summation or to another speaker from the same viewpoint, as long as they reserved that right when first recognized. The chair may give the same 1-rap and 2-rap signals.

General Assembly. An author may yield time to the Chair at any point. After 2 minutes an author may yield time to their summation speech, as long as they reserved that right when first recognized. A speaker during debate may yield time to the Chair at any point, and may yield to the author's summation speech or another NIF delegate, as long as they reserved that right when first recognized. To yield to another speaker, the recognized speaker must tell the Presiding Officer they will be yielding time to delegate "Last Name" before making a statement or asking questions. Example: "Will the author yield to questions? And I reserve the right to yield the remainder of my time to delegate 'Smith.'"
Clarifications: a speaker is limited to two actions: they may ask questions of the author and yield to the author's summation, or make a statement and yield to another delegate, but not more than two actions in one speech. A delegate who has been yielded time from another delegate can only take one action (ask questions of the author or speak). The presider may give 1 rap for 1 minute left and 2 raps for 30 seconds left.

First Committee: amendments may be made only by the author, and must be made before the proposal is considered in First Committee. The author must supply each delegate with a copy of the amendment if it is 10 words or more. Amendment forms are available to authors after consulting with their First Committee Chair.
Second Committee: amendments may be made only by the author. They must be proposed to the Committee Chair after the proposal has been heard and ranked in First Committee but before it has a hearing in Second Committee. The author must bring a copy to the Committee Chair for review to ensure it is germane and does not alter the intent of the proposal. If considered germane, the author may offer the amendment during the presentation of their proposal. It must be voted on by the Second Committee and must pass by a majority vote. If the amendment is more than 10 words, the author must provide a hard copy for each committee member prior to the vote.
General Assembly: amendments are not in order.
Recess or adjourn: any member of NIF may make a motion to recess or adjourn if recognized by the chair. The motion may be voted on at the discretion of the chair and requires a second by another delegate and a voice vote.

Ties in ballot ranking: in the case of a tie to two decimal points in the average ballot score, both proposals will move forward.
Combining proposals: if two proposals inadvertently have identical topics and are in the same committee, they may combine on the agreement of the involved parties and at the discretion of the Presiding Officer. Combining proposals is discouraged; delegates should make every effort to present a unique idea to the National Issues Forum.