Agent counterplan

In policy debate, an agent counterplan is a counterplan which proposes to do affirmative's plan (or part of it) with another agent. Many judges consider agent counterplans theoretically legitimate although it is possible for the affirmative to defeat them on the grounds that they are illegitimate. Because they moot much of the 1AC offense, they are considered one of the deadliest negative strategies.

Most affirmative's try to avoid agent counterplans by not specifying their agent beyond the United States federal government in their plan text. On international topics, international agent counterplans cannot be similarly avoided, although many consider them object fiat.

For example, if the affirmative plan were: "The USFG should send troops to Liberia" an agent counterplan would be "France should send troops to Liberia."

References

*Cheshire, David. (2003). [http://debate.uvm.edu/NFL/rostrumlib/cx%20Cheshier%201%2003-03.pdf Debating Agent Specification] . "Rostrum". Retrieved December 30, 2005.