Actor Motions

Motions framed explicitly as This House, as X, would Y. Teams must argue from the specific internal perspective of the entity (X).

• Values and Interests: The debate hinges on what the actor's principles, interests, duties, and perceived knowledge are (which can differ from the general public's). An actor is not presumed to be strictly selfish; altruism can be argued if justified.
• Should vs likely (WUDC): What an actor should do differs from what the actor is likely to do. Actor motions are about what most conforms with the actor's own values, interests, and duties, not about predicting behaviour.
• Persuading an actor and conflicting reasons (WUDC): When an actor's values, interests, and duties conflict, judges use the actor's own value system to decide which reason is strongest. Selfish or pleasure-maximising behaviour is not assumed; teams must argue for it.
• Internal Actor Knowledge: Adopting the actor's perspective does not limit the actor's knowledge of the world. Any information teams give becomes known to the actor, though whether the actor accepts it is debated. Teams may not argue that the actor is ignorant of a fact. Judges treat the actor as a capable reasoner free from manipulation, and imagine themselves as a good-faith advisor.
• Constraints: Models introduced must fall realistically within the constraints available to the actor.
• Groups as actors (WUDC): "As [country]" means the people of the country collectively; "as [company]" means its shareholders; "as [NGO]" means its charter. Policies are executed through the relevant structures (for example, the government for a country). Where no category fits, OG has definitional fiat over who is included, if reasonable.
• Alternative formulations (WUDC): a motion with an infoslide beginning "You are [A]" and "This House would" is an actor motion. "THBT it is in the interest of [A] to X" and "THBT [X] is in the interests of [A]" are equivalent to "This House, as [A], supports [X]". "As [A], supports/believes/prefers" forms (actor analysis) have no modelling fiat.
• Distinction from "Interests of X" (WSDC): A motion like THBT it is against the interests of organized religion to... is NOT an actor motion in WSDC. Teams argue from a neutral perspective on what benefits the group, without adopting the internal viewpoint or fiat power of the actor. This differs from the WUDC treatment above; check the tournament's format rules.