Debate_(parliamentary_procedure)

Debate or discussion in parliamentary procedure refers to discussion on the merits of a pending question; that is, whether it should or not be agreed to. Robert\'s Rules of Order notes that "Debate, rightly understood, is an essential element in the making of rational decisions of consequence by intelligent people."RONR (10th ed.), p. 373 Indeed, one of the distinguishing characteristics of a deliberative assembly is that "It is a group of people, having or assuming freedom to act in concert, meeting to determine, in full and free discussion, courses of action to be taken in the name of the entire group."

Normally, the right of members to participate in debate is limited to two ten-minute speeches per day on a question.RONR (10th ed.), p. 375-376 However, these limitations can be loosened or tightened through motion (parliamentary procedure)s to limit or extend limits of debate; or to go into a committee of the whole or quasi committee of the whole, or to consider informally a measure; or to adopt a special rule of order or standing rule changing the limitations on debate.RONR (10th ed.), p. 378

Some motions are not debatable. This includes most secondary motions that are applied to undebatable motions.

References

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