A2 (Answers To)

A2, short for "Answers To" (sometimes written AT or A/T), is jargon used in policy debate, Lincoln-Douglas, parliamentary, and increasingly Model UN circuits to label a block of prepared responses to a specific argument a debater expects to face. For example, a file titled "A2: Capitalism K" contains canned answers to a kritik of capitalism, while "A2: Politics DA" rebuts a politics disadvantage.

A2 blocks are a core component of a debater's backfile — the collection of evidence and analytics built up over a season or shared within a team. They typically combine:

• Carded evidence (quoted passages from academic, journalistic, or governmental sources) that directly refutes the opposing claim;
• Analytics (logical arguments written by the debater that do not require a citation);
• Permutations or turns that co-opt or reverse the opponent's argument.

The practice grew out of U.S. high school and collegiate policy debate, where the speed and density of argumentation reward pre-written responses that can be read quickly during the 2AC (second affirmative constructive) or block. Coaches and camps such as those run by the National Debate Coaches Association distribute A2 files each summer, and online repositories like the openCaselist wiki host thousands of them.

In Model UN, the convention has been adopted more loosely. Delegates preparing for crisis committees or competitive GA committees often draft A2 notes anticipating common counterarguments — for instance, "A2: Sovereignty concerns" when defending a humanitarian intervention clause, or "A2: Cost objections" when proposing a new UN trust fund. The format helps delegates respond fluently during moderated caucus without losing time to improvisation.

A2 blocks are distinct from frontlines, which defend one's own argument, though the two are often filed together. Effective use requires not just reading the block but tailoring it to what the opponent actually said — judges and chairs penalize debaters who read generic A2s that miss the nuance of the specific argument advanced in-round.