Permutation (policy debate)

In policy debate (although sometimes used in Lincoln-Douglas debate, especially on the national circuit), a permutation is an argument made by the 2AC (in Lincoln-Douglas debate the 1AR) to test the competition of a counterplan or kritik testing the comparative desirability of the plan and all or part of the counterplan or kritik against the counterplan or kritik by itself. Most permutations are tests rather than advocacies and thus do not change the fiat of the affirmative plan in the world where the negative does not advocate the counterplan or the kritik.