Which of the following is a responsibility of the negative team in a debate?

The responsibility of the negative team in a debate is primarily to challenge and undermine the affirmative team's arguments. By attacking stock issues, the negative team aims to expose weaknesses in the affirmative's case, thereby diminishing its credibility and persuasiveness. Stock issues refer to fundamental questions that need to be addressed for the affirmative case to be considered valid, such as significance, harms, inherency, and solvency. This strategic approach allows the negative team to effectively counter the affirmative's claims and construct their own rationale for why the motion should not be accepted.

In contrast, the other options reflect responsibilities that do not align with the negative team's role. For instance, explaining the benefits of the affirmative's plan would inherently support the affirmative position and contradict the purpose of the negative's stance, which is to oppose the resolution. Additionally, delivering a strong affirmative case is not within the negative's purview, and focusing solely on rebutting arguments without addressing stock issues may limit the team's ability to fully engage with the debate and challenge the affirmative effectively. Thus, the correct answer aptly encapsulates the negative team's vital role in critically analyzing and dismantling the affirmative's case.