You may find that your investigation of the issue will lead you beyond the polar positions toward a compromise or even a completely new solution. In other words, such an essay may reveal that the result of supporting one position against another is to arrive at yet a third position, which is possible now because both sides have been fully explored and a reasonable compromise presents itself. An issue is a controversy, something about which there is disagreement. A claim is a statement or assertion that something is true or should be done. In arguing one side of an issue, you make one or more claims in the hope of convincing an audience to believe you.
Counterclaims are statements that oppose or refute claims.
You need to examine an opponents counterclaim carefully in order to refute or, if you agree with the counterclaims, to argue that your claim is more important to making a decision. The thesis in a persuasive and argumentative essay is the major claim the essay makes and defends. As a writer, you can decide which approach is the stronger rhetorical strategy after you fully examine each claim and the supporting evidence. Each strategy, thesis first or delayed, has its advantages and disadvantages. Evidence makes a claim believable.