As a form of civic education, political debate brings the candidates to the public’s attention. It allows voters to understand the differences between competing policies and see how those policies will impact their lives and communities.
Since their inception, debates have played an important role in American politics. While they may not determine election outcomes, communication scholars and political scientists have found that debates provide information voters use to make voting decisions.
Debates can be in a variety of formats. Some are hosted by a single moderator, who poses questions and manages the time limits of the candidates’ responses. Other formats include a panelist format, which has multiple people asking questions, and a town hall meeting, which has members of the audience asking questions.
Regardless of the format, all political debates are intended to provide voters with the opportunity to compare the candidates’ positions on the issues. This is a critical component of democratic debate and should remain the central purpose of all presidential debates.
However, many front-running candidates have opted out of the debates this cycle, citing an unwillingness to appear in hostile settings or their belief that debates are no longer effective. The CPD is committed to educating its partners about the value of these civic education events and learning how best to improve the debates. We have also found that the format can affect how the debates are perceived. When the debates are framed as “gotcha” events, voters tend to perceive them as less informative and more negative.