A political debate is a face-to-face conversation between candidates where they are given the opportunity to articulate their views on public policy in a structured and focused format. The goal of a political debate is to inform the American public on the issues and their choices.
The tradition of integrating debate into the campaign cycle dates back to the 19th century. As explained in this HowStuffWorks article, a Lincoln-Douglas debate on the pros and cons of slavery extension was published as a book, was used as a vital campaign document and helped establish the tradition of political debate as part of a national election process.
There are many variables that make up a political debate, including the number of participants, the format, and the question selection. The CPD takes great care to ensure that its debates are nonpartisan and that the participants are chosen based on pre-established objective criteria. The CPD also seeks to avoid a “crowd-sourcing” approach that allows candidates with little support to effectively cripple the debate by refusing to participate.
The format of a debate influences the way that voters perceive the candidates. For example, a rapid-fire question format may highlight a candidate’s quick thinking skills, while a town hall format might foster a personal connection with voters. The CPD continually evaluates the effectiveness of different formats to learn how to improve the value of these important civic education forums.
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