Political debate is a vital part of the democratic process and informs voters about candidates’ positions. However, it is often misperceived as contentious and polarizing. This is particularly true on social media, where extreme views can be easily seen and shared. This misperception can have psychological costs. Specifically, it may lead people to avoid participating in political processes or to express hopelessness about America’s future.
The tradition of political debate originated with the Lincoln-Douglas debates in 1860 and was reactivated in 1948 when radio broadcast technology made open debate accessible to many more Americans. Since then, the CPD has made debate a regular part of the electoral process and has expanded participation to include broader parties and more candidates.
CPD Debate Criteria
The nonpartisan goal of the CPD’s debates is to give members of the public a chance to sharpen their views, in a focused debate format, of the leading candidates for President and Vice President. We do this by inviting candidates that meet our pre-established, objective criteria.
In addition to our objective criteria, we take into account the potential impact on voters and society as a whole. As a result, we have adopted a polling threshold of 15 percent to ensure that the candidates invited are broadly viewed as leaders. This is consistent with previous studies of the effect of debates on voter knowledge and preferences and is also in line with best practices for election deliberation.
This article was produced by The Conversation, an independent global news organization that seeks to present fact-based journalism in ways that spark discussion and engagement on the world’s most pressing issues. The Conversation is funded by The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
