Political debates have become a staple of American democracy, helping voters understand candidates and their positions on issues. They also serve to test ideas and encourage democratic engagement. However, organizing a political debate is no small undertaking. The process requires a series of assumptions, such as participants’ backgrounds, the debate’s context, and audience expectations. These assumptions can inform the debate’s structure and format, as well as the skills that are needed for a successful outcome.
Despite their importance, these assumptions can lead to misperceptions about the nature of political debates. In a recent study, Columbia Business School professor Modupe Akinola and her colleagues found that Americans often have a distorted view of the frequency and format of these events. In addition, they may be less likely to see the value of political debates as a source of information and a tool for evaluating candidates.
To address this, the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) and its debate sponsors have developed a number of initiatives to improve the quality and reach of these civic education forums. For example, the CPD has adopted a polling threshold of 15 percent in order to invite candidates considered to be among the leading contenders and avoid invitations being extended to candidates with scant support, which would jeopardize the debate’s voter education purpose.
The CPD also has a process for selecting debate sites. Typically, these are universities that provide not only the debate hall but the space necessary to accommodate campaign offices, spin alleys, surrogate viewing areas, and press filing centers. Thousands of media, campaign staff, and audience members travel to the debate site. In addition, streets are closed and transportation systems developed to allow Secret Service motorcades to move around the site.
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