In the United States, political debate is a tradition that allows candidates to outline their stance on important issues and debate what the country’s priorities should be. It also gives citizens a glimpse into what their candidate is all about, and it helps them decide which candidate will best serve the nation. If a candidate refuses to debate, it’s likely they are hiding things and not as honest as they claim to be.
To become a participant in a CPD-sponsored debate, a politician must meet certain criteria to ensure the debate is nonpartisan and that voters will get an accurate picture of the candidates’ positions. A panel of experts drafted the debate criteria that was adopted in 2024. It includes a review of several different types of evidence, such as evidence of national organization and signs of newsworthiness and competitiveness, to determine whether a candidate has a realistic chance of winning election.
While it’s hard to measure the impact of individual debate performances, it is possible that a combination of debates and other factors, such as advertising or news coverage, could move undecided voters towards one candidate. For example, the 1960 presidential debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon was a watershed moment for the idea of holding television debates. The public was impressed with Kennedy’s energy and health compared to Nixon’s sickness and inexperience, which led some voters to change their minds and support Kennedy. Other studies have found that televised debates can increase voter turnout.