Political debate is one of the few democratic tools that gives voters a full, unfiltered view of the candidates running for office. Debates fill the promise of democracy by offering a forum for all candidates to talk about their visions and platforms, explain their records, defend their positions and take public jabs at their opponents. The goal is to educate and inform the voters. Debates also offer campaigns a chance to reach voters in ways that are different from paid media or the more typical door-to-door canvassing and phone calls that are highly effective individual voter engagement activities but require tremendous resources.
Current debate formats rely on a single moderator, usually a television journalist, who poses questions to the candidates and manages their response times. This can lead to questions that are designed more to advance the agenda of the moderator or news outlets than to help voters understand the candidates’ plans and positions on issues. This can also create a dynamic where candidates are preparing to debate the moderator as much as they prepare to debate their opponent.
A variety of debate formats have been developed to create more spontaneous exchanges among the candidates, often in a town hall meeting style. In some, the candidates sit across from each other at tables, while in others they stand at podiums. In addition, a moderator may be present or not at these events to pose questions and control the pace of the discussion.
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