Unlike television commercials or tweets, political debates can offer voters a more full perspective on candidates and their positions. They can help voters make more informed choices and even change their minds. Yet the effectiveness of a debate is often hard to measure.
Nonetheless, debates continue to play a critical role in the election process. They expose voters to the full range of issues a candidate will be addressing, provide them with the opportunity to engage with candidates in an intimate way that isn’t possible through other media, and embody democratic ideals in which all are equal participants.
But the debates are not perfect, and the need for reforms is growing. The partisan divide in America is wider than ever, and the number of independent or non-aligned voters has grown significantly since the creation of the Commission on Presidential Debates in 1987. Increasingly, voters are seeking more information on the issues facing our country and want to engage with candidates in a more authentic and substantive setting.
The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) has defined a set of debate rules and standards that determines the eligibility of candidates to participate in the debates, including requiring them to reach a threshold in national polling to qualify for inclusion. While this criteria has been effective in ensuring that debates feature candidates who can win the presidency, it has also created some barriers for voters who are not part of the “preferred candidate” groups.
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