The debates give voters a chance to hear directly from the candidates, but it’s difficult for them to make sense of the information. As a result, they often rely on third-party sources of information. In the end, however, it’s up to voters to decide which candidate has the best policy proposals and who they want to represent them in Congress or the executive branch.
Whether they are a knockout punch like Reagan in 1984 or a stumble like Ford in 1976, a candidate’s performance in a political debate is one of the most important events during the campaign. Yet debates aren’t as effective as they once were, and voters now form their vote choice much closer to Election Day.
What can be done to improve debates?
The Commission on Presidential Debates sets the dates and sites for the three televised debates between presidential candidates. It also chooses which questions are to be asked and who gets first turn. A coin toss determines which candidate makes opening and closing statements and each candidate has about 2 minutes to answer a question. The moderator may use colored lights resembling traffic lights (green indicating 30 seconds, yellow indicating 15 seconds, and red indicating only 5 seconds remain) or a buzzer to control time.
A recent Hart Research poll found that 63% of voters favored moving the first debate to early September so it would take place before the beginning of early voting. In addition, the Commission should allow more flexibility in its scheduling. Currently, fundraising and university logistics dictate that the Commission picks debate sites and dates well over a year in advance.