As the campaign heads into its final stretch, candidates are increasingly turning to political debates to reposition themselves in voters’ minds and try to nudge them toward their side. Historically, these events are known to improve voters’ understanding of specific candidates and their policies, and increase their general knowledge of policy issues for several weeks after the event.
The debate format varies, but the basic idea is that a set of prepared questions is asked and responded to by one or more leaders. Typically, a moderator will moderate and attempt to limit the number of questions that are asked, and will ensure that each leader gets enough time to respond. The organizer of the debate will normally choose the moderator(s) based on pre-established objective criteria.
A debate’s biggest moments often come from the non-verbal communication of the participants. For example, in the 2000 debate between Democrat Al Gore and Republican George W. Bush, Gore was heard sighing during Bush’s response to a question. More recently, in 2016, Trump’s awkward body language during a debate with Hillary Clinton was widely ridiculed for its lack of “empathy.”
Debate participation is also a great way for citizens to engage with politics in an individual, face-to-face manner. The debate format is much less elitist than traditional, highly-targeted political communications like direct mail or robocalls. In fact, a recent study by Columbia Business School professors Modupe Akinola and Sheena Iyengar found that individuals who participate in political debates have a more positive perception of their government than those who don’t.