In a democracy, political debates provide an important public service. They help voters compare the main orientations of the different candidates and inform their choice in elections. They also facilitate the education of citizens on topics of interest, promote pluralism of opinion and expression, and contribute to civic engagement.
Organizing debates is complex. It takes months to prepare participants, work out logistical arrangements, and secure venues. The level of complexity varies depending on the sensitivity of the subject matter, diversity of the viewpoints, profile of the participants, and the anticipated audience size and media coverage. This variation is reflected in the time required to prepare the event’s structure, rules, and content.
To make these events more productive, debate organizers should consider implementing reforms to improve the format and rules. They should allow for cross-examination, and a more formal process of soliciting questions, through multiple channels, to ensure that the debates are rich and informative.
Moreover, the debates should employ a more flexible format that allows for more depth of analysis and clearer comparisons and contrasts between or among positions while avoiding discussion of a topic from a previous question during a subsequent topic, rules that allow for the moderator to keep the candidates on the subject, and the possibility of opening and closing statements.
Finally, debates should take the opportunity to delve into specific issues and priorities of the voters. This is particularly important in an election cycle like this, where voters are already familiar with the candidates from their track record as incumbents or from their activities over several months of campaigning.
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