Political debates are one of the most important ways for voters to gain insight into candidates’ policies and positions. The format allows candidates to directly present their ideas to the public instead of relying on filtered news media, and allows voters to judge whether the candidates are trustworthy. However, the debate format can create misleading impressions and lead to false statements that can spread widely before fact-checkers intervene.
Even though election campaigns are scripted down to the last tidbit, the debate stage can provide breakout moments that go down in history. But to be effective, those moments must appear natural and not feel like they are being read from a cue card. The challenge is even greater for presidential candidates, who have to navigate high-stakes events where they can elicit strong emotions and make bold claims.
Historically, debates have played a large role in determining the outcome of elections, as they provide spectators with a clearer picture of a candidate’s policy views and character. Moreover, they have also shown that voters’ opinions about a candidate can shift dramatically after a single debate, even if they are still undecided.
In an era where the majority of young people get their news from Instagram and TikTok, it’s important to ensure that youth have access to political debates. This could help build positive attitudes toward democracy and increase voter turnout among this demographic, which tends to lag behind the general population. The INE is working to bring debates to these platforms and to expand the number of young people that are exposed to them.