Looking to the Past and Abroad to Enhance U.S. Presidential Debates

Authors

Jacob W. Justice, University of MississippiFollow
Talya P. Slaw, University of MississippiFollow
John Koch, Vanderbilt UniversityFollow

Abstract

Presidential debates are a valuable, but flawed, method of educating voters about policy issues and candidates. Growing dissatisfaction with presidential debates, and polling evidence suggesting they are failing to inform audiences, creates exigence to reconsider the format of future debates. In this essay, we propose modifications to the format of United States presidential debates, in the interest of facilitating greater clash and audience education. To improve U.S. presidential debates, we draw upon two sources of inspiration: the history of U.S. presidential debates and international experiences with political debates. We recommend exploration of new debate formats that include (1) a narrow scope and (2) questions crafted by field experts. These proposals would generate clash and reveal key insights about candidates’ preparedness for governance.

Recommended Citation

Justice, Jacob W.; Slaw, Talya P.; and Koch, John (2024) "Looking to the Past and Abroad to Enhance U.S. Presidential Debates," Studies in Debate and Oratory: Vol. 1, Article 1.
Available at: https://scholar.stjohns.edu/sido/vol1/iss1/1