Political debate is a communication process through which people with different points of view discuss and try to agree on policy issues1. It also allows for the exchange of new ideas and positions that might help resolve political disagreement.
Political debates can take a variety of forms. They can be highly structured, such as Presidential election debates or local town hall meetings, or they can be less structured and self-guided, such as the online discussions that happen on platforms like X, TikTok, or Facebook. These debates can be public and elicit a wide audience or they can be private and involve conversations with close friends or family members.
In democracies, political debate is a central mechanism for citizens to learn about their elected officials and the policies they propose. Public debates, often a key part of a candidate’s campaign, allow candidates to articulate their views and responses to opposing viewpoints, ultimately shaping voter choices during elections. The 1960 Kennedy-Nixon debate is credited with changing the way that Americans think about politics, making it a more participatory democracy.
In addition to being a means for educating voters about the issues that matter most, debate can also be a critical tool for addressing political polarization.4 Specifically, productive debate can be a powerful tool for disengaging partisanship and fostering mutual understanding of opposing viewpoints.
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