For democracies with competitive elections, political debate provides a unique opportunity for voters to compare candidates on their policies and see each other in an unfiltered setting. These televised moments are a critical part of election campaigns and can have lasting effects on voting behavior. Effective debate requires participants to articulate their positions clearly and support their arguments with evidence. It also encourages compromise and helps shape public policy.

But not all debates are created equal. For example, the format of a debate can have a significant impact on how well candidates perform. In fact, the way a debate is structured can be a campaign tactic in and of itself.

During the 20th century, debates often included a provision that gave each candidate an equal amount of time to speak in opening and closing statements. This allowed front-runners to fend off the bad press that may have come with refusing a debate, and it ensured that their rivals would receive enough television exposure to sway millions of voters.

Each cycle, the CPD selects sites for debates based on bids submitted by interested sites. It carefully considers early voting, religious and federal holidays, other milestone events (such as the opening of the General Assembly of the United Nations), and White House television pool contractual conflicts like Major League Baseball in order to fairly apply its candidate selection criteria.