Both leaders were caught on difficult questioning, but overall neither strayed far from well-rehearsed lines.
Articles on Election debates
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With all the usual policy issues canvassed, neither leader made a major mistake, but nor did they land any significant blows on their opponent.
Sunak’s comments about migrants from Syria, Afghanistan shows exactly why the UK should be offering them protection.
While people now reflect on how or whether Nixon’s sweaty, haggard appearance during the debate cost him the election, the view in 1960 was that the debate was a draw.
It was hard to escape the feeling that the would-be leaders are as out of touch as one questioner suggested.
A politician who wields a comeback with skill can use it as both a bludgeon and a shield, damaging the opponent without hurting their own popularity with voters.
Three new approaches in the field of competitive academic debate offer ideas that could help presidential debates serve both their public purposes.
The party leaders clashed over Brexit, Northern Ireland and the NHS.
Debates may help voters identify which candidate shares their views but they do not help them think critically about those views. That’s because presidential debates don’t live up to their name.
A former middle school teacher offers a series of tips on how educators can teach young people to engage in more civil discourse.
As Election Day approaches, candidates in races across the country will be doing everything they can to get out the vote – including turning to behavioral science.
Meant to be a relatively tame “town hall”-style encounter, the second-round debate was one of the grisliest moments of an already ugly campaign.
The election campaign’s day 17 notably belonged to Barnaby Joyce, and not just for the package of concessional loans he announced for struggling dairy farmers. For light relief, the day delivered another…
Sky TV’s people’s forum on the evening of last Friday gave us something refreshingly different from recent federal election campaigns: a civil discourse between the two main political leaders. Perhaps…
Politicians should cut the language deficit for the sake of voters.
There’s not much to be gained for major party leaders, but small parties have all to play for.
Jeremy Paxman might be a bully, but his confrontational style makes for a great show.
In their first TV appearance of the election campaign, both party leaders took tough questions from Jeremy Paxman.
Common sense tells us that an election debate comes with dangers for the incumbent, but that’s no excuse not to participate.
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Senior Lecturer and Director of Debate, Vanderbilt University
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Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
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Professor of American Studies, University College Dublin
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Distinguished Professor, Lancaster University
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Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Advancing Journalism, The University of Melbourne
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Research Fellow, Harvard University
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Assistant Professor of Secondary Social Studies, West Virginia University
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Lecturer in Digital Media Sociology., City St George's, University of London
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Professor of Politics, University of Strathclyde and Senior Research Fellow, National Centre for Social Research
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Weatherhead Professor of Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
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Senior Lecturer in English Language and Linguistics, Aston University
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Emeritus Professor of Political Communication, University of Leeds
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Professor of Journalism, Indiana University
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Professor of Geography, University of Sussex
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Professor Emeritus of Communication, American University School of Communication