Research shows that humans are susceptible to simple stories and biased toward arguments that fit their current perspectives. Here’s how to confront those tendencies.
Articles on Political debate
Displaying 1 - 20 of 46 articles
Differences in beliefs may not be what drives people apart. A belief that someone else is wrong may be the stronger force.
With municipal elections on the horizon this year in several Canadian provinces and territories, local councils have the opportunity to show that quality debate can lead to a stronger democracy.
It’s common to hear someone claiming controversial comments were ‘taken out of context’ but this is a word with many meanings.
There’s another, lesser-known reason Trump’s attacks on the important institution have ramped up in recent months.
From inflation to abortion, foreign policy and democracy, the two presidential candidates went at it fiercely during their prime-time debate. Two scholars – of race and of journalism – weigh in.
Politicians and other influential actors are amplifying conspiratorial content – potentially contributing to increased distrust in the US political system.
Featuring several unique rules, including no live audience and mics that cut off when it’s not a speaker’s turn, the debate might help shape the 2024 presidential race.
The comedian Vic Reeves said that 88.2% of statistics are made up on the spot.
Aristotle believed that the biggest and most widespread source of political tension is the struggle between the haves and the have-nots. More than 2,000 years later, he’s got a point.
Three new approaches in the field of competitive academic debate offer ideas that could help presidential debates serve both their public purposes.
A psychologist explains how to reestablish civil political conversation in your own life.
It’s easy to perceive a political opponent as being uncivil – and that opens the door for an uncivil reply as well.
The only satisfactory debate arrangement everyone agreed to nearly 60 years ago largely remains in place today – the game show format.
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.
Hillary Clinton arguably lost in 2020 because she took workers for granted. Will Democrats make the same mistake again?
‘Phatic sharing’ reclaims Twitter as a truly social network, rather than simply as a source of breaking news or a place for public debate between politicians, journalists, and activists.
Any good political spin doctor employs a range of overt and covert tactics to get their message across. Here are some of the most common ones.
Measuring Twitter bots’ effects on the opinions of real people can yield surprising results about what makes them influential.
Research suggests people with a high degree of rejection sensitivity are 40% less likely to take part in political debates online.
Top contributors
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Senior Lecturer and Director of Debate, Vanderbilt University
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Senior Lecturer in Philosophy and Education; Curriculum Director, UQ Critical Thinking Project, The University of Queensland
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Associate Professor, School of Communication, Queensland University of Technology
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Dennis Altman is a Friend of The Conversation.
Vice Chancellor's Fellow and Professorial Fellow, Institute for Human Security and Social Change, La Trobe University
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Professor of History & American Culture Studies, Washington University in St. Louis
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Associate Professor of Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Washington University in St. Louis
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Data Scientist, Queensland University of Technology
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Professor, Digital Media Research Centre, Queensland University of Technology
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Senior Lecturer in Strategic Communication, PhD in Political Science, Lund University
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Associate Professor (hon) at the Centre for Public Awareness of Science, Australian National University
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Professor of Law, New York Law School
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Assistant Professor in British Politics and Security, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Nottingham
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Associate Professor in Media Theory and History, Università di Torino
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Associate Vice President for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Clemson University
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Lecturer in Media and Cultural Politics, University of East Anglia