A political debate is a structured discussion of opposing viewpoints on political issues, policies, and ideologies. It is a critical element of democratic societies, whether in televised presidential debates during elections, parliamentary discussions, or public forums. Debate allows citizens to evaluate the ideas and proposals of political leaders, helping them make informed decisions at the ballot box.
In a time of political polarization, debates can have real impact on voters. Yet, we know little about how debates actually happen in the real world. Using online questionnaires, our team surveyed people to ask about their debating experiences and their post-debate feelings. We surveyed two groups of participants: 1) those who had engaged in debate with a close friend or family member; and 2) those who had participated in a debate with someone from a different political party or ideology than themselves.
We found that people frequently engage in political debates with close friends and family members, often about high-profile topics such as abortion or vaccines. However, these debates can also be contentious. In both lab and online experiments, we asked participants to describe a recent political debate that they had experienced, as well as their feelings after the debate.
The results showed that debates can be productive if participants focus on addressing the underlying interests and goals that are motivating someone to take a particular stance on an issue. In other words, instead of challenging a person’s position by saying that their views are wrong, try restating the problem and asking what solutions they would like to see implemented. People are more likely to respond positively when they feel that their underlying interests and goals have been heard and acknowledged.