Political debate involves discussing differences in viewpoints on government policies and political ideologies, fostering understanding of complex issues and encouraging compromise. Debate takes place in a variety of formats, including televised presidential debates between candidates during elections, parliamentary discussions, and community conversations. These debates can be a powerful tool for democratic societies, promoting informed citizen participation and improving public policy.
In the United States, many Americans think that politicians debate publicly, but a closer look shows that most political discussion happens in person between close friends, family members, and coworkers. Furthermore, the majority of these in-person discussions report positive feelings after debate.
Despite these positive results, American politics may seem bleak given heightened political polarization. The present study examines the role of productive political debate in reducing this polarization.
We surveyed participants with a series of questions about their experience debating political topics in the past year. We asked respondents to name the topic they debated most often, and we also prompted them to think about how their interlocutor behaved during that discussion. Using this rich dataset, we were able to evaluate the effect of various debate treatments on responses.
We find that providing evidence-based counterarguments, signaling a willingness to compromise, and using a respectful tone all increase respondents’ openness to alternative perspectives on their most important political issue. In addition, a non-partisan tone and the use of evidence-based arguments have additional benefits in terms of improving participants’ overall post-debate perceptions of their interlocutor.