How to Find Presidential Debate Rules

Square off

It's fun to watch presidential candidates engage in spirited debate before an election. An unrehearsed debate is an excellent way to see a candidate perform under pressure. It's also a means to gauge their education on certain issues and how each compares to the other candidates. It helps to know debate rules for the particular debate venue so you can decide when they've crossed the line.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. For party debates, find the time limits established for candidates to respond to questions. At the Democratic debate at Cleveland State University, the only guidelines were that candidates' responses be held to a reasonable length. The moderator can therefore make the decision to end a candidate's turn if he is talking too long.

2. Catch the beginning of the debate. The moderator will explain the format and the rules before the debate begins.

3. Look for information on the presidential debate in the debate city's newspaper. Debates are big local and national news stories and often land on the front pages on local papers.

4. Visit the website of the Commission on Presidential Debate for the rules of presidential debate before an election.

5. Explore the rules from past debates, which are available for the public to read. Past rules have established the times all debates will start, manner in which candidates may or may not address each other, and the length of closing arguments, as well as many other points.

Resources

• Read the 2004 debate rules at the National Public Radio website.
• Find rules at the Commission on Presidential Debate website.
• Laugh at the election process at the