In the context of parliamentary democracies, public debate is an established phenomenon. However, it is rarely explicitly stated what the intended purposes and functions of such debates are. Instead, they are generally defended by claiming deliberative, epistemic or political benefits. In particular, they are often alleged to provide an opportunity for debate on controversial issues, to inform the public or to provide a forum in which different publicly accessible perspectives can be represented.
During debates, participants present arguments for and against a topic or issue, a policy or candidate. Participants are usually selected based on pre-established objective criteria, for example nomination by a party. Alternatively, they may be selected from among people who have expressed interest or willingness to participate in the debate.
Participants typically prepare their speeches or points beforehand to ensure that they are well-informed and able to defend their positions in the face of opposition. They also use rhetorical techniques such as logical fallacies, appeals to emotion and other persuasive strategies to influence the audience and their opponents. In addition, they may become aggressive or confront their opponents in an attempt to dominate the conversation.
In a typical debate, speakers have one minute for their opening focus and two minutes for the middle part of their argument, called the main focus. In the middle part they must accomplish two important things: refutation of their opponent’s case and building their own case. If they fail in either of these areas they risk dropping their contentions which can give their opponent an advantage.