Class Activity

DebateWatch provides an election year activity for courses in political communication. It began after 1992 research (see Spectra, June 2000, p. 6) indicated that citizens learned as much from discussions that were held after debates as they did from watching the debates themselves.

Launched in 1996, DebateWatch showed that participants followed political news more closely and were more likely to engage in political discussions. Participants said the DebateWatch discussions increased their interest in presidential campaign issues and their likelihood of voting. Follow-up studies demonstrated that young citizens learned more when experienced voters joined with them in the discussions.

DebateWatch is a simple program that involves inviting a group of people to watch a debate and to discuss it afterward rather than relying solely on media spin. The material needed for a discussion group is included in a packet available from the DebateWatch 2000 Research Center, University of Kansas, or from the Web site.

Group facilitators file a report identifying topics in the debates and ranking them as most important, unimportant / irrelevant, or needing more discussion or elaboration by the candidates. The Research Center releases results within 48 hours after the debates.

Collaborating with DebateWatch 2000 are the following groups: National Communication Association, Commission on Presidential Debates, National Association of Secretaries of State New Millennium Project, Kids Voting USA, and a variety of disciplinary and inter-disciplinary educational societies.

For more information, consult the Web site or send e-mail no later than August 1, 2000.