Public debate is a multifaceted, interactive discourse in which participants present contrasting reasons against one another. It operates differently than similar phenomena such as private, interpersonal or diffuse debate, and is often a key part of democratic life. Debates provide a platform for the dissemination of a diverse range of opinions and thus contribute to the emergence of a democratic sphere of interest. They also play a role in the moral vetting of positions, as seen in Habermasian and Arendtian versions of deliberative democracy, by providing an opportunity for the public to evaluate arguments and evidence.
The selection of the topic is crucial and a factor in the success or failure of a debate. A good debate topic is one that is interesting to the panelists, as well as to the audience listening to the discussion. It is also important that the selected topic has strong argument potential. The more solid the argumentation, the more likely the debate will be successful.
Once a topic has been selected, the moderator prepares a general high level outline of the debate. This allows the panelists to research and prepare their answers. It is usually advised that the number of panelists be limited – any more and it becomes hard to flesh out all of the viewpoints; any less and the debate may become unwieldy and confusing.
The first step in the debate is the presentation of a case by the affirmative side and rebuttal by the negative side. These are the two most important speeches of the debate as they form the basis for the judges decision and can be the difference between winning or losing the debate.