Advertisement

Do Debates Actually Change Voters' Minds?

05:52
Download Audio
Resume
Chairs for audience members are arranged during a rehearsal for the first U.S. presidential debate at Hofstra University on Sept. 25, 2016, in Hempstead, N.Y. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Chairs for audience members are arranged during a rehearsal for the first U.S. presidential debate at Hofstra University on Sept. 25, 2016, in Hempstead, N.Y. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

As many as 100 million people are expected to tune in for tonight's first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

But what, if anything, will they take away from the event?

Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd talks with Derek Thompson of The Atlantic about research into how much debates actually affect a voter's choice of candidate.

Here's a video of one presidential debate that some voters said did make a difference:

Guest

Derek Thompson, senior editor at The Atlantic. He tweets @DKThomp.

This segment aired on September 26, 2016.

Related:

Advertisement

More from Here & Now

Listen Live
Close