Presidential debates are meant to be informative and to help voters develop informed opinions about candidates. But whether these debates have an effect on public opinion or the outcome of the election is ultimately dependent on a number of factors.  

Historically, it has only been in exceptional cases that presidential debates have profound effects or sway voters for presidential candidates.

Eric Schickler, a University of California, Berkeley, political science professor said debates typically do little to either help or hurt presidential candidates.

"[Debates] tend to reinforce people’s existing views,” Schickler said.

In regards to Wednesday's presidential debate with President Obama and Mitt Romney, Schickler foresaw it having minimal effects as well.

“Chances are that [the debates] will not have a big impact given how hard the public has been to move this year,” he said.

Schickler went on to say that upcoming presidential debates have the possibility of making a difference in election outcomes, as the gap between Romney and Obama is not small in historical terms, but not enough to matter in the political race.

Sherry Jeffe, senior fellow at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy and political analyst for KNBC, Los Angeles, said she believed it is difficult to tell the effects of presidential debates.

Jeffe said that such political debates are contingent upon other factors, such as the candidate, political environment and state of the race. She referred to cases in the past where presidential debates made minimal difference.

“In essence, if you want a general answer, in exceptional circumstances, [debates] move the needle one way or another,” Jeffe said.

She stressed the importance of other factors in determining whether or not this debate, or debates in general, make a difference. Jeffe said in the upcoming debates, it appears the race is close in the popular vote. 

“In this case, maybe the debates might move the needle one way or another,” said Jeffe. 

The presidential debates, given historical examples, do little to change public opinion or the outcome of an election.

Ultimately, the effect of Wednesday’s presidential debate will be hinged on a number of factors that do not leave room for predictions. 

Perhaps there is a different measure to examine in regards to whether or not presidential debates have an effect.

Shannon Stimson, a political science professor at the University of California, Berkeley, had a more theoretical approach to the question of whether or not presidential debates make a difference. Instead of focusing on debates’ effect on electoral outcomes, Stimson said there is a different effect that could be examined. 

“We might conclude that debates, for all their flaws, make a difference, not necessarily for any particular electoral outcome, but for at least stimulating national engagement in democratic politics,” Stimson said.

To solely base the outcomes of the presidential debates on their effect on public opinion or electoral outcomes is to overlook their potential ability to stimulate national engagement.

Despite presidential debates having had a lack of dramatic effect in the past, they nonetheless have the potential to create a fundamental element of a functioning democratic society: civic engagement.

 

Read more of Neon Tommy's coverage of the 2012 presidential election at our blog Politically Correct.

Reach Contributor Daniella Segura here.