Locations and Purposes of Debate

1) Presidential Debate
-location: on TV
-purpose: help viewers to decide who they want to elect
-help?: yes
-structured/no: structured
-effect: Viewers hear topics they care about discussed by people with varying viewpoints, and so they get a better idea of who they want as president.

2) Competitive Debate
-location: School
-purpose: Test and challenge the debating skills of students willing to compete
-help?: yes
-structured/no: structured
-effect: Students offer a different approach from those of the actual decision makers, giving perspective to whatever issue is being discussed.

3) Formal Debate between two friends
-location: Tree in a Californian forest waiting for a rescue crew
-purpose: Convince one another of the likelihood (or nonexistence) of global warming.
-help?: no. at best, one will acknowledge that the other is somewhat correct-few people would completely surrender their beliefs so easily.
-structured/no: not structured
-effect: Each is more knowledgeable than when they began, and can go on to make further deliberations on their own.