Commission on Presidential Debates

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The Commission on Presidential Debates is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that sponsors and organizes general-election presidential and vice-presidential debates in the United States.


Statements (48)
Predicate Object
instanceOf debate organizing body
nonprofit organization
appliesToJurisdiction United States
basedIn Washington, D.C.
chairperson Frank J. Fahrenkopf Jr.
Michael D. McCurry
coChair Frank J. Fahrenkopf Jr.
Michael D. McCurry
country United States
criticizedFor exclusion of third-party and independent candidates from debates
perceived bipartisan control by Democratic and Republican parties
fieldOfWork electoral politics
political debates
foundedAs bipartisan commission to oversee general-election debates
foundedBy Democratic Party leaders
Republican Party leaders
hasMainTask providing information to voters through nationally televised debates
hasOrganized United States presidential election debates since 1988
United States vice-presidential election debates since 1988
headquartersLocation Washington, D.C.
inception 1987
languageOfWorkOrName English
legalForm nonprofit organization
nonprofitStatus 501(c)(3) organization
notableEvent organized the 1988 United States presidential debates
organized the 1992 United States presidential debates
organized the 1996 United States presidential debates
organized the 2000 United States presidential debates
organized the 2004 United States presidential debates
organized the 2008 United States presidential debates
organized the 2012 United States presidential debates
organized the 2016 United States presidential debates
organized the 2020 United States presidential debates
operatesInJurisdiction United States federal elections
organizes formats, locations, and rules of general-election debates
politicalAlignment nonpartisan
purpose organizing general-election presidential debates in the United States
organizing general-election vice-presidential debates in the United States
sponsoring general-election presidential debates in the United States
sponsoring general-election vice-presidential debates in the United States
replaced League of Women Voters as primary sponsor of general-election presidential debates
selectionCriteria requires candidates to be constitutionally eligible for the presidency
requires candidates to be on enough state ballots to have a mathematical chance of winning the Electoral College
requires candidates to have a certain level of support in national public opinion polls
shortName CPD
sponsors general-election presidential debates
general-election vice-presidential debates
website https://www.debates.org


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