Voice of America, Public Domain
Based on the premise that our political process is born out of the ethical ideal of creating an informed electorate, the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics has developed the following guidelines for ethical debate conduct by candidates:
Show Respect for the Electorate:
- Provide substantive answers
- Be honest, fair, and civil in all of your responses
- Only make promises that are consistent, capable of being achieved, and within the jurisdiction of the office being sought
Show Respect for your Opponents:
- Criticize policies and the record of your opponent-not the opponent personally
- Refrain from name calling or other insults
- Don’t engage in irrelevant attacks against either your opponent or your opponent’s family or associates
Show Respect for the Process:
- Don’t interrupt or shout down fellow candidates or moderator
- Answer the question asked
- Stay within allotted time limits
Aug 1, 2019
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