Abstract
r HE TELEVISED DEBATES between the 1976 presidential and vicepresidential candidates constituted a major effort at political communication. A series of queries included in the Center for Political Studies 1976 American National Election study' provides a citizen's view of the debates. The purpose of this note is to capsule some of the main results, which may later be placed within the broader context of our understanding of political communication (Kraus, 1962). The debates were watched by 83% of the respondents. Only 11% viewed only one debate, 27% of the respondents claimed to have watched all four, and an additional 18% watched three debates. The viewing was more dutiful than fun: only 32% of the sample was very interested in the debates, 42% had some interest, and-in addition to the non-watchers-8% claimed no interest at all. Nor was the viewing productive: only 32% claimed to have learned anything at all from the debates. In the follow-up probes, the election study measured up to three
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