The University of Delaware adopted the suggestions of the Debate Standards Advisory Project, a joint project of Pew Center and Knight Center that was funded through a grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts and sponsored by the Center for American Politics and Citizenship at the University of Maryland. Its goal was the improvement of candidate debates by developing nonpartisan standards for debates and the sponsorship of debates. (Source: The Debate Book: Standards and Guidelines for Sponsoring Political Candidate Debates in Congressional, State, and Local Elections, with Ronald A. Faucheux, (Washington, D.C.: Campaigns and Elections, 2003).
Candidates must meet the criteria for inclusion to participate in Delaware Debates. The format includes formal, moderated question-and-answer segments, as well as questions from students following established ground rules.