Editing Leaders' debate (section)

==History==
Precursors to television debates were the candidate forums [[Radio in 1920s elections|broadcast over radio in elections in the 1920s]]. The success of early televised debates such as the 1960 [[American presidential debate]] between [[John F. Kennedy]] and [[Richard Nixon]], viewed by 70 million people,<ref>Lapsansky-Werner, Emma J. United States History: Modern America. Boston, MA: Pearson Learning Solutions, 2011. Print. Page 505</ref>  would eventually spur the desire to hold similar, televised debates in countries under the [[parliamentary system]].  Television had quickly proven to be an excellent and efficient means of reaching out to large blocs of the electorate.  The unique aspect of the parliamentary system which creates the desire to hold leaders' debates is that the [[political party|party]] leader is usually the party's presumed candidate to lead the government, because by [[constitutional convention (political custom)|constitutional convention]] he or she will usually become [[prime minister]] or [[premier]] if his or her party is able to obtain a majority, by itself or as part of a coalition government.  However, a leaders' debate is not technically a candidates debate in the same sense that an [[U.S. presidential election debates|American presidential debate]] would be, because in the latter case the American political parties have explicitly nominated the named individuals as their candidates for [[President of the United States|president]] and [[Vice President of the United States|vice president]].