At what grade level do presidential candidates debate at?

There’s a lot to unpack. Grade levels haven’t strictly decreased: 2008 saw a level of debate not seen in 20 years. The decline isn’t recent: there is a drastic difference between pre- and post- Reagan debates. Only 8 (of 33) debates saw a republican speak at a higher grade level than their opponent. The highest score went to a peanut farmer and Naval Academy graduate, the lowest to a billionaire and Wharton School graduate.

Context

Perhaps it’s been a while since you were in the grade levels reached by these transcripts and aren’t sure what Donald Trump’s 3.69 or Joe Biden’s 4.51 should remind you of. Think “Charlotte’s Web”(3.44) and “The Outsiders” (4.25). When you see Jimmy Carter’s 12.4, think “A Brief History Of Time” (11.88). When you see that half of all debate performances are below 7.8, think “To Kill A Mockingbird” (8.01).

Of course, as with any estimator, the Flesch-Kincaid grade level formula has its limitations. When applied to different genres or authors, you can get strange results. That being said, these transcripts represent the same “genre” for the same audience for the same purpose. So, comparing debate transcripts is pretty safe. The literary comparisons are a little trickier. These scores were calculated only using the first chapter. The formula does not take into account vocabulary size and not all single-syllable words are created equal. Jack Kerouac’s “On The Road,” for instance, receives a score of 7.18, even though it may not be accessible to middle schoolers.

Where do we go from here?

Shortly after his debates above, John F. Kennedy in his inauguration said:

Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.

Well, I’m asking. I’ve got something my country can do: raise the level of debate in this country.

Leaders, don’t talk to us like we’re in middle school. Politicians, don’t sink to the lowest possible denominator of discourse. Candidates, do lead us to the high road.

from Hacker News https://ift.tt/358qM0z