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2016 Presidential Election Date:November 8, 2016

Candidates Winner:Donald Trump (R) Hillary Clinton (D) •Jill Stein (G) •Gary Johnson (L) •Vice presidential candidates

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This article analyzes the central themes of the seventhDemocratic presidential debate held on March 6, 2016, inFlint, Michigan. The transcript prepared byThe Washington Post was used to measure candidate participation and audience engagement.^[1] Footage from the debate was consulted where there were ambiguities in the text.

To compare the statistics of this debate to those of the previous Democratic debate, see the analysis of thePBS debate held on February 11, 2016.

Segments

Including opening and closing statements, this debate featured 22 unique discussion segments covering thewater crisis in Flint, trade agreements, race relations, education and other domestic issues. These discussion segments were measured by any shift in the theme of a discussion prompted by one of the moderators:Anderson Cooper and Don Lemon.

One-fourth of the discussion segments related to thewater crisis in Flint. Several other discussion segments were framed by economic and infrastructure issues facingDetroit, Michigan.

Participants

Overall participation

Participation in a discussion segment was defined as a substantive comment related to the discussion segment's topic. Jokes and attempts to gain permission from a moderator to speak were not considered participatory speech acts. In some instances, candidates who participated in a discussion segment diverted from the prompted topic.

Clinton and Sanders participated in every discussion segment.

Candidate participation by speaking order

This study also calculated the number of times a candidate spoke first, second, third, or fourth during a discussion segment, whether prompted by a moderator with a question or invitation to rebut or by interjection.

Audience engagement

Audience engagement was measured by noting applause, cheering, or laughter inThe Washington Post's transcript. Footage from the debate was consulted when the text was ambiguous about to whom the audience was responding.

With 69 positive responses from the live audience, Sanders registered more than double the amount of audience engagement than Clinton did.

The discussion segments on the economy and trade agreements, prosecuting officials in Flint and Michigan, public schools systems and climate change received the most audience engagement overall.

Candidate analysis

Word cloud of Hillary Clinton's speech during the debate

Candidate:Hillary Clinton Number of words: 6,558 Most commonly used words: People: 42 More: 37 Think: 34 Well: 33 Support: 30

Word cloud of Bernie Sanders' speech during the debate

Candidate:Bernie Sanders Number of words: 6,345 Most commonly used words: People: 52 Know: 47 Country: 39 Secretary: 25 Well: 25

See also

• Presidential candidates, 2016
• Presidential election, 2016/Polls
• 2016 presidential candidate ratings and scorecards
• Presidential election, 2016/Straw polls

Footnotes

v • e 2016 United States Presidential Election Overviews 2016 presidential election •2016 presidential candidates •2016 presidential nominations: calendar and delegate rules •2016 vice presidential candidates •Possible vice presidential picks Candidate profiles Hillary Clinton Donald Trump Jill Stein Gary Johnson Path to the presidency Republican Convention •Republican Primary Democratic Convention •Democratic Primary Policy positions Abortion •Defunding Planned Parenthood •Agricultural subsidies •Black Lives Matter movement •Budgets •Education •Energy and environmental policy •Federal assistance programs •Federalism •Foreign affairs •LGBTQ rights •Government regulations •Healthcare •Immigration •DACA and DAPA •International trade •Rural policy •Taxes On the campaign trail Ballotpedia's battleground poll • Campaign preparations • Political and leadership attributes •Presidential campaign trackers and opposition researchers Campaign staff Presidential campaign staff transfers, resignations and terminations •Staff leaks from 2016 presidential campaigns Clinton staffers •O'Malley staffers •Sanders staffers Bush staffers •Carson staffers •Christie staffers •Cruz staffers •Fiorina staffers •Huckabee staffers •Kasich staffers •Paul staffers •Rubio staffers •Santorum staffers •Trump staffers Debates PBS, February 11, 2016 (Milwaukee) •PBS, February 4, 2016 (Durham, N.H.) •NBC News, January 17, 2016 (Charleston, S.C.) •ABC, December 19, 2015 (Manchester, N.H.) •CBS, November 14, 2015 (Des Moines) •CNN, October 13, 2015](Las Vegas) February 13, 2016 (Greenville, S.C.) •ABC, February 6, 2016 (Manchester, N.H.) •Fox News, January 28, 2016 (Des Moines) •Fox Business, January 14, 2016 (North Charleston, S.C.) •CNN, December 15, 2015 (Las Vegas) •Fox Business, November 10, 2015 (Milwaukee) •CNBC, October 28, 2015 (Boulder) •CNN, September 16, 2015 (Reagan Library) •Fox News, August 6, 2015 (Cleveland) Analysis The media's coverage of Donald Trump •The media's coverage of Hillary Clinton Post-debate analysis overview Democratic:April 14, 2016 (CNN) •March 9, 2016 (Univision) •March 6, 2016 (CNN) •February 11, 2016 (PBS) •February 4, 2016 (MSNBC) •January 17, 2016 (NBC) •December 19, 2015 (ABC) •November 14, 2015 (CBS) •October 13, 2015 (CNN) Republican:March 10, 2016 (CNN) •March 3, 2016 (FNC) •February 25, 2016 (CNN) •February 13, 2016 (CBS) •February 6, 2016 (ABC) •January 28, 2016 (FNC) •January 14, 2016 (FBN) •December 15, 2015 (CNN) •November 10, 2015 (FBN) •October 28, 2015 (CNBC) •September 16, 2015 (CNN) Insiders Poll: First Democratic debate (October 13, 2015) •Presidential Nominating Index: Clinton remains choice of Democratic Insiders •Presidential Nominating Index: Bush remains choice of Republican Insiders •Insiders Poll: Winners and losers from the Fox News Republican Debate