Week 2: Digging into Caucuses, Section 1

Brief snapshot of How Caucuses Work

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The Iowa First in the Nation Political Caucuses were created in 1972 to make the presidential candidate selection process more “democratic.” They were in response to the control by political bosses and powerful party leaders that left minorities, women, and other groups largely marginalized. 

Iowa caucuses are “grass roots” events where party activists meet to attend to party business such as the party platform. They are also much more intense and complicated than primaries because party activists have to attend the event in the evening of caucus day and participate in their precinct caucus. There are over 1700 precincts in Iowa.

Republicans are asked to vote in a secret ballot at the start of the evening event. The results are called in to the caucus central and at the end of the evening the “winner” of the republican caucuses is announced.

Democrats meet and discuss the Democrats who are running for president. They are then asked to form groups of supporters for each candidate. There are precincts with very few voters in the rural areas and very large precincts in Iowa’s cities and suburbs.

Therefore, using a complex formula that depends largely on the size of the caucus the caucus officials will set a number for candidate “viability”, in other words supporters of candidates that have enough supporters to remain as a group. “Non viable” groups are then asked to give their support to another candidate or to remain undecided. 

After counting the support each caucus calls the results in to caucus headquarters and a Democratic winner of the Iowa caucuses is announced. The news media reports this to great excitement and fanfare. 

Then the Presidential selection process moves on to the state of New Hampshire which holds the First in the Nation presidential primary.

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Videos

• Interview with A J Spiker, former Chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa
• Interview with Mary Richards, caucus enthusiast and witness to the first Iowa Caucuses