Week 2: Digging into Caucuses, Section 2

Brief snapshot of Straw Polls

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Note: The Iowa Straw Polls has been discontinued in 2015. Links to an external site.

The Straw Poll is a summer political festival organized by the Republican Party of Iowa every four years before the Presidential caucuses.

Presidential contenders try to attract as many of their supporters as they can assemble and score high on the poll. They spend substantial amounts of money bringing in bands, serving food, and hyping up their credentials. Their main goal is to attract media coverage of their campaign.

The poll has been criticized in recent years for giving nonviable candidates such as Minnesota congresswoman Michelle Bachman a platform that propels “extreme” candidates to the forefront. She won the straw poll in 2011. It has been called a distraction from the Iowa Presidential caucuses that are held the following January or February and which are the Iowa event the Republican Party wants to emphasize.

The straw poll has been very popular with the news media because it is a fun and colorful event and it takes place during a slow political news time. Many Republicans and political analysts feel that the poll is actually a useful opportunity for voters to “shop” for a candidate and gain information on candidate positions, organizational skills, and personality.

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