What is a caucus?
Does Iowa usually get it right? It probably thinks so, but the winner in the caucus does not always go on to take his or her party’s nomination. In 1980 George Bush Sr narrowly beat Ronald Reagan but lost out in the end. In 1988 Richard Gephardt won the Democratic caucus only for Michael Dukakis to become the nominee. In 1992 the caucuses were bypassed because an Iowa senator, Tom Harkin, was standing. But Iowa usually influences what happens afterwards, providing momentum for trailing candidates and halting the progress of many a front-runner Why can’t other states go first? They tried this year but Iowa and New Hampshire (which stages the first primary next week) responded by moving their dates to the earliest yet, causing problems for campaigns because of a clash with the Christmas and new year holidays. For instance, many student supporters of Barack Obama are still at their family homes outside Iowa and no one knows if they will turn up So what happens on Thursday night? At 7pm ab
Caucuses, or legislative service organizations, are voluntary organizations whose membership consists of Members of Congress. They do not have any explicit basis or direct recognition in House or party rules. Caucuses may serve any of several functions, including: compiling, analyzing and distributing information; developing and mobilizing support for legislative proposals; advocating positions and issues; and providing representation for specific elements in national as well as Members’ constituencies.
A ‘caucus’ (known as an ‘indirect primary’ in earlier times) is an informal meeting with candidates and potential voters in which participants discuss their preference for a certain candidate, and in which delegates pledged to a particular candidate are selected to go to party conventions. The ‘caucus’ system is like a series of mass meetings in the various tiers of civil division in the various states, from the smallest to the largest – local, County, State. The ‘caucus’ is/was easily controlled or manipulated by the party heirarchy.
