Shedding Some Light on the Iowa Caucuses

If You've Wondered What the Heck a Caucus Actually Is...

As the race for president heats up, candidates from both major parties have focused efforts on the Iowa caucuses.

But do you ever wonder what a caucus actually is?

As presidential candidates debate each other on the issues in Iowa, voters are learning more and more about who might be on the ballot in November.

The caucuses in Iowa are more informal gatherings at the voting precincts in Iowa.

When asked about them, a political science professor at UWS says caucuses are an older form of politicking that only a few states still use to pick candidates.

“Really it’s a place where people gather, they can give speeches, they communicate with one another on a one-to-one basis,” explains Dr. Alisa Von Hagel. “[It’s] on a personal basis, and [it’s an] attempt to accumulate or convince/persuade other community members to support their candidate.”

Dr. Von Hagel says the caucuses don’t always show a clear picture of who will be the main candidate from each party, but they can thin the field a bit.

“It’s very complex. It’s very time-consuming,” she says. “And it requires an energy and commitment to attend these meetings to show up and cast your ballot.”