the.com/caucus
democracy as a middle-school gym where you literally walk to your candidate's corner.
means A meeting of members of a political party or faction to choose candidates, set policy, or coordinate strategy — or the group of people who make up such a gathering.
from An American coinage, first surfacing in 18th-century Boston, where 'Caucus Club' meetings of local political operators are recorded. Beyond that the trail goes cold and the guesses get colorful: some have linked it to the Algonquian word 'cau-cau-as-u' (roughly 'one who counsels' or 'to talk things over'), others to a Medieval Latin or Greek word for a drinking vessel, imagining backroom deals over a shared cup. Honestly, no one knows for sure — it's one of those genuinely homegrown words whose parents never signed the birth certificate.
- origin
- Likely from an Algonquian word for counsel or advisor
- iowa ritual
- Voters physically cluster, argue, then recount by headcount
- viability rule
- Below 15 percent and your group must disband
- coin flips
- Iowa ties have genuinely been settled by tossing coins
- horse trading
- Losing candidates' supporters get poached on the spot
iowa caucuses — first official contest in us presidential elections, held in iowa since 1972
new hampshire primary — second contest in us presidential cycle, technically a primary but historically paired with iowa caucuses
nevada caucuses — part of early voting states in us presidential elections, held after iowa and new hampshire