USA Caucas

[beavisshakur]

As you will all probaby be aware politics has become engulfed with the American presidential election and just yesteday we had the Iowa Caucas. Next week is what has been dubbed the 'New Hampshire Primary' and i was wondeirng what is the difference, if there is one, between a caucas and a primary?

[EngTeach]

Hi Beavisshakur,
I too wondered this and found it on CNN site. Basically the caucus and primary serve the same function: Votes to see who will be the party's candidate. However, the Democratic caucus is a physical thing. The voters actually stand in the corner of the room to be counted for a specific candidate. If a candidate does not get 15% of the group's support they are out. Then those who have made it are actually allowed to campaign for a certain amount of time to get others to switch their vote from one who did not make it to theirs. I think the candidates are actually there and get to interact with the voters. I believe they are the only state who does it that way and they are first, which is why it so important. BTW the Republican caucus is a secret ballot, not the physical move around deal.

Considering I am American, I should have known this years ago. LOL. Hope this helps.

[Whickerman]

here's a pretty good article
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art16013.a sp

But to simplify, a caucus is: "a private meeting of members of a political party to plan action or to select delegates for a nominating convention."
Whereas, a primary is:
"[an] election held to nominate a candidate for a particular party at a forthcoming election for public office."

Basically, the caucus seems to instruct the delegates who to vote for on behalf of the party members at the primary. But i could be wrong - strangely confusing system.

[EngTeach]

I posted a perfectly lovely answer last night. What has happened to it?

[jno]

that's about right. The caucuses choose delegates to go on to other conventions, where they choose the delegates for the national conventions... And primaries choose the delegates for the national conventions directly.

If I've got that correct...