The Caucus Explained
A caucus is a group of individuals or representatives from the same political party or faction gathering in a closed meeting. Caucuses have a special place in American history and democracy.
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Definition
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A caucus is a closed, as in members-only, group of individuals from the same political party or faction, according to the "Merriam-Webster Dictionary." Caucuses often meet to discuss and vote on a single agreed-upon cause, such as electing or nominating candidates for office or representing a subgroup of a larger political whole.
Examples
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Two prime examples of political caucuses in the United States are the Congressional Black Caucus, which is made up of black members of Congress, and the Democratic Women's Caucus, which represents women in the Democratic Party. Each of these caucuses is composed of members of a larger political body who meet to discuss issues and causes specific to a subgroup. In these cases, the larger political body or faction is the U.S. Congress and the Democratic Party, and the smaller subgroup in the caucus are black congressional representatives and female members of the Democratic Party.
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American History
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The caucus has a special place in American history, according to iowacaucus.org, the website of the Iowa Caucus. The word "caucus" is a Native American word for a gathering of leaders and tribal chiefs. In Iowa and other states, party caucuses are used instead of primary elections to nominate candidates. Every four years, the American public focuses on the Iowa caucuses' nomination for presidential candidates as early indicators of the eventual election outcome.
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References
- Photo Credit Iowa state contour with Capital City against blurred USA flag image by Stasys Eidiejus from Fotolia.com
