Why Iowa?!? A Conversation with Prof. David Redlawsk about the Iowa Caucuses

One of the  benefits of the way our New Hampshire trip is designed:  we arrive in New Hampshire (and the students begin work at their campaign placements) prior to the Iowa Caucuses.  And we are able to watch and discuss the Iowa Caucus results over dinner together in New Hampshire.

In order to get the most out of this experience, I want the students to learn about the Iowa Caucuses (what is the difference between a caucus and a primary? how are the caucuses run? what are the differences in rules between the Republican and Democratic parties' caucuses in Iowa?), the role of Iowa in the sequential nature of our presidential nominating process, etc.

Students were assigned to read a few chapters in

David P. Redlawsk, Caroline J. Tolbert, and Todd Donovan, Why Iowa?How Caucuses and Sequential Elections Improve the Presidential Nominating Process 

and to draft a seminar paper summarizing and critiquing the authors’ framework of understanding the Iowa Caucuses and to apply that framework to the 2020 Democratic contest. 

 

While Dr. Redlawsk is now the James R. Soles Professor and Chair of Department of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Delaware, he is currently on research sabbatical in Iowa.

We appreciated Prof. Redlawsk taking time out of his busy schedule in Iowa to meet with us (via skype) and to answer students' questions about the caucuses.

You can follow Prof. Redlawsk in Iowa on Twitter:  @davidredlawsk