About Last Night: The Iowa Caucuses as a Microcosm

 For Thursday, read Gregory Koger, Seth Masket, and Hans Noel, "No Disciplined Army: American Political Parties as Networks," in The Oxford Handbook of Political Networks, ed. Jennifer Nicoll et al. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2018).  ON SAKAI.

Last night's Iowa Caucuses illustrate many aspects of the course

The parties are not mirror images.  They are different.

• Party Rules and the nomination calendar
• Party Composition
• The unique role of Trump

The parties have evolved

• The GOP and Democrats of the 19th century were totally different.
• The nomination process is a result of changes in the late 1960s and early 1970s.  The Iowa caucuses became important in 1976.

Party organizations perform services, such as running the caucuses.  They do not usually pick candidates.

Money is a big part of the story

• Cost of campaigns
• Outside spending

Party in government: Presidential candidates seek endorsements.

Dissatisfaction

• The process is likely to end up with the nomination of Biden and Trump, which most Americans do not want.  
• Most Americans want a third party.
• But no third party is likely to break double digits.