IOWHY?

January 7, 2020 Jonathan Milner

The first 2020 presidential campaign votes will be cast in the 2020 Iowa caucuses on Monday, February 3. How demographically representative of the USA is Iowa, home to the nation's first and foremost caucus?

How accurate was your prediction?
What is the difference between a primary and a caucus anyway?
In what way is Iowa most demographically similar to the U.S. as a whole?
In what way is Iowa least demographically similar to the U.S. as a whole?
What story does this data tell?
What questions do you have about this information?
Why does Iowa get to vote first anyway?
Why do we even have primary elections to begin with?
Because Iowa picks first its power in chosing the president is amplified and is greater than any other state. Why do you think a significantly Whiter, older, and more rural state has so much more power than other states in choosing the president?
What is one consequence of having a Whiter, older, and more rural state choosing the president?
If you lived in Iowa, would you Caucus - out on a cold winter night and talk face-to-face with your neighbors about who should be president?
Why do you think that the winners of the Iowa caucus so rarely win the general election (see graphics below*)?
If you were to pick a state to be the most important in deciding the U.S. president explain which state you would pick.
In the comments section below predict who will win the 2020 Iowa caucuses:
When does your state hold its primary or caucus?
If you could vote in the Iowa caucus explain who you would vote for.
What did you just learn? Use symbols, words, images, or some other creative means to summarize what you learned in today’s class starter.