A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement. Members of a political party or subgroup may meet to coordinate actions, choose group policy or nominate candidates for various offices.The term caucus is often used to discuss procedures implemented by states, including Iowa and Texas, to select presidential nominees. . Since 1980, caucuses have become an important component of the nomination process.
Iowa Caucus
The Iowa Caucus is the first major electoral event of the nominating process for President of the United States.
Despite a Democratic Party rule that delegates are allocated proportionally rather than "winner takes all," some caucus groups decide individually how to allocate their group's delegates. Discussion of party rules is not necessarily part of the caucus experience, while few rules govern the actual process. In the "winner-take-all" scenario, a group's delegate allocation may be reported as unanimous while ignoring minority votes. Depending on how the caucus is organized, the caucus system may require voters to publicly announce the candidates they support. Voters have the option to draft resolutions introduced by delegates at later divisional caucuses or conventions.
A caucus can also be a sub-grouping of officials with shared affinities or ethnicities. These officials convene to advocate, agitate, lobby or to vote collectively on policy. At the congressional and legislative levels, Democratic and Republican members organize themselves into a caucus.
There can also be smaller caucuses in a legislative body, including those that are multi-partisan or bicameral. One of the best-known is the Congressional Black Caucus, a group of African-American congressmen. Another prominent example is the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, whose members advance issues affecting Hispanics. In a different vein, the Congressional Internet Caucus is a bipartisan group promoting the growth and advancement of the Internet. Other congressional caucuses like the Out of Iraq Caucus strive to achieve political goals, generally organized around a single issue.