Caucus Land

Dec 18 2023 20 ep. 24 mins 304
Caucus Land Podcast artwork

The famed first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses are back. But things are different this time around. In 2024, the power dynamic in Iowa politics has completely shifted. The Democrats have essentially packed up and left. And the Republicans are taking the national stage alone to see what caucusgoers decide with an indicted former president dominating the candidate pack.The new season of Caucus Land looks at the Iowa caucuses through this lens to understand how we got here and why the mission of keeping Iowa first in the presidential race is so important to the state parties.This season of Caucus Land is a collaboration between Iowa Public Radio and the Midwest Newsroom.

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The perspective that is lost

Dec 18 2023 23 mins  
Traditional Iowa news outlets are shrinking and have fewer resources to cover the Iowa caucuses. The remaining Republican presidential candidates make their case in the final weeks as misinformation blurs what potential caucusgoers know to be true.

A tradition in name only

Dec 05 2023 22 mins  
Presidential candidates have been rewarded in the Iowa caucuses for spending a lot of time traveling the state and meeting with voters. That strategy doesn’t seem to be working for those running against former President Donald Trump in 2024. A runaway victory for the former president could mark a major shift for campaigns and could spell even more trouble for the future of the Io

Iowa’s march to the right

Nov 21 2023 24 mins  
Former President Donald Trump’s first campaign for president was unlike anything Iowa caucus goers had experienced before. Many voters clung to his right-wing populist message and still support him as he runs for the White House a third time. His election in 2016 marked a clear shift in Iowa’s politics that’s still very present today.

Losing first-in-the-nation

Nov 14 2023 25 mins  
Everything seemed to go well during the 2020 Iowa Democratic caucuses… until it came time to record the results. There was no momentum for any candidates on caucus night because of a faulty smartphone app. President Joe Biden had a poor showing and signaled the DNC to move Iowa back in the calendar ending the state’s coveted long held first-in-the-nation position.

Introducing Caucus Land ‘24

Nov 08 2023 1 mins  
Caucus Land returns for a limited-run second season. Our first of four episodes debuts Nov. 15. Here's a preview of Caucus Land ‘24.

Caucus Meltdown

Feb 06 2020 21 mins  
The 2020 Iowa Democratic caucuses devolved into chaos when the system for reporting results failed. Technical issues, human error and reporting inaccuracies delayed the outcome for days, and the repercussions are still playing out. On the twentieth episode of Caucus Land, we take a look at the app that broke the caucuses and how Iowa Democrats are responding.

Caucus Curtain Call

Jan 31 2020 19 mins  
What started as the largest and most diverse crop of Democratic presidential candidates in history has been cut down substantially ahead of the February 3rd Iowa caucuses. But it’s not just Iowa that’s winnowed the field. On the nineteenth episode of Caucus Land, we’ll talk about how we got here and what it could mean for the future of the Iowa caucuses.

What To Expect When You're Expecting To Caucus

Jan 23 2020 30 mins  
Every four years, people have to basically relearn how the Iowa Democratic caucuses work. This year, a slate of new rules means caucus night could get even more confusing, and campaigns will have more ways than ever to spin the results out of Iowa. On the eighteenth episode of Caucus Land, we’ll break down what actually happens on February 3rd. Plus, conversations with two candid

That Other First In The Nation State

Jan 08 2020 32 mins  
There are plenty of critics of the Iowa caucuses. This year, there's pressure from insiders and outsiders to change the process. On the seventeenth episode of Caucus Land, we'll talk about why some of those changes haven't happened with Lauren Chooljian, a host of the New Hampshire Public Radio podcast Stranglehold. Plus, conversations with two candidates: former South Bend, Indian

A Historic Shift For LGBTQ Policy

Dec 19 2019 27 mins  
When Barack Obama ran for president in 2008, he defined marriage as “between a man and a woman." A decade later, that position would be almost unimaginable in this cycle’s Democratic presidential race. On the sixteenth episode of Caucus Land, we’ll talk about how the candidates are approaching LGBTQ policy. Plus, we’ll wade into the debate over whether Iowa is diverse enoug