What's the Difference Between a Caucus and a Primary

When I turned on the news this morning I was greeted with the news that the results of the Iowa caucuses would be delayed. That made me realize that I haven't posted any resources that can be used to help students understand how a president is chosen in the United States.

The first step in choosing a president is the party primaries and caucuses. Some people think they are the same thing, but they're not. USA Today has a video that clearly explains the differences between the two processes.



Your students, like mine did last week, might ask you why Iowa is always the site of the first caucus. Here's a good video from 2016 that explains why Iowa goes first.