Why Iowa?
How Caucuses and Sequential Elections Improve the Presidential Nominating Process
- Contents
- Review Quotes

Preface
Acknowledgments
part i. Framing the Argument
chapter 1. Why Iowa? Because the Rules Matter
chapter 2. What We Know and What We Don’t about Presidential
Nomination Campaigns
part ii. Caucus Rules
chapter 3. Iowa Caucus Rules
chapter 4. Candidate Campaigns in Iowa:
Grassroots or Mass Media Politics?
chapter 5. The Iowa Grass Roots: Participation in the 2008 Caucuses
chapter 6. Decided by the Few: Are the Iowa Caucuses
Representative?
with Daniel C. Bowen
part iii. Sequential Voting Rules
chapter 7. Effects of Iowa and New Hampshire in U.S. Presidential
Nomination Contests 1976–2008
with Rob Hunsaker
chapter 8. The Micro Foundations of Momentum
chapter 9. Participation and Engagement in 2008 Caucuses and Primaries
with William W. Franko
part iv. Changing the Rules
chapter 10 Reforming the Presidential Nomination Process
with Daniel C. Bowen
chapter 11 Why Iowa? Continuity and Change in Presidential Nominations
Appendix A: Multivariate Tables for Chapter 7
Appendix B: Multivariate Tables for Chapter 8
Appendix C: Multivariate Tables for Chapter 9
Appendix D: Multivariate Tables for Chapter 10
Notes
References
Index“This is an excellent, groundbreaking study of the Iowa Caucus, as well as the presidential nomination system. Why Iowa? is fascinating reading, rich in new insights, and studded with gems unearthed by its powerful analysis. . . . Well-written and readable, this will be a crucial contribution to election literature, for both students and scholars alike.”
“Why Iowa? is an important and interesting study, filled with a terrific array of new data. The authors clearly understand Iowa and its role in the nominating process, and never lose sight of local politics while considering big-picture issues. The book’s main idea—how we structure elections in the United States has consequences for those who win these elections, as well as for what sort of public policy we get—contends that structure matters for Iowa, and Iowa matters for the nation. Although there have been interesting accounts of the Iowa precinct caucuses, there is nothing that approaches the scope and depth of the analysis presented here. Almost everybody I work with would want to read this book.”
“Why Iowa? is the real ‘game changer’ in American presidential political literature. The authors have painstakingly documented with superb data and analysis why the nation’s first contest matters so much. Their contribution to the literature is must reading for students, scholars, strategists, and anyone who loves politics and is interested in the making of a successful presidential campaign.”
"The 2012 presidential race is well under way, and with it comes a groundbreaking study of the Iowa caucuses and the U.S. nomination system. Why Iowa? is fascinating, rich in new gems unearthed in its data that will substantially advance the U.S. presidential nomination literature."—Political Science Quarterly
Political Science: American Government and Politics | Political Behavior and Public Opinion
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