Q&A: Iowa caucuses

Dean is looking to Iowa to establish him as the front-runner

The first major event of the 2004 US presidential election campaign takes place on 19 January when the Iowa caucuses are held. BBC News Online's Paul Reynolds examines what is at stake.

What is a caucus?

A caucus is a meeting and one is held in each of the 1,997 precincts or voting districts in Iowa. The sites range from public halls to private houses. Only voters registered with the relevant party can take part (you can register on the spot) though anyone can attend.

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The caucuses gather at 6:30 in the evening local time and generally hold a brief debate about the merits of the candidates. Then they split into groups according to preferences.

The results collated state-wide show the popularity of the candidates.

Are they simply beauty contests?

They are mainly beauty contests but the Democrats also choose delegates who will go on to county conventions and then the state convention in June. This assigns Iowa's votes when the candidate is chosen at the national convention. These votes are not finalised at this stage as the field of candidates generally changes.

The Republican caucuses are more informal and are simply tests of popularity. They do not matter this year anyway as President Bush is running unopposed.

Why Iowa?

Iowa is not a typical state, being small, mid-western and mainly rural with a strong liberal streak so it does not reflect the national picture. But over the years it has led the way in encouraging grass roots participation in the presidential selection process and has been rewarded by being allowed to go first (apart from a non-binding and little noticed vote in the District of Columbia).

This goes back to 1972 during the Vietnam war when activists felt that the party machines had too much control.

Iowa has favoured the caucus system as it leads to more contact between candidates and voters.

How important are the caucuses?

They are important in showing who has done well or badly up to this point. They create momentum and show weaknesses, but they do not necessarily predict the final result.

In 1992, for example, Bill Clinton came in a poor third in Iowa before going on to capture the nomination and the White House.

However, in 1976, it was in Iowa that the obscure Governor of Georgia, Jimmy Carter, made his mark. He came in first in a crowded field, then became the presidential candidate and finally the president.

The top three among the Democrats are always worth noting. Gordon Fischer, the Iowa Democratic Party chairman, says that no-one lower than third in the caucuses has ever gone on to win the nomination.

On the Republican side, George Bush senior beat Ronald Reagan in the caucuses in 1980 but Mr Reagan eventually won the nomination.

Who are the candidates?

Only the Democratic caucuses count this year as President Bush is unopposed in the Republican race.

There are eight Democratic party candidates. They are:

Former General Wesley Clark

Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean

Senator John Edwards (North Carolina)

Congressman Dick Gephardt (Missouri)

Senator John Kerry (Massachusetts)

Congressman Dennis Kucinich (Ohio)

Senator Joe Lieberman (Connecticut)

Reverend Al Sharpton.

Who are the ones to watch?

The key figure is Howard Dean who is looking to Iowa to confirm his position as front-runner.

Retired General Wesley Clark is not campaigning in Iowa as he entered the race late and has preferred to concentrate his effort elsewhere. Nor is Senator Joe Lieberman campaigning for the caucuses. If Clark does get support nevertheless, he will get an unexpected boost.

Worth watching is Senator John Edwards, a young Southern lawyer in the Clinton mould, who has picked up the endorsement of Iowa's biggest newspaper.

Dick Gephardt and John Kerry have been solid in the polls.

What next after Iowa?

The bandwagon moves on rapidly to New Hampshire where there is the first primary (an actual election in which ballots are cast) on 27 January. After that there are the "Super Seven" primaries bunched on 3 February and then more primaries on "Super Tuesday" on 2 March.

So it could be all over by early March.