Today, voters in the US State of Iowa are gathering in “caucuses” to name their preferred Presidential nominee for the Democratic and the Republican Party.
The Iowa caucuses are the first statewide competition in the US Presidential election. The process is fairly complex (and technically different if you’re Republican or Democrat) but for a quick and fun explainer check out Vermont Public Radio’s explainer (WITH LEGOS) below.
If that video was confusing, here is the basic outcome you care about: at the end of Monday the Democratic Party and the Republican Party will have their first tangible step towards naming their respective nominees. The first official “Primary Vote” will occur 7 days later on February 9, in New Hampshire.
To understand what’s going on today it’s important to look at the leading candidates in each party. Here are links to how each major candidate (listed by last name alphabetical order) stands on issues you care about on Global Citizen.
Hillary Clinton, Democratic Candidate
Hillary Clinton has been on the national political stage in the US since the early 1990s. A former First Lady of the United States of America, a US Senator and a former Secretary of State there is no other candidate (possibly in US history) that has as much experience as she does. That said, she has struggled to connect to voters at times.
This is her second Presidential primary campaign that she is the expected winner. It didn’t work out in 2008, when current US President Obama used a huge youth following to win the Democratic Primary and eventually the general election to become President. Many observers of Clinton this time around see her main primary opponent Bernie Sanders gathering an Obama-like base of supporters. Something that obviously has her campaign worried.
READ MORE HERE
Ted Cruz, Republican Candidate
Ted Cruz was born in Canada to an American mother and a Cuban father. You might expect someone with this kind of multinational beginning to regard nationality as a fluid and complex concept. But Cruz has campaigned on a much different narrative, one that elevates nationalism over global citizenship. He even renounced his Canadian birthright in 2014.
Cruz is known for his pugnacious style, having been a debate champion throughout his college days. He considers himself a constitutional purist, meaning he thinks the US Constitution has one fixed meaning that must never be crossed. He also believes that government regulation should be minimal.
READ MORE HERE
Bernie Sanders, Democratic Candidate
Bernie Sanders' chief concern is income inequality. He sees the widening gulf between the rich and poor in the US as a sign that the country’s democracy is failing. His campaign is all about closing that gulf, getting money out of politics and enacting policies that make life more manageable for everyday people. In doing so, Sanders wants to bring about a “political revolution.”
READ MORE HERE
Donald Trump, Republican Candidate
Business man, reality television star, member of the global rich and potentially the next Republican Party nominee for the Presidency of the United States of America. Donald Trump was already a global figure before the 2016 campaign got started, but his political profile was not a big part of his public persona.
That all changed as Trump charged into the race. From his bombastic rhetoric to his laser-like focus that HE is the one to “make America great again,” he has arguably defined this election cycle more than any other candidate.
READ MORE HERE
To see more of Global Citizen’s coverage of the 2016 US Presidential Election go HERE.