History and Significance of Early Primaries

Guests: Christ Karpowitz, PhD, Professor of Political Science at BYU; Grant Madson, PhD, Professor of 20th Century American History and Politics  The Iowa Presidential Primary is a week away - next Monday, Feb. 1. Then New Hampshire’s primary on the 9th and South Carolina’s on the 20th. And by then, maybe, we’ll know who among the crowded Republican field of candidates is likely to be crowned the party’s nominee and whether or not Bernie Sanders really is a threat to Democrat Hillary Clinton. But why is tiny Iowa first? Wouldn’t it make sense for a more populous state like California or New York to be first in line?