elections

Investigating Why Iowa Has Caucuses And Why Iowans Vote First In Presidential Elections

8:14am January 23, 2016

by Sam Sanders

In less than a month, Iowa voters will be first to choose who they want to be president, thanks to the Iowa caucuses. We find out why those caucuses are first, and if it's fair that they are.

Jeb Bush pauses during an event at La Casa de Esperanza in Waukesha, Wis. last November.

Politics & Government

Meet The Candidates In 100 Words And 60 Seconds

7:55am January 23, 2016

by NPR Staff

NPR spent months on the trail with the candidates, but you don't have to. Catch up here, just before voting starts in Iowa.

Bernie Sanders volunteer Carol Couch said she is troubled by the "rampant cheating and not caring about other people."

This Election, Anger And Frustration Aren't Just On The Right

7:48pm January 22, 2016

by Brian Naylor

Much of the talk of anger in the 2016 presidential race has focused on supporters of Donald Trump. But there's also frustration and anxiety among liberals who support Bernie Sanders.

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Presidential candidate Ted Cruz campaigning in Milford, N.H.

Politics Podcast: Hot Peppers, Attack Ads And The Return Of Sarah Palin

5:39pm January 22, 2016

by NPR Staff

The team discusses the growing rift between Ted Cruz and Donald Trump, the return of a certain Alaskan politician and Hillary Clinton's surprising go-to snack on the campaign trail.

'Ain't Got No Home': Why Woody Guthrie Despised Donald Trump's Father

5:18pm January 22, 2016

Will Kaufman, a professor of American literature and culture at the University of Central Lancashire, says he has discovered unpublished lyrics by Woody Guthrie, in which the folk singer denounced Fred Trump, Donald's father. The elder Trump happened to be Guthrie's landlord in the early 1950s.

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Week In Politics: Presidential Campaigns Gear Up For Iowa Caucuses

4:20pm January 22, 2016

As the presidential primary polls get tighter, attacks are getting sharper. NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with David Brooks of The New York Times and E.J. Dionne of the Washington Post about the Democratic and Republican races.

Bernie Sanders Revives Debate Over Single-Payer Health Care

4:13pm January 22, 2016

by Scott Horsley

Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders has revived the debate over a single-payer health care system. NPR explores the arguments for and against it.

What Is The 'Silent Majority?' Trump Supporters Weigh In

6:35pm January 21, 2016

by Sam Sanders

Donald Trump says he speaks for the "silent majority," which is a phrase with a long history in politics. Iowa voters supporting Trump discuss just what makes up the silent majority in 2016.

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Clinton, Sanders Step Up Attacks As Iowa Caucuses Near

4:35pm January 21, 2016

It's the final stretch in Iowa. In a little over a week, people will cast the first votes of this election — and, on the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders find themselves in a very tight race and stepping up attacks and changing tactics.

Field Organizers For Clinton, Sanders Work To Build Momentum In Iowa

4:35pm January 21, 2016

by Clay Masters

Supporters of Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are pulling out the stops to mobilize supporters ahead of next month's Iowa caucuses. NPR catches up with some of those supporters.