Political Participation, Efficacy and the 2008 Minnesota Presidential Caucuses

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to learn why Minnesota residents participated in the presidential caucus on Super Tuesday, February 5, 2008. The research team interviewed a total of 37 registered Republican (n = 15) and Democrat (n = 22) Minnesota voters from a mid-sized Midwestern community on caucus night. Open-ended, semi-structured interviews elicited the reasons voters said they participated in the caucus. Using grounded theory, several categories of responses emerged from data including duty and responsibility, making a difference, special election, participation, supporting a candidate, and concern for the country. The results show the majority of participants were motivated to take part because they viewed it as a duty and a responsibility as citizens of a democracy. Participants did not use the caucus as a forum for discussion and dialogue surrounding the election, but as an outlet to achieve political efficacy.

Keywords:

• Caucus
• Elections
• Grounded Theory
• Political Efficacy
• Political Participation

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Mark Meister and Amy O'Connor for their thoughtful feedback on previous versions of this paper.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Robert Becker

Robert Becker, (MA, Colorado State University, 1995) PhD Student Department of Communication, North Dakota State University, Northwest College, 231 West 6th Street Powell, WY 82435.

Najla Amundson

Najla Ghazi Amundson (MSJ, Northwestern University, 1990), North Dakota State University, Dept 6000, P.O. Box 6050, Fargo, ND 58108-6050.

Dana Anderson

Dana Anderson, (BA, Minnesota State University-Moorhead, 2002), Wahpeton, ND 58075.

Kristina Wenzel

Kristina Wenzel (BA, University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, 2007), P.O. Box 6050, Fargo, ND 58108-6050.

Muhabbat Yakubova

Muhabbat Yakubova (MA, North Dakota State University, 2009), P.O. Box 6050, Fargo, ND 58108-6050.

Nana Sajaia

Nana Sajaia (MA, North Dakota State University, 2009), Tbilisi 0163, GA.

Ronald Frannea

Ronald K. Frannea, (MA, University of North Dakota, 1997), Minnesota State University Moorhead, Moorhead, MN 56563.