Monday, November 12, 2007

Wikipedia doesn't list anything for Colorado caucus, but it does have a big article about the Iowa Caucus, which includes a reference to this:

The Iowa Caucus Class http://www.public.iastate.edu/~sws/ic/iowacaucusclass.html is a comprehensive university exploration of the process by which the United States of America selects its candidates for president. See, Democracy and Deliberation: New Directions for Democratic Reform By James S. Fishkin.

The caucus class, developed by Dr. Steffen W. Schmidt, University Professor of Political Science at Iowa State University, is the FIRST Internet course on the caucuses and presidential selection process. Dr. Schmidt is a pioneer in distance learning and was recently awarded the highest honor for innovation in distance education by the IDLA (Iowa Distance Learning Association). The course uses the latest technologies including streaming digital video clips, discussion forums, real-time communications through Skype, Instant Messenger, and Web CT. On-line secure tests are also used for assessment.

The course is intended to be a "demonstration tool" for democratic politics and the practice of grass-roots (i.e. participatory) democracy for anyone interested in developing these techniques. The use of the Internet allows participants from around the world, for the first time, to create training communities or self-train on a very interesting process that dates back to Native Americans ( American Indians)in the United States. In fact, the word "caucus" is an American Indian term that means "a meeting of tribal leaders." (see David Yepsen, "FAQ's on the Iowa Caucuses", DSMR, 2004.)

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