Caucus = Powwow or Mechanics' Club?: You Decide

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Cawcawaussoughes + Caulkers = Caucus?

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The word "caucus" sounds Latin to the core, and summons images of Roman Senators haggling away in their togas.

The fact may be that a caucus is more powwow than Capitoline deliberation.

Walter W. Skeat [1] wrote that although the origin of "caucus" is obscure, the word probably derives from an Algonquin word meaning "to talk, to counsel, to incite," as in the word for "counselor," "kaw-kaw-asu." Captain John Smith, of Pocahontas fame, also recorded "cawcawaussoughes," a word for "tribal elder."

According to Clarence A. Berdahl [2]. a caucus is a "face-to-face meeting of party members in any community or legislative body for the purpose of discussing and promoting the affairs of their particular political party." There are several applications beyond this general definition:

• A meeting of party members in a local community to nominate candidates or delegates to county or state conventions. These caucuses were held in colonial America as early as 1725. Ship mechanics, known as "caulkers," were particularly active in the political clubs of Boston. "Caulker" there became "caucus," maintains one theory.

• The party "caucus" in Congress, which Berdahl describes as "a meeting of the respective party members in either house to organize, determine their position on legislation, and decide other matters."  A modern party caucus functions to:

(1) Nominate party candidates for speaker, president pro tem, and other House or Senate offices.
(2) Elect or provide for the selection of committees and the floor leader, whip, Committee on Committees, Steering Committee, Policy Committee and other party officers.
(3) Decide action respecting to policy or legislation.

• Finally, Berdahl mentions a "very special application of the party caucus in Congress was the congressional caucus (1796-1824), which was the earliest method of nominating presidential candidates. No provision was made in the Constitution for presidential nomination, clearly on the assumption that the presidential electors should exercise their own individual choice; and no nominations were made for the first two presidential elections, since George Washington was the choice of all."

Washington's retirement sent the Federalists scurrying, however, to a secret meeting in 1796 to support John Adams as his successor. Republicans were quick to follow with their choice of Thomas Jefferson.Four years later, both parties again chose their candidates in these meetings. Subsequent party caucuses became increasingly unpopular, and many Americans objected that the meetings were unconstitutional. After all, these caucuses empowered the Judiciary Branch of government to select the leaders of the Executive Branch. The last congressional caucus was held in 1824.

Sources Cited:

[1] Skeat, Walter W, Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, Inc., 2005 (Reprint of 1910 edition); p. 97.

[2] Berdahl, Clarence A. "Caucus." Dictionary of American History. 7 vols. Charles Scribner's Sons, 1976. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group. Accessed on January 4, 2008.