The Iowa Republican Caucus is supposed to set the tone for the entire primary season since it is the first contest of the race. Since Iowa isn't a swing state in the general election, it might be puzzling that it has such an important early role in deciding the nominations. But since 1972, Iowa has solidified its position as a kingmaker for presidential candidates.
* Iowa has nearly 1800 precincts, each of which hold meetings to pick delegates for county conventions.
* After these caucuses, those chosen to be county convention delegates then choose delegates for the district convention, who then choose state convention delegates, who then choose delegates to represent Iowa at the Democratic and Republican national conventions. There, they officially pledge their support to the candidates favored in the Iowa caucuses.
* In the late 1960s, according to Slate, the Iowa Democratic Party ruled at least 30 days had to pass between the caucus and district conventions, as well as between the district and state conventions. As such, the latest the 1972 Democratic caucus could be held was on Jan. 24, which made it the first contest of the presidential election season and jumped it over the New Hampshire primary.
* Democrats first proved the power of early Iowa caucus after George McGovern campaigned hard, finished second and got enough of a boost to propel him to the nomination. Jimmy Carter then used a win in Iowa to become the Democratic nominee in 1976 -- the same year Republicans moved their caucus to early January as well, according to the Iowa GOP.
* Unlike Democrats, Republicans take a straw poll to see which candidate the delegates favor in the precinct caucuses, according to the Iowa GOP.
* The first major Republican battle in Iowa came in 1980 as George H.W. Bush won a straw poll over Ronald Reagan but couldn't hold him off for the nomination.
* After Bush, the only Republicans to win the Iowa caucus and not the nomination were Bob Dole in 1988 and Mike Huckabee in 2008, according to the Des Moines Register.
* Iowa holds a caucus instead of a primary because it is a smaller state. Yet as it is the first contest of election season, candidates spend months campaigning to get an edge.
* No Republican candidate who has finished below the top three has gone on to win the nomination, according to How Stuff Works.
* In July, the Des Moines Register reported half of likely Republican caucus goers have a college degree, with over 40 percent claiming to be "born-again," over 50 percent being male, over 90 percent being white and about 40 percent having an average salary of over $70,000 a year.
* Iowa moved the 2012 caucus from Feb. 6 to Jan. 3 after Florida moved its primary to Jan. 31, according to the Iowa caucus website.
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