As the Iowa caucuses draw near, we should take a close look at how the Hawkeye State runs its presidential nominating system.Caucuses call for just a handful of people to determine the nominee of any given party. In most states, registered voters report to a precinct, select a candidate via secret ballot, and the politician who garners maximum support wins delegates for the national convention.Iowa mandates that members of a party meet as a group in various precincts, state a preferred candidate, and elect delegates for a county convention. The winner in each precinct by no means secures delegation; such a victory is not binding.Next, county delegates select delegates for the state convention.