The first two elections in the primary cycle are complete, though the Iowa caucus was plagued by technical difficulties and delays in vote reporting. As we look back on the first two nominating contests, we must consider one controversial topic that surfaces every primary season: the apparent “whiteness” of Iowa and New Hampshire. The matter usually boils down to a single question: How could two mostly rural states with majority-white populations fairly represent the national electorate?
Under that logic, handing the earliest positions in the presidential primaries to the Hawkeye and Granite states would understandably seem undeserved and bring into question whether candidates are dropping out of the race simply because of a flawed system. But as it turns out, the issue is a bit more complicated. Many experts have argued that entitlement to the earliest position in the primaries should be based on multiple factors, not solely on a state’s racial composition.
Earlier this year, WalletHub compared the likeness of the U.S. with Iowa and New Hampshire and found that these states — to the expected surprise of many — mirror the nation by 89 percent and 82 percent, respectively. This time, we sought to identify which of the 50 states are truly representative of the U.S. population and thus truly worthy of the top primary-election spot. Scroll down for the results, expert political commentary and our detailed methodology.
