The small size of the event, and of Iowa overall, is part of the pitch, said Rabia Belt, a Stanford law professor who has been critical of the caucuses

“There are conflicting desires in crafting the nominating process,” Belt said. “If you start with large states, or states in expensive media markets, that creates barriers to potential candidates who may not have a lot of money or organizational power at the outset. Also, a small state can allow candidates to tailor their messaging and work on their retail political game during intimate conversations with committed and interested people.”