Final answer:
The assertion that the principal body in each party organization is the Congressional Caucus is False. Key decision-making bodies of political parties are their national committee and convention, with caucuses being one method of nominating candidates. The Congressional Caucus refers more to legislative objectives within Congress rather than overall party organization.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that the principal body in each party organization is the Congressional Caucus is False. In the context of party organizations, the principal bodies are not strictly the Congressional Caucuses but involve a variety of structures, including the national committees and the conventions. The Congressional Caucus refers to a group of members of Congress that meets to pursue common legislative objectives, but it's not the main body of a political party. The main decision-making body of a party is often its national committee or the party's national convention, especially during the election year.
Political parties have evolved their nominating processes over time. Initially, party leaders would meet in a Congressional Caucus to select candidates without grassroots input. However, negative reactions led to changes, such as the introduction of national party conventions where state delegates select nominees using either the caucus or primary systems. Today, state parties may choose caucuses or primaries to nominate candidates, and caucuses can be informal meetings where party members select candidates through discussion and votes.
Moreover, in the party-in-government context, party caucuses (for Democrats) and conferences (for Republicans) are internal meetings where elected officials meet to set legislative agendas and elect leadership but do not represent the overall party organization per se.