>> today on a special edition of "matter of fact" -- there' s never been an election like this one. michelle there are massive : demographic changes that are happening right now. >> how america' s diversity is reshaping the 2016 presidential race. and, it' s iowa' s turn on the stage, mobilizing and motivating caucus voters, plus -- >> i will be basing my voting decision on economic issues more than social issues. >> we' ve heard from the candidates, what do voters want most? fernando:

am espuelas. welcome to "matter of fact." america is rich in its diversity, and its demographic shifts will continue to impact elections in years to come as higher percentages ages of asians, hispanics and african-americans vote. just how rapidly are these groups changing the political landscape? i asked michele jawando with the center for american progress. michele: there are massive demographic changes that are happening right now that we have not yet addressed either in our , politics or our policies. for example, for the first time we' re seeing that the share of the minority population, so communities of color -- hispanics, asians, african-americans -- they have made up 91% of the population growth since 2000. fernando: so out of all population growth, 91% since 2000.

which is massive. but when you look at their share of eligible voters, it' s only about 38%. but that tells us that by 2043 the united states will be majority people of color. depending on where you live , we see regional differences, ideological differences, preferences on religion, education. so there' s a lot of information that we' re continuing to unpack. but we' re excited, because we recognize and we want people to understand that it' s not a negative. it' s important to recognize that people who live here are a part of the great united states of america, are connected to those kind of american ideals of life, of liberty, pursuit of happiness for all, and those are kind of unique american values we see across communities no matter. fernando: we' re obviously in an election year. things are moving very quickly. this demographic shift will have an impact. what are you seeing, and by the way, i should mention the report

looking at the full spectrum of voters and preferences and so forth. so what do you expect to happen with this demographic change this year? michele: whether or not you' re talking about what your immigration policies are you , must recognize that you' re talking to communities of color that will disproportionately have greater connections to immigration stories. so you' re seeing lots of first and second generation young people, whether you' re talking about african immigrants, carribean, latinos and so it' s important to make sure that the way we' re seeing some of the rhetoric that' s incredibly xenophobic, almost this kind of american nativism, that will have effects for years to come, really isolating communities who otherwise may be open to different messages. so for instance, a lot of the information that we' re seeing speaks to this angst that most people feel about the economic recovery, we see that across demographic lines and races, and

opportunities for different messages to resonate even among millennials about what we can do to see that everyone does well together, other language will isolate communities who ordinarily might be open to different ideas. fernando: a group that is not often talked about but is very important our -- are single women. what' s the story there? michele: for the first time ever, we' re seeing unmarried women, 52%, are the majority of eligible voters in the women population. so when you look at women, 52%, so that' s huge. when we talk about issues like paid family medical leave, when you talk about issues about economic opportunity and the pay gap, that has real consequences for these communities, particularly women who going into retirement tend to have less savings, less capital.

that continue to kind of manifest as we look at some of the needs of that community, that we have not yet addressed. so hopefully policy makers will look at the report and hopefully make some changes. fernando: interestingly, the first voting in the presidential election takes place in a small state with less diversity than you' ll find in some of america' s biggest cities, but iowa is key to the election process. >> coming up on "matter of fact about the economy. >> they' re not hiring like they were 10 years ago, because they' re just not sure what the

announcer: one candidate tough enough to take on the bully... jeb bush: donald, you're not going to be able to insult your way to the presidency. that's not going to happen. (applause) announcer: one candidate tough enough to take on isis. jeb will destroy isis... and keep america safe. jeb bush: the united states should not delay in leading a global coalition to take out isis with overwhelming force. announcer: tested and proven leadership matters. jeb bush. right to rise usa is responsible

fernando: every four years, the attention of the political world descends on iowa for one very simple reason -- the caucus. iowa voters are the first to signal to the rest of the nation who they think should be the next party nominee. i recently spent time with 4 undecided voters in des moines to find out what qualities they'

president. rebecca: well, currently i' m a little discontented with how things are running in congress right now. i guess i' m looking for a president that' s willing to work across party lines and work across the aisle. a.j.: i want a president who' s not going to just tell me they' re going to change, because they' re all saying they' re going to change. i want someone who i am confident in, is actually going to be able to execute those changes. adam: i' m looking for a candidate that has some experience in the business world, that can take that business experience to washington, d.c. and try, and when they' re putting in policy, to try to take an eye to how' s that going to impact businesses, how' s it going to be easier to create jobs and easier for businesses to find success. john: i don' t think the government is a business. i' m not objecting to having somebody who knows business, but the government is not a business. and i think it takes 436 to tango. fernando: so i saw some contrast here between adam and john. maybe you can give your points of view. you said you want someone with business experience. you said the government' s not a

adam: i would agree. government' s certainly not a business, but having someone that has, in business you have to make decisions. i agree, part of the problem re not getting a lot of progress. businesses don' t operate that way. businesses have to get things done. they have to produce a product or produce a service and they have to drive revenue. i think that' s one of the things that washington, there aren' t a lot of deadlines to get them to make decisions. they can continue to perpetuate, continue to kick the can down the road. hopefully those leaders that have business experience understand you have to get things done. you have to have deliverables. and i think that' s what that business experience will bring. a candidate with business experience. fernando: and john, how do you contrast that? john: candidates that i can think of on both sides right now, i can' t think of one who doesn' t have the ability to make tough decisions. they might make decisions i' d like better than other decisions.

neophytes. fernando: moving on to the economy, something that' s number one in every poll in terms of concerns. from your perspective, do we have a vibrant economy? if not, what are you looking for in terms of changes that some future leader, a future president would make? rebecca: as a college student, i mean, obviously i' m concerned about tuition costs. i' m looking for a candidate who will focus on middle class, focus on students, making college affordable. that would definitely be my main priority. i don' t have the same income as maybe the other people that are here. but i am focused on how am i , going to pay for college, make this work? i' m looking for a candidate who is going to appreciate the needs. the needs of college students

a.j.: i would agree that incomes have not risen with the cost of everything else. i think it would be nice if everyone could go to college at an affordable rate. but there are also so many jobs that we need now or will be in demand in the future that don' t require a four-your degree. so i think a shift of focus into trade schools, apprenticeships, something along those lines where people can learn skills without racking up a ton of debt. and still being able to get a good job to support themselves and their families. something like that would help with some of the economic difficulties. >> yeah, there' s about 4.5 million jobs unfilled because there' s not the skill set. john, what do you think about

looking for in terms of changes? john: i don' t believe it' s the job of the government or the president in particular to plan and fine tune the economy. i' m a college-trained economist. that is what i do for a living. but i' ve never bought into the idea that we can tweak this and that and a living will, roses. -- everything will come up r oses. i think the best thing for economy is to have a lot of opportunities. that' s something they can do. creating jobs. picking winners and losers, not so much. fernando: adam? adam: i think the biggest concern that i see in the economy and certainly as we' re , talking to business leaders is the regulatory climate that they are in. it is creating a lot of uncertainty for businesses.

the changing environment in health care, the minimum wage, that makes it difficult for businesses to plan. so we are hearing business owners say they are hiring a couple of people, but not hiring like they were 10 years ago because they don' t know what the future holds. they are not sure what regulatory challenges will come up that might burden their business or change costs back on the hiring. are doing some hiring, but not the kind they need to do to boost gdp and take a bite out of unemployment. >> up next -- ms. clinton: we have a lot of work to do before the caucus on february 1. >> the first test on the road to the white house. and, what gets voters motivated? >> issues regarding women' s rights will definitely push me

fernando: this year' s presidential race deals with many social issues such as

religion. here' s more of my conversation with undecided voters in iowa. fernando: do you think these issues really should drive an election? are they important to you, and will they ultimately be a factor in your decision of who you vote for? let' s start with you, john. john: by and large social, -- by and large, social issues are not a big factor for me. for the reason that we have to govern. and the ability to govern involves going across all the issues. we don' t all have to agree, but i think that as soon as someone says, i' m not going to help govern unless we raise the minimum wage, or unless we ban gay marriage or any other "unless," that' s bogging things down. fernando: you think people get too close to a single issue and then become inflexible? john: yes. and sometimes that' s demanded by

get reelected and raise money, and that' s another whole topic. but by and large, single issue candidacies are a large part of the problem. a.j.: i think the economic issues are more important, and i will be basing my voting decision on economic issues more than social issues. do i have opinions on social issues? absolutely. a lot of the social issues that are brought up by candidates, whether they' re trying to separate themselves from the issue or make it part of the t necessarily think the government will be able to make a change on. it tugs on the heartstrings on -- of voters, but i will be basing my decision on other policy issues, not social issues. fernando: rebecca, you' re in college, usually environments in which there is a lot of plurality.

what' s the role of social issues, not that you are speaking for all college students across america? rebecca: so in coming to drake university from a very conservative environment in which i grew up, it' s been a political hub. all these different ideas being talked about. it' s a pretty evenly split campus. you have liberals. i think social issues are really making a difference for college students in this election cycle. personally, that' s what i' m going to make a lot of my decisions off of. a lot of college students support themselves. parents still support their kids while they go through college. so i think social issues are what drive more students to the polls. for example, issues regarding women' s rights will definitely push me to the polls and help me

i will be voting for. fernando: you seem to be very focused on economics. are these social issues important to you? adam: in this particular election, i' m more focused on the economic issues. our economy is at a tipping point. in terms of really beginning to get off the ground, create a lot of jobs, build a lot momentum, and i' d like to see the next president implement policies and create initiatives that really help foster the economy. so this particular election, i' m a lot more focused on the economic issues. >> next, on "matter of fact" -- the caucuses existed before iowa was a state. adam: here in iowa, we take our

more. more fernando: to anyone living outside of the state of iowa, it can be confusing to understand why the hawkeye state is so critical in electing our next president. back to our roundtable.

so important for iowa to play this decisive role in electing people? let' s start with you. rebecca: so, i' m from san francisco. everyone is asking, why did i come to iowa? it is not super common. this is the first nomination we have. the first chance people have to get involved in the process. people can jump in and take a look at this first chance to get a candidate recognized from either party. so, this is a crucial time to show people that iowa is where this is happening. there' s more to iowa than what the media might portray sometimes. this is the place for politics right now. a.j.: i am from iowa, born and raised here, haven' t really left, so i haven' t known any different. but that being said, because the

first states to set the election in motion, we have a very unique opportunity to be exposed to all candidates. something a lot of other voters don' t get the opportunity to be a part of. because of that, i feel like when i go to caucus, i will have a very informed opinion about who i will be supporting, because i' ve had a chance to hear them speak. sometimes i' ve had a chance to sit down with the candidate and talk, have lunch, have coffee. that' s a very unique experience that iowans get. because we get that opportunity, i do think that decisions we make in will be important for february this country. adam: here in iowa, we take our responsibility very seriously. people really do take the time to get engaged, think about the issues, talk to the candidates, get to know the candidates.

,come to iowa and check it out. just like you are doing you' re , meeting with iowans. iowans take that responsibility very seriously. iowa is a much more diverse state than people give it credit for. we have a world-based, financial insurance-based economy as well. we have people from all over the globe that settle here and take part in the process. get to know the candidates talk , to them, ask questions, try to hold them accountable for what they are saying. if folks wonder, why iowa? come and check it out. we have a lot of candidates voters are asking the tough questions. i' m used to being able to talk -- john: i grew up in a politically-involved, though not i' m used to being able to talk my mayor, council person, my

most of us have that feeling. we enjoy and understand what they call retail politics. most of us in iowa are not going to make up our minds because of 30-second sound bites. that' s as good a reason as any. and we' re pretty smart. fernando: are the issues raised by these undecided voters your issues? what is your greatest concern? #matteroffact. connect with us anytime on twitter, facebook or our website, matteroffact.tv. >> when we return, the candidates want you. but do they have a vision for rannouncer: get caught buzzed driving, and you could do some hard time. woman: craig. knock it off! sorry, mom. announcer: it could cost you around $10,000 in fines, rlegal fees, and increased insurance rates,

back a few years. buzzed, busted, and broke because buzzed driving is

fernando: next week, everything changes. well, at least politically as we move forward into 2016. every four years, we have the chance to reset with a new beginning, new opportunities and greater challenges. unfortunately, many politicians

lack a real vision for america. sure, you can point to many things that we need to improve. we' re not a perfect country by any means. be picky, and only support politicians with a big vision to push our nation forward. it' s all in your hands. the future is charted by you in this election. get ready. and that' s the bottom line. i' m fernando espuelas. enjoy your holiday, and have a great week. [captioning performed by the which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] announcer: one candidate tough enough to take on the bully... jeb bush: donald, you're not going to be able to insult your way to the presidency. that's not going to happen. announcer: one candidate

jeb will destroy isis... and keep america safe. jeb bush: the united states should not delay in leading a global coalition to take out isis with overwhelming force. announcer: tested and proven leadership matters. jeb bush. right to rise usa is responsible for the content of this message. tt2w>rxlh `:o j# "d@ tt2w>rxlh `:!!*n rd( tt2w>rxlh `:4!j# $r\ tt2w>rxlh `:x#*&`:#\( tt2w>rxlh `:t#j'`:7\l tt2w>rxlh `:t#j)`: