Primaries and caucuses are two distinct methods of selecting delegates for a political party's national convention. Primaries are state-level elections where party members vote for their preferred candidate, either through a closed system (only registered party members can vote) or an open system (any registered voter can participate). In contrast, caucuses are local gatherings where party members discuss and vote for candidates in a more public and involved process. Primaries are generally more straightforward and less time-consuming than caucuses, influencing how political parties choose their candidates for general elections.