The first caucus results are in, heralding the official start of the long slog toward November’s big election.  Although politicians always bill the election they are involved in as being a critical moment for the nation, this time it is true. At issue in the next election will be what role the federal government plays in the lives of individual Americans. President Obama and the GOP candidates have outlined starkly different views of the social contract in the United States. The potential to shape economic growth, tax policy for the government and common person, and how wealth is distributed will shape fiscal policy for the next decade. Todd Zwillich, Takeaway Washington correspondent, provides insight into why 2012’s election is unlike any other in recent memory.