He wants a minimum vote-share for parties to enter Congress and smaller constituencies (currently, states vote as single constituencies and some are very large: São Paulo has a population of 44m).
Many of the defectors were so-called "Blue Dog" Democrats: representatives from mainly rural constituencies in states such as Alabama and Tennessee, who know that if they follow the party line they face annihilation in mid-term elections next year.
Budget vote dinners, which see government departments wining and dining their constituencies at state expense, have been scrapped.
But there is much room for confusion and delay, and many constituencies involved: state and city legislators and bureaucrats, school managers and teachers, education advocates and parents groups -- and more than a million students.
Constituency for states of affairs is understood as for facts.
With 80 constituencies, the state sends the maximum number of MPs to the Lok Sabha (lower house of the parliament).
For example, constituencies for state assemblies are usually smaller than Congressional constituencies.
Most of the provisions are designed to provide more access for excluded groups (rebel groups and their constituencies) to state power and resources.
The On Politics column last Sunday, about the results of the primary election, misidentifed the constituency of State Senator Nia H. Gill, a Democrat, who won her race.
Correction: June 15 , 2003 Sunday The On Politics column last Sunday, about the results of the primary election, misidentifed the constituency of State Senator Nia H. Gill, a Democrat, who won her race.
