FACTOID # 153: In all the countries surveyed, women do more housework than men.
 
 Home   Encyclopedia   Statistics   Countries A-Z   Flags   Maps   Education   Forum   FAQ   About 
 
WHAT'S NEW
RELATED ARTICLES
People who viewed "Constituency" also viewed:
RECENT ARTICLES
More Recent Articles »
 

SEARCH ALL

FACTS & STATISTICS    Advanced view

Search encyclopedia, statistics and forums:

 

 

(* = Graphable)

 

 


Encyclopedia > Constituency

A constituency is any cohesive corporate unit or body bound by shared structures, goals or loyalty. It can be used to describe a business's customer base and shareholders, or a charity's donors or those it serves. The most common meaning of constituency occurs in politics and means either the group of people from whom an individual or organization hopes to attract support, or the group of people or geographical area that a particular elected representative or group of elected representatives represents. The rest of this article deals with this sense of constituency. Politics is the process by which groups make decisions. ...


When used specifically, a constituency usually refers to the group or area from which voters in an election are drawn. Depending on the electoral system being used, a constituency may elect one or more members. For instance, in the United Kingdom, House of Commons Parliamentary constituencies each elect one Member of Parliament using a first past the post system (though some used to elect more than one), while the larger European Parliament constituencies each elect a number of Members of the European Parliament (see 'Regions of England'). The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... The Houses of Parliament, seen over Westminster Bridge The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... The plurality voting system, also known as first past the post, is a voting system used to elect a single winner in a given election. ... The debating chamber, or hemicycle, in Strasbourg The European Parliament building in Strasbourg The European Parliament (formerly European Parliamentary Assembly) is the parliamentary body of the European Union (EU), directly elected by EU citizens once every five years. ... In five European Union Member States (Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy and the United Kingdom), the national territory is divided into a number of constituencies for European elections. ... A Member of the European Parliament (English abbreviation MEP) is a member of the European Unions directly-elected legislative body, the European Parliament. ... The region, also known as Government Office Region, is currently the highest tier of local government subnational entity of England in the United Kingdom. ...


In Namibia and in Canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland, it is also used as an administrative division. The Canton of St. ...


A marginal constituency is one where the margin between the expected voting for the major parties in an election is slim. In United Kingdom general elections, the voting in a relatively small number of marginal constituencies usually determines the outcome of the entire election. A constituency is any cohesive corporate unit or body bound by shared structures, goals or loyalty. ... The United Kingdom has five distinct types of elections: general, local, regional, European and mayoral. ...

Contents

Australia

List: List of Australian federal electorates The Australian House of Representatives is elected from 150 single-member districts called Divisions. ...


In Australia, federal and state constituencies are known as divisions and districts or seats.


Canada

List: List of Canada's electoral districts This is a list of Canadas 308 electoral districts (also known as ridings in Canadian English) as defined by the 2003 Representation Order, which came into effect on May 23, 2004. ...


In Canada, constituencies are legally known as electoral districts (in French, circonscriptions) for Members of Parliament and Members of Legislative Assemblies or Members of Provincial Parliament (Ontario) at the provincial level, although "constituency" and the informal term "riding" (or "comté" in French) are also used. An electoral district is a geographically-based constituency upon which Canadas representative democracy is based. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Official languages English (de facto) Flower White Trillium Tree Eastern White Pine Bird Common Loon Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Parliamentary representation  - House seats  - Senate seats 106 24... In the British Isles since Anglo-Saxon times, a riding is traditionally a sub-division (especially in three) of a county, in Australia analogous. ...


France

In France, electoral constituencies are known as circonscriptions électorales.


For parliamentary elections, they are known as circonscriptions législatives', and for departemental one, France uses cantons.


Germany

In Germany, there are 299 basic electoral constituencies (called Wahlkreise), accounting for half of the 598 nominal seats in the German Bundestag in a "First Past the Post electoral system". The constituencies for the rest of the seats are the federal states, representatives being drawn from the top of their respective electoral lists. The former constituencies are divided so that each has approximately the same number of voters. German electoral law dictates that the deviation from average of all constituencies shall not exceed a certain figure (see for example § 3 Abs. 1 Nr. 3 in German electoral law). Other restrictions prevent abuses such as gerry-mandering. The Bundestag (Federal Diet) is the parliament of Germany. ... The First Past the Post electoral system, is a voting system for single-member districts. ... Germany is a Federal Republic made up of 16 States, known in German as Länder (singular Land). ... Redrawing electoral districts in this example creates a guaranteed 3-to-1 advantage for Party 1. ...


Similar provisions obtain for many of the federal state parliaments, though constituencies are generally smaller and boundaries change more frequently. Representatives to the European Parliament are only elected by party proportion and state.


Hong Kong

The unicameral Legislative Council has 60 members, 30 returned from five geographical constituencies based on the Hare quota and largest remainder method, and the remaining 30 returned through 28 functional constituencies. The Legislative Council (abbreviated as LegCo; Chinese: 立法會, Pinyin: Lìfǎ Huì; formerly 立法局, Lìfǎ Jú) is the unicameral legislature of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ... The Hare quota is a formula used to calculate the minimum number, or quota, of votes required to capture a seat in some forms of single transferable vote or largest remainder method party-list proportional representation voting systems. ... The largest remainder method is one way of allocating seats proportionally for representative assemblies with party list voting systems. ... A functional constituency, in Hong Kong politics, refers to professional and special interest groups involved in the electoral process. ...


Republic of Ireland

Constituencies in the Republic of Ireland elect between three and five Teachta Dálas (TDs), while constituencies between 1536 and 1800 in the Kingdom of Ireland used to return two MPs. The lower house of the Irish parliament, Dáil Éireann, currently contains 166 Teachtaí Dála (TDs), representing 42 parliamentary constituencies throughout the Republic of Ireland. ... A Teachta Dála (Irish for Dáil Deputy, pronounced chock-ta dawla) is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower chamber of the Irish Oireachtas or National Parliament. ... Events February 2 - Spaniard Pedro de Mendoza founds Buenos Aires, Argentina. ... // ON MAY 5 1853 MR.FADER HAD SEX WITH A MAN NAME MR WIEN THEN THEY HAD SON NAMEDMRS COTURE AND MR MANOOGIAN WENT INTO MRS HASKELLS OFFICE NAKED AND DANCED AROUND AND MASTERBATED ON HER CHEST AND SHE LICKED IT OFF THEN THEY HAD ORAL SEEX WITH NAPLOEAN OF... Capital Dublin Language(s) Irish, English Government Monarchy King¹  - 1542-1547 Henry I  - 1760-1801 George III Chief Secretary  - 1660 Matthew Lock  - 1798-1801 Viscount Castlereagh Legislature Parliament of Ireland  - Upper house Irish House of Lords  - Lower house Irish House of Commons History  - Act of Parliament 1541  - Act of Union...


India

List:List of Indian constituencies The Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament of India is made up of Members of Parliament (MPs). ...


Singapore

In Singapore, there are 14 group representation constituencies and nine single-member constituencies, giving a total of 23 constituencies. Group representation constituencies elect between three to six MPs to the Parliament of Singapore, while single member constituencies elect one. The Group Representative Constituency (GRC) system in Singapore is a formal system of social and political committees representing the interests of both the majority and minority social groups within each local island community. ... The unicameral Parliament of Singapore is the legislature of Singapore with the President as its head [1]. It currently consists of 94 Members of Parliament. ...


Switzerland

In Switzerland, the Canton of St. Gallen uses the Wahlkreise (constituency or electoral district) in place of the previous, and more usual, district. See Canton of St. Gallen#Constituencies and municipalities. The Canton of St. ... In contrast to centrally organised states, in the federally constituted Switzerland each Canton is completely free to decide its own internal organisation. ... The Canton of St. ...


United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, a parliamentary constituency is sometimes called a Parliamentary seat or a Division. Constituencies for local government elections are called either Wards or electoral divisions. In the United Kingdom each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one or more members to a parliament or assembly. ... Local governments are administrative offices of an area smaller than a state or province. ... A ward is an electoral district used in local politics, most notably in England, Scotland, and Wales, as well as Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and many cities in the United States and the federal district of Washington, DC. Wards are usually named after neighbourhoods...


As of 2005, there are 646 House of Commons constituencies in the UK: 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ...

Northern Ireland has 18 constituencies, each of which elect six MLAs to the Northern Ireland Assembly under the Single Transferable Vote system. To see the list in alphabetical order see the categories UK Parliamentary constituencies and UK Parliamentary constituencies (historic). ... This is a list of MPs elected in the UK general election, 2005 to the House of Commons for the Fifty-Fourth Parliament of the United Kingdom at the United Kingdom general election, 2005, arranged by constituency. ... Motto:  (Latin for Who will separate us?)[1] Anthem: UK: God Save the Queen Regional: (de facto) Londonderry Air Capital Belfast Largest city Belfast Official language(s) English (de facto), Ulster Scots, Irish3, Northern Ireland Sign Language, Irish Sign Language Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister of... A Legislative Assembly in some parts of the Commonwealth refers to a legislature, or a chamber of the legislature. ... The Northern Ireland Assembly is a home rule legislature established in Northern Ireland under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, but currently under suspension. ... This STV ballot for the Australian Senate illustrates group voting tickets. ...


The Scottish Parliament has 73 single-member constituencies elected on a first past the post basis, with the remaining 56 seats in the parliament being selected by the Additional Member System (AMS). Since the passage of the Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Act 2004, the constituencies of the Scottish Parliament are no longer identical to those of the House of Commons. For the national legislative body up to 1707, see Parliament of Scotland. ... The Additional Member System (AMS) is a voting system in which some representatives are elected from geographic constituencies and others are elected under proportional representation from party lists. ... The Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Act 2004 is a United Kingdom Act of Parliament that amends the Scotland Act 1998 which established the Scottish Parliament. ...


The National Assembly for Wales has 40 constituencies elected by first past the post which are identical to the Welsh constituencies of the House of Commons. Its remaining 20 seats are selected by AMS. Regional proportion of Yes vote in the 1997 referendum. ...


The London Assembly has 14 constituencies elected by first past the post, described in the article on London Assembly constituencies. Its remaining 11 seats are also selected by AMS. The London Assembly is an elected body that supervises the Greater London Authority and the Mayor of London. ... Greater London is divided into a number of constituencies for London Assembly elections. ...


United States

In the United States, electoral constituencies for the federal House of Representatives are known as congressional districts (of which there are presently 435; the number can be increased so long as it does not exceed the constitutional limit of one per 30,000 citizens), while the constituencies for the variously named state legislatures go by a variety of names (and have differing numbers). Long standing practice, reinforced and modified by several U.S. Supreme Court decisions, require the equalization of populations of constituencies after each decennial census, a process known as redistricting. Seal of the House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives (or simply the House) is the lower of the two chambers of the United States Congress, the other being the Senate. ... U.S. Congressional districts are determined after each census. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures State Courts Counties, Cities, and Towns Other countries Politics Portal      A state of the United States is any one of the fifty subnational entities referred to... State legislatures are the lawmaking bodies of the 50 states in the United States of America. ... The process known as redistricting in the United States and redistribution in many Commonwealth countries is the changing of political borders (in many countries, specifically the electoral district/constituency boundaries) usually in response to periodic census results. ...


When driven by partisan bodies, this process opens up the possibility of gerrymandering for political or factional advantage. Gerrymandering cannot be used to the disadvantage of any specific racial group (e.g., placing a predominantly African-American community in several districts to dilute the vote would be unconstitutional), but is perfectly legal to dilute the voting strength of the opposing party. A Pennsylvania legislator long active in redistricting issues, State Rep. Mark B. Cohen of Philadelphia, said that "In election years, constituents choose their legislative officials. In redistricting years, legislative officials usually try to choose their future constituents." Gerrymandering is a controversial form of redistricting in which electoral district or constituency boundaries are manipulated for an electoral advantage. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ...


Others

Most of the rest of the Commonwealth of Nations also use constituencies as electoral divisions. For details of constituencies in these and other places see: The Commonwealth of Nations (CN), usually known as the Commonwealth, is a voluntary association of 53 independent sovereign states, the majority of which are former colonies of the United Kingdom. ...

Each of the 12 regions in Namibia is further subdivided into a constituency. ... The Legislative Council (abbreviated as LegCo; Chinese: 立法會, Pinyin: Lìfǎ Huì; formerly 立法局, Lìfǎ Jú) is the unicameral legislature of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ...

Synonyms

Marginal constituencies are also known as:

A marginal seat is a district or constituency held with a particularly small majority in a Parliamentary election conducted under a non-proportional electoral system. ...

See also

  • This entry is related to, but not included in the elections and voting series. Other related articles can be found at the Politics Portal.

  Results from FactBites:
 
Constituency - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (915 words)
In Canada, constituencies are legally known as electoral districts (in French, circonscriptions) for Members of Parliament and Members of Legislative Assemblies at the provincial level, although "constituency" and the informal term "riding" (or "comté" in French) are also used.
The constituencies for the rest of the seats are the federal states, representatives being drawn from the top of their respective electoral lists.
Constituencies in the Republic of Ireland elect between three and five TDs, while constituencies between 1536 and 1800 in the Kingdom of Ireland used to return two MPs.
  More results at FactBites »


 

COMMENTARY     


Share your thoughts, questions and commentary here
Your name
Your comments
Please enter the 5-letter protection code

Want to know more?
Search encyclopedia, statistics and forums:

 


Lesson Plans | Student Area | Student FAQ | Reviews | Press Releases |  Feeds | Contact
The Wikipedia article included on this page is licensed under the GFDL.
Images may be subject to relevant owners' copyright.
All other elements are (c) copyright NationMaster.com 2003-5. All Rights Reserved.
Usage implies agreement with terms.