The effects produced by the method to convert votes into legislative seats have been at the center of the debate in Brazil since the 1988 Constitution, and since then political reform has never left the agenda of the political debate, both inside and outside of the university. The arguments are, in general, the strengthening of parties and the increase of electoral accountability. This article proposes to analyze the effects of changing the electoral districts. These issues are inscribed in a larger discussion about the impacts of the electoral system on the political system, as well as about the delicate balance between governability and representation. Consequently, they are directly related to the quality of the democratic system.
political reform; political parties; electoral systems; uninominal voting; closed list
