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November 29, 2004

Bragging rights for the world’s longest constitutionPolitics

Who’s got the world’s longest constitution? Suketu Mehta claims in Maximum City that India’s #1. At approximately 500K words via a sophisticated algorithm known as Back-of-a-Napkin, that sounds about right: Indians took British bureaucracy, mixed in their dilatory sense of time, quasi-socialist ethos and love of jawboning, and inflated government like a puffed puri.

But Alabama is contesting the claim, with more than 740 amendments and 310K words. India’s constitution has fewer than 100 amendments. Anyone know for sure?

By the way, Alabamans may be the most amendment-happy people in the world, but they couldn’t find it in their strict constructionist souls to strike school segregation and poll taxes from their constitution earlier this month. For shame.

manish on November 29, 2004 02:28 AM in Politics · T·r·a·c·k·b·a·c·k address · Direct link · Email post



1 reader linked

¤ The Acorn said: Bhutan likes its constitution small

Hey, democracy is'nt as much fun if people can't have a party! India claims to be the world's biggest democracy, and claims to have the world's longest constitution (at least until the Alabama attains 'self-determination'). Neighbouring Bhutan...
December 1, 2004 04:20 AM

3 comments

 1 · anonymous on November 29, 2004 12:36 PM · Direct link · “Quote”(?)

Spain's Big Brother contestants have to memorize the contents of the 325-page European Constitution this week. Should make for riveting TV. Maybe someone could lasso in some desi spelling bee champs to wrap their heads around the Indian one. ;)


 2 · Nitin on December 1, 2004 04:22 AM · Direct link · “Quote”(?)

Manish,

Is trackback working? Got an error message in response to the ping.


 3 · Nitin on December 1, 2004 04:48 AM · Direct link · “Quote”(?)

Sorry, I take that back; trackback works


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