Here we determine the complete genomic sequence of the gram negative, gamma-Proteobacterium Vibrio cholerae El Tor N16961 to be 4,033,460 base pairs (bp). The genome consists of two circular chromosomes of 2,961,146 bp and 1,072,314 bp that together encode 3,885 open reading frames. The vast majority of recognizable genes for essential cell functions (such as DNA replication, transcription, translation and cell-wall biosynthesis) and pathogenicity (for example, toxins, surface antigens and adhesins) are located on the large chromosome. In contrast, the small chromosome contains a larger fraction (59%) of hypothetical genes compared with the large chromosome (42%), and also contains many more genes that appear to have origins other than the gamma-Proteobacteria. The small chromosome also carries a gene capture system (the integron island) and host 'addiction' genes that are typically found on plasmids; thus, the small chromosome may have originally been a megaplasmid that was captured by an ancestral Vibrio species. The V. cholerae genomic sequence provides a starting point for understanding how a free-living, environmental organism emerged to become a significant human bacterial pathogen.

Common conceptions of the electoral connection often make two assumptions about the behavior of candidates and voters. The first is that candidates focus their campaigns on their records. The second is that voters evaluate candidates on the basis of their campaign messages. This article explores how candidates' backgrounds influence these two components of representation. The main premise is simple: Campaign messages are more effective if they emphasize issues on which candidates have built a record that appears favorable to voters. Consequently, candidates tend to focus on this type of issue when choosing campaign themes. Candidates are less successful in winning favorable evaluations if they stray from their records and make unsubstantiated claims.

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.. Theory: Conventional wisdom holds that legislators win votes by acquiring federal spending for constituents. Scholars have struggled, however, to support this belief empirically. This paper links federal district spending and pork with an explanation based on consistency: electoral performance hinges on legislators' fiscal consistency, i.e., whether their votes on federal spending are consistent with their credit claiming for pork flowing to their districts. Hypotheses: In districts receiving substantial pork, fiscally liberal incumbents perform better electorally than fiscal conservatives. In low-pork districts fiscal conservatives perform better.Methods: These hypotheses are tested using aggregate-level data from the 1984-90 United States House elections and individual-level data from the 1988 Senate Election Study. Results: The hypotheses are supported on the aggregate and individual levels. Fiscally consistent legislators receive more votes than fiscally inconsistent legislators.Political observers and scholars have often assumed that legislators win votes by acquiring federal spending for a district or state. Accounts of congressional politics are filled with stories of incumbent legislators manipulating the legislative process to increase the flow of federal resources to their districts. This "pork" supposedly provides voters with evidence of the incumbent's efforts on their behalf.'In an attempt to establish stronger empirical support for this conventional wisdom about pork, scholars have examined two hypotheses. According to the first, legislators anticipating a difficult reelection contest will work to bring more federal resources to constituents. The second hypothesis holds that pork provides electoral benefits for all legislators who obtain it.*The data necessary to replicate the results of this paper are available from the author upon request. Estimations were computed using Stata, version 4.0. I thank the following individuals for their helpful comments:

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