Freedom of the Press Index (FPI) - Main contents

The study of democracy is increasingly drawing on sophisticated statistical methods and indices of causal deduction. Measuring democracy, or rather the state of democracy, is a complicated process. In contemporary available indices the elements of political participation and functioning of government are taken into account, but only in a marginal and formal way. Using different indexes having a variation of measurements is an important step to take in this project. Considering indicators, for example, like civil liberties, political freedoms, perceived corruption rates, health and literacy rates are significant to take into account when quantifying and assessing the state of democracy.

When measuring the state of democracy in a country, two different categories of indices can be used:

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  indicators measuring the means that create a state of democracy 
• - 

  indicators measuring the ends of democratic society

This section covers indicators measuring the means that create a state of democracy

Computed by the EIU the Democracy Index focuses notably on the condition of having free and fair competitive elections, and satisfying related aspects of political freedom.  The EIU takes on the view that measures of democracy reflecting the state of political freedoms and civil liberties are not substantial enough.

FH emphasizes democratic political systems in which the governments are accountable to their own people. The Freedom of the World Index ranks countries on their civil liberties and political rights. The Freedom of the Press Index provides comprehensive data set available on media freedom. It provides numerical rankings and rates each country's media as "Free," "Partly Free," or "Not Free."  

TI is a global coalition against corruption. It provides an annual Corruption Perceptions Index, ranking countries as determined by expert assessments and opinion surveys. Transparency international assumes a negative relationship, with more democracy leading to less corruption.  The Bribe Payers Index evaluates the supply side of corruption, meaning the likelihood of firms from industrialised democratic countries to bribe abroad.

WGI reports on six different indicators, called dimensions, of governance. Governance meaning the traditions and institutions by which authority in a country is exercised. The different indicators rank a country against all countries of the world. The indicators presented aggregate the views on the quality of governance provided by a large number of enterprise, citizen and expert survey respondents in industrial and developing countries.

PARLINE updates an archive of statistical data on women in national parliament, as well as women in government at the ministerial level. Data is provided by individual states, and record a % of the total member sin national parliament and in government. Inclusion of both men and women in decision making means equal opportunity in ensuring representative democracy.

The 2009 Eurobarometer includes data results one European public opinion regarding trust on the national government, trust in national parliament, and trust in national political politics.

Public opinion is a form of participation, a fundamental aspect of a functioning democracy.