Indicator Descriptions
Table of Contents
Indicator Descriptions
1. Democratic Participation
| Indicator Name | Indicator Description | Indicator Source |
|---|---|---|
| Checks and Balances | Global ranking of governmental checks and balances | Database of Political Indicators, World Bank |
| Degree of Party Dominance | Number of opposition members in the national legislature as a proportion of the total | Database of Political Indicators, World Bank |
| Fractionalization of Legislature | Herfindal Index | Database of Political Indicators, World Bank |
| Percentage of Female Parliamentarians | Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament (%) | World Development Indicators |
| Polity Score | Net Democracy/Autocracy Score | Polity IV |
| Executive Recruitment — Regulation | Global index measuring regulation of executive recruitment | Polity IV |
| Executive Recruitment — Competition | Global index measuring competitiveness of executive elections | Polity IV |
| Executive Constraints | Global index measuring legal and legislative constraints on executive activity | Polity IV |
| Female Parliamentary Quota | Quota for female parlimentaries (%) | Global database of quotas for women |
| Minority Access to Civil Services | Percentage of minority employees in the public service | MAR |
| Minority Voting Rights | Existence of voting rights for minorities, including the right to vote, degree of intimidation, access to polling station | MAR |
| Federalism – Municipal | Degree of autonomy provided to municipal governments | Database of Political Indicators, World Bank |
| Federalism – Provincial | Degree of autonomy provided to state/provincial governments | Database of Political Indicators, World Bank |
2. Government and Economic Efficiency
| Indicator Name | Indicator Description | Indicator Source |
|---|---|---|
| Economic growth — Percentage of GDP | GDP Growth % | World Development Indicators |
| Economic Size — Relative — GDP per capita | GDP per capita (constant 2000 US $) | World Development Indicators |
| Economic Size — Total — GDP | GDP (constant 2000 US $) | World Development Indicators |
| External Debt — percentage of GNI | Present value of debt (% of GNI) | World Development Indicators |
| Ease of Doing Business | Ease of Doing Business Survey – Overall Rank | World Bank, Ease of Doing Business |
| Starting a Business | Starting a business rank | World Bank, Ease of Doing Business |
| Protecting Investors | Protecting investors rank | World Bank, Ease of Doing Business |
| Trading Across Borders | Trading across borders rank | World Bank, Ease of Doing Business |
| Closing a Business | Closing a business rank | World Bank, Ease of Doing Business |
| Economic Freedom | Economic Freedom score | Heritage Foundation, Index of Economic Freedom |
| National Savings Level | Gross domestic savings (% of GDP) | World Development Indicators |
| Foreign Investment Freedom | Investment Freedom | Heritage Foundation, Index of Economic Freedom |
| Intellectual Property | Protection of intellectual property | Fraser Institute/ Free the World (Area 2C) |
| Contract Regulation | Contract Regulation | Heritage Foundation, Index of Economic Freedom |
| Enforcing Contracts | Enforcing Contracts Rank | World Bank, Ease of Doing Business |
| Dealing with Licences | Dealing with Licenses Rank | World Bank, Ease of Doing Business |
| Registering Property | Registering Property Rank | World Bank, Ease of Doing Business |
| Educational Attainment | Proportion over 15 with no schooling | World Bank, Thematic Data Educational Attainment |
| Enrolment Rates | Gross enrolment ratio, all levels combined (except pre-primary) | UNESCO Statistics |
| Health Expenditure | Health expenditure, total (% of GDP) | World Development Indicators |
| Access to Services — Improved Water | Access to an Improved water source (% of population with access) | World Development Indicators |
| Government Effectiveness | Government Effectiveness, point estimate | World Bank Group, Governance Matters V |
| FDI — percentage of GDP | Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) | World Development Indicators |
| Foreign Aid — percentage of Central Government Expenditures | Aid (% of central government expenditures) | World Development Indicators |
| Inequality — GINI Coefficient | GINI Coefficient | World Development Indicators |
| Trade Balance — percentage of GDP | Current Account Balance (as % of GDP) | World Development Indicators |
| Unemployment — Total | Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) | World Development Indicators |
| Paying Taxes | Paying taxes rank | World Bank: Ease of Doing Business indicators |
3. Accountability
| Indicator Name | Indicator Description | Indicator Source |
|---|---|---|
| Corruption — World Bank | Control of Corruption | World Bank Group, Governance Matters V |
| Voice and Accountability | Voice and accountability, point estimate | World Bank Group, Governance Matters V |
| Press Freedom | Index of Press Freedom | Freedom House |
| Political Donations | Provision for disclosure of contribution to parties (binary variable) | IDEA, Political Party Finance, Disclosure of Income |
| Party Financing | System of regulation for financing of political parties (binary variable) | IDEA, Political Party Finance, Regulation and Enforcement |
4. Human Rights
| Indicator Name | Indicator Description | Indicator Source |
|---|---|---|
| Disappearances | Disappearances, Number of Cases | CIRI Human Rights Index |
| Extrajudicial Killings | Killings, number of cases | CIRI Human Rights Index |
| Torture | Torture, number of cases | CIRI Human Rights Index |
| Freedom of Movement | Freedom of Movement Index | CIRI Human Rights Index |
| Freedom of Assembly and Association | Freedom of Assembly and Association Index | CIRI Human Rights Index |
| Freedom of Speech | Freedom of Speech Index | CIRI Human Rights Index |
| Women Political Rights | Women Political Rights Index | CIRI Human Rights Index |
| Women Social Rights | Women Social Rights Index | CIRI Human Rights Index |
| Women Economic Rights | Women Economic Rights Index | CIRI Human Rights Index |
| Civil Liberties | Civil Liberties Index | Freedom House, Annual Survey of Freedom |
| Political Rights | Political Rights Index | Freedom House, Annual Survey of Freedom |
| Human Rights — Empowerment | Empowerment Rights Index | CIRI Human Rights Index |
| Human Rights — Physical Integrity | Physical Integrity Rights Index | CIRI Human Rights Index |
| Minority Access to Education | Minority Access to Education | MAR |
| Minority Commerce | Minority ability to engage in commercial activities | MAR |
| Minority Professions | Minority presence in professions | MAR |
| Minority Official Positions | Minority presence in governmental institutions | MAR |
| Minority Organization | Minority ability and right to organize | MAR |
| Differential Ownership | Differential rules and practices regarding ownership of property | MAR |
| Minority Pol Mil recruitment | Recruitment of minorities in to the police and military | MAR |
5. Political Stability and Violence
| Indicator Name | Indicator Description | Indicator Source |
|---|---|---|
| Permanence of Regime Type | Number of years since last regime change | Polity IV |
| Black Market | Informal Market | Heritage Foundation, Index of Economic Freedom |
| Battle-related Deaths | Number of Conflict-related deaths per year | Uppsala Conflict Database |
| Dependence on external support | Intervention of other states or external actors | Fund for Peace (FfP) Failed States Index |
| Military Expenditure as a percentage of GDP | Military expenditure (% of GDP) | World Development Indicators |
| Political Stability | Political stability/no violence, point estimate | World Bank Group: Governance Matters V |
| Refugees Produced | Refugee population by country or territory of origin | World Development Indicators |
| Terrorism Fatalities | Total number of fatalities during recorded terrorist attacks per year | US National Counterterrorism Center |
| Terrorism Incidents | Total number of recorded terrorist attacks per year | US National Counterterrorism Center |
| Polity Fragmentation | Degree of fragmentation of the polity | Polity IV |
6. Rule of Law
| Indicator Name | Indicator Description | Indicator Source |
|---|---|---|
| Police, Law, and Criminality | Rule of Law | World Bank, Governance Matters database |
| Prison Population Rate | Prison Population Rate | International Centre for Prison Studies |
| Prison Occupancy Level | No. of detainees compared to capacity | Source:International Centre for Prison Studies |
| Number of Political Prisoners | Number of Political Prisoners | Fraser Institute/Free the World |
| Judicial Independence | Independence of the Judiciary | Fraser Institute/Free the World |
| Impartial Courts | Impartiality of the court | Fraser Institute/ Free the World |
| Integrity of the Legal System | Integrity of the Legal System | Fraser Institute/ Free the World |
| Military Interference in the Rule of Law | Presence of the military in political systems | Fraser Institute/ Free the World |
| Property Rights | Protection of rights to private property | Heritage Foundation |
| Minority Legal Protection | Minority Legal Protection | Source Minorities at Risk (MAR) |
| Minority Dispossessed Land | Minority Dispossessed Land | Source Minorities at Risk (MAR) |
| Minority Legal Procedures | Minority Legal Procedures | Minorities at Risk |
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