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Democracy Index 2012
Report

Democracy Index 2012

Democracy at a Standstill

EIU, 2013

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automatisch generiertes Audio

Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Innovative

Recommendation

Consider the case of Egypt in the summer of 2013: When citizens and military, religious and civic leaders unite to remove an elected government, is that a blow to democracy or a step toward greater democratic legitimacy? The Economist Intelligence Unit’s report provides a helpful overview of democracy and accountability in 165 independent states and two territories, as well as profound and subtle thinking about the meaning and function of democracy. This analysis is a useful reference, and getAbstract recommends that those affected by (or shaping) public policy should keep a copy close at hand in these turbulent times.

Summary

The advance of global democracy has stalled. An Economist Intelligence Unit survey ranks 25 countries (11.3% of the world’s population) as “full democracies.” Norway tops the list. A further 54 countries (37.2%) are “flawed democracies,” such as France and Italy, where institutional failings or a weak political culture mar otherwise free elections and respect for civil liberties. Some 37 countries (14.4%) are “hybrid regimes” where some democratic institutions exist but practice falls short of the ideal; Pakistan is an example. “Authoritarian regimes” exist in 51 countries (37.1%); North Korea...

About the Author

The Economist Intelligence Unit is an independent research and analytics organization that offers forecasting and advisory services.