Polity data series

Last updated

Number of nations 1800-2018 scoring 8 or higher on the Polity5 scale, a measure of democracy Number of nations 1800-2018 scoring 8 or higher on Polity5 scale.svg
Number of nations 18002018 scoring 8 or higher on the Polity5 scale, a measure of democracy
World map showing findings from the Polity IV data series report for 2017 Polity IV 2017.png
World map showing findings from the Polity IV data series report for 2017

The Polity data series is a data series in political science research. [1] [2] [3] Along with the V-Dem Democracy Indices project and The Economist Democracy Index, Polity is among prominent datasets that measure democracy and autocracy. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

Contents

The Polity study was initiated in the late 1960s by Ted Robert Gurr and is now continued by Monty G. Marshall, one of Gurr's students. It was sponsored by the Political Instability Task Force (PITF) until February 2020. [9] The PITF is funded by the Central Intelligence Agency. [10] [ full citation needed ]

The data series has been criticized for its methodology, Americentrism, and connections to the CIA. Seva Gunitsky, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto, stated that the data series was appropriate "for research that examines constraints on governing elites, but not for studying the expansion of suffrage over the nineteenth century".

Scoring chart

Polity Score ranges from -10 to +10
Polity score range106 to 91 to 5−5 to 0−10 to −6
Regime typeFull Democracy Democracy Open Anocracy Closed Anocracy Autocracy

Scores for 2018

CountryDemocracy scoreAutocracy scorePolity IV score [11] [12] Polity IV regime type
Flag of the Taliban.svg Afghanistan 12−1Closed Anocracy
Flag of Albania.svg Albania 909Democracy
Flag of Algeria.svg Algeria 312Open Anocracy
Flag of Angola.svg Angola 24−2Closed Anocracy
Flag of Argentina.svg Argentina 909Democracy
Flag of Armenia.svg Armenia 707Democracy
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia 10010Full Democracy
Flag of Austria.svg Austria 10010Full Democracy
Flag of Azerbaijan.svg Azerbaijan 07−7Autocracy
Flag of Bahrain.svg Bahrain 010−10Autocracy
Flag of Bangladesh.svg Bangladesh 06−6Autocracy
Flag of Belarus.svg Belarus 07−7Autocracy
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium 808Democracy
Flag of Benin.svg Benin 707Democracy
Flag of Bhutan.svg Bhutan 707Democracy
Flag of Bolivia.svg Bolivia 707Democracy
Flag of Botswana.svg Botswana 808Democracy
Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil 808Democracy
Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria 909Democracy
Flag of Burkina Faso.svg Burkina Faso 716Democracy
Flag of Burundi.svg Burundi 23−1Closed Anocracy
Flag of Cambodia.svg Cambodia 04−4Closed Anocracy
Flag of Cameroon.svg Cameroon 15−4Closed Anocracy
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada 10010Full Democracy
Flag of Cape Verde.svg Cape Verde 10010Full Democracy
Flag of the Central African Republic.svg Central African Republic 716Democracy
Flag of Chad.svg Chad 13−2Closed Anocracy
Flag of Chile.svg Chile 10010Full Democracy
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China 07−7Autocracy
Flag of Colombia.svg Colombia 707Democracy
Flag of the Comoros.svg Comoros 03−3Closed Anocracy
Flag of the Republic of the Congo.svg Congo Brazzaville 04−4Closed Anocracy
Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg Congo Kinshasa 14−3Closed Anocracy
Flag of Costa Rica.svg Costa Rica 10010Full Democracy
Flag of Croatia.svg Croatia 909Democracy
Flag of Cuba.svg Cuba 16−5Closed Anocracy
Flag of Cyprus.svg Cyprus 10010Full Democracy
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic 909Democracy
Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark 10010Full Democracy
Flag of Djibouti.svg Djibouti 303Open Anocracy
Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg Dominican Republic 817Democracy
Flag of East Timor.svg East Timor 918Democracy
Flag of Ecuador.svg Ecuador 615Open Anocracy
Flag of Egypt.svg Egypt 04−4Closed Anocracy
Flag of El Salvador.svg El Salvador 808Democracy
Flag of Equatorial Guinea.svg Equatorial Guinea 06−6Autocracy
Flag of Eritrea.svg Eritrea 07−7Autocracy
Flag of Estonia.svg Estonia 909Democracy
Flag of Ethiopia.svg Ethiopia 321Open Anocracy
Flag of Fiji.svg Fiji 404Open Anocracy
Flag of Finland.svg Finland 10010Full Democracy
Flag of France.svg France 909Democracy
Flag of Gabon.svg Gabon 413Open Anocracy
Flag of The Gambia.svg Gambia 404Open Anocracy
Flag of Georgia.svg Georgia 817Democracy
Flag of Germany.svg Germany 10010Full Democracy
Flag of Ghana.svg Ghana 808Democracy
Flag of Greece.svg Greece 10010Full Democracy
Flag of Guatemala.svg Guatemala 918Democracy
Flag of Guinea.svg Guinea 404Open Anocracy
Flag of Guinea-Bissau.svg Guinea-Bissau 716Democracy
Flag of Guyana.svg Guyana 817Democracy
Flag of Haiti.svg Haiti 615Open Anocracy
Flag of Honduras (2022-).svg Honduras 707Democracy
Flag of Hungary.svg Hungary 10010Full Democracy
Flag of India.svg India 909Democracy
Flag of Indonesia.svg Indonesia 909Democracy
Flag of Iran.svg Iran 07−7Autocracy
Flag of Iraq.svg Iraq 606Democracy
Flag of Ireland.svg Ireland 10010Full Democracy
Flag of Israel.svg Israel 716Democracy
Flag of Italy.svg Italy 10010Full Democracy
Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg Ivory Coast 514Open Anocracy
Flag of Jamaica.svg Jamaica 909Democracy
Flag of Japan.svg Japan 10010Full Democracy
Flag of Jordan.svg Jordan 25−3Closed Anocracy
Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Kazakhstan 06−6Autocracy
Flag of Kenya.svg Kenya 909Democracy
Flag of Kosovo.svg Kosovo 808Democracy
Flag of Kuwait.svg Kuwait 07−7Autocracy
Flag of Kyrgyzstan.svg Kyrgyzstan 808Democracy
Flag of Laos.svg Laos 07−7Autocracy
Flag of Latvia.svg Latvia 808Democracy
Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon 606Democracy
Flag of Lesotho.svg Lesotho 918Democracy
Flag of Liberia.svg Liberia 817Democracy
Flag of Lithuania.svg Lithuania 10010Full Democracy
Flag of Luxembourg.svg Luxembourg 10010Full Democracy
Flag of North Macedonia.svg Republic of Macedonia 909Democracy
Flag of Madagascar.svg Madagascar 606Democracy
Flag of Malawi.svg Malawi 606Democracy
Flag of Malaysia.svg Malaysia 707Democracy
Flag of Mali.svg Mali 615Open Anocracy
Flag of Mauritania.svg Mauritania 02−2Closed Anocracy
Flag of Mauritius.svg Mauritius 10010Full Democracy
Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico 808Democracy
Flag of Moldova.svg Moldova 909Democracy
Flag of Mongolia.svg Mongolia 10010Full Democracy
Flag of Montenegro.svg Montenegro 909Democracy
Flag of Morocco.svg Morocco 15−4Closed Anocracy
Flag of Mozambique.svg Mozambique 615Open Anocracy
Flag of Myanmar.svg Myanmar 808Democracy
Flag of Namibia.svg Namibia 606Democracy
Flag of Nepal.svg   Nepal 817Democracy
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands 10010Full Democracy
Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand 10010Full Democracy
Flag of Nicaragua.svg Nicaragua 716Democracy
Flag of Niger.svg Niger 615Open Anocracy
Flag of Nigeria.svg Nigeria 817Democracy
Flag of North Korea.svg North Korea 010−10Autocracy
Flag of Norway.svg Norway 10010Full Democracy
Flag of Oman.svg Oman 08−8Autocracy
Flag of Pakistan.svg Pakistan 707Democracy
Flag of Panama.svg Panama 909Democracy
Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg Papua New Guinea 505Open Anocracy
Flag of Paraguay.svg Paraguay 909Democracy
Flag of Peru.svg Peru 909Democracy
Flag of the Philippines.svg Philippines 808Democracy
Flag of Poland.svg Poland 10010Full Democracy
Flag of Portugal (official).svg Portugal 10010Full Democracy
Flag of Qatar.svg Qatar 010−10Autocracy
Flag of Romania.svg Romania 909Democracy
Flag of Russia.svg Russia 514Open Anocracy
Flag of Rwanda.svg Rwanda 03−3Closed Anocracy
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Saudi Arabia 010−10Autocracy
Flag of Senegal.svg Senegal 707Democracy
Flag of Serbia.svg Serbia 918Democracy
Flag of Sierra Leone.svg Sierra Leone 817Democracy
Flag of Singapore.svg Singapore 24−2Closed Anocracy
Flag of Slovakia.svg Slovak Republic 10010Full Democracy
Flag of Slovenia.svg Slovenia 10010Full Democracy
Flag of the Solomon Islands.svg Solomon Islands 918Democracy
Flag of Somalia.svg Somalia 505Open Anocracy
Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa 909Democracy
Flag of South Korea.svg South Korea 808Democracy
Flag of Spain.svg Spain 10010Full Democracy
Flag of Sri Lanka.svg Sri Lanka 716Democracy
Flag of Sudan.svg Sudan 04−4Closed Anocracy
Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname 615Open Anocracy
Flag of Eswatini.svg Swaziland 09−9Autocracy
Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden 10010Full Democracy
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland 10010Full Democracy
Flag of Syria (2025-).svg Syria 09−9Autocracy
Flag of the Republic of China.svg Taiwan 10010Full Democracy
Flag of Tajikistan.svg Tajikistan 14−3Closed Anocracy
Flag of Tanzania.svg Tanzania 413Open Anocracy
Flag of Thailand.svg Thailand 03−3Closed Anocracy
Flag of Togo (3-2).svg Togo 13−2Closed Anocracy
Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg Trinidad and Tobago 10010Full Democracy
Flag of Tunisia.svg Tunisia 707Democracy
Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey 04−4Closed Anocracy
Flag of Turkmenistan.svg Turkmenistan 08−8Autocracy
Flag of Uganda.svg Uganda 12−1Closed Anocracy
Flag of Ukraine.svg Ukraine 514Open Anocracy
Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg United Arab Emirates 08−8Autocracy
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 808Democracy
Flag of the United States.svg United States 808Democracy
Flag of Uruguay.svg Uruguay 10010Full Democracy
Flag of Uzbekistan.svg Uzbekistan 09−9Autocracy
Flag of Venezuela.svg Venezuela 14−3Closed Anocracy
Flag of Vietnam.svg Vietnam 07−7Autocracy
Flag of Zambia.svg Zambia 606Democracy
Flag of Zimbabwe.svg Zimbabwe 514Open Anocracy

Criticism

The 2002 paper "Conceptualizing and Measuring Democracy" claimed several problems with commonly used democracy rankings, including Polity, opining that the criteria used to determine "democracy" were misleadingly narrow. [13]

The Polity data series has been criticized by Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting for its methodology and determination of what is and isn't a democracy. FAIR has criticized the data series for Americentrism with the United States being shown as the only democracy in the world in 1842, being given a nine out of ten during slavery, and a ten out of ten during the Jim Crow era. The organization has also been critical of the data series for ignoring European colonialism in Africa and Asia with those areas being labeled as no data before the 1960s. FAIR has also been critical of the data series' connection to the Central Intelligence Agency. Max Roser, the founder of Our World in Data, stated that Polity IV was far from perfect and was concerned at the data series' connections with the Central Intelligence Agency. [14]

Seva Gunitsky, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto, wrote in The Washington Post where he stated that "Polity IV measures might be appropriate for research that examines constraints on governing elites, but not for studying the expansion of suffrage over the nineteenth century". Gunitsky was critical of the data series for ignoring suffrage. [15]

See also

References

  1. Casper, Gretchen; Tufis, Claudiu (2003). "Correlation Versus Interchangeability: the Limited Robustness of Empirical Finding on Democracy Using Highly Correlated Data Sets". Political Analysis. 11 (2): 196–203. doi:10.1093/pan/mpg009.
  2. "Despite global concerns about democracy, more than half of countries are democratic". Pew Research Center. 14 May 2019. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  3. Hensel, Paul R. (2010). "Review of Available Data Sets". Oxford Research Encyclopedia of International Studies. doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780190846626.013.418. ISBN   978-0-19-084662-6 . Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  4. Högström, John (2013). "Does the Choice of Democracy Measure Matter? Comparisons between the Two Leading Democracy Indices, Freedom House and Polity IV". Government and Opposition. 48 (2): 201–221. doi:10.1017/gov.2012.10. ISSN   0017-257X. S2CID   19290786.
  5. Coppedge, Michael; Lindberg, Staffan; Skaaning, Svend-Erik; Teorell, Jan (2016). "Measuring high level democratic principles using the V-Dem data". International Political Science Review. 37 (5): 580–593. doi:10.1177/0192512115622046. hdl: 2077/38971 . ISSN   0192-5121. JSTOR   26556873. S2CID   142135251.
  6. Pelke, Lars; Croissant, Aurel (2021). "Conceptualizing and Measuring Autocratization Episodes". Swiss Political Science Review . 27 (2): 434–448. doi: 10.1111/spsr.12437 . ISSN   1662-6370.
  7. Vaccaro, Andrea (2021-03-16). "Comparing measures of democracy: statistical properties, convergence, and interchangeability". European Political Science. 20 (4): 666–684. doi: 10.1057/s41304-021-00328-8 . ISSN   1682-0983.
  8. Boese, Vanessa A (2019-06-01). "How (not) to measure democracy" . International Area Studies Review. 22 (2): 95–127. doi:10.1177/2233865918815571. ISSN   2233-8659. S2CID   191935546.
  9. "Polity". Polity. 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-01-26. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  10. Polity IV Country Report 2010: Canada
  11. "Polity IV Annual Time-Series, 1800-2018" . Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  12. "INSCR Data Page". 2019-06-02.
  13. Gerardo L. Munck, Jay Verkuilen (February 2002), "Conceptualizing and measuring democracy: Evaluating Alternative Indices" (PDF), Comparative Political Studies, 35 (1): 5–34, CiteSeerX   10.1.1.469.3177 , doi:10.1177/001041400203500101, S2CID   73722608
  14. "Vox's CIA-Backed 'Democracy' Standard Is OK With Slavery and Women Not Voting". Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting . May 16, 2016. Archived from the original on July 15, 2021.
  15. "How do you measure 'democracy'?". The Washington Post . June 23, 2015. Archived from the original on July 16, 2021.