America Listed Number 25 As Flawed Democracy in The Democracy Index while Nigeria @109 is a Hybrid Regime ! www.ojoojoo.com search @

As described in the report the democracy index is a weighted average based on the answers of 60 questions, each one with either two or three permitted alternative answers. Most answers are experts’ assessments. Some answers are provided by public-opinion surveys from the respective countries. In the case of countries for which survey results are missing, survey results for similar countries, and expert assessments are used in order to fill in gaps.

The questions are grouped into five categories: electoral process and pluralism, civil liberties, the functioning of government, political participation, and political culture. Each answer is converted to a score, either 0 or 1, or for the three-answer questions, 0, 0.5 or 1. With the exceptions mentioned below, within each category, the scores are added, multiplied by ten, and divided by the total number of questions within the category. There are a few modifying dependencies, which are explained much more precisely than the main rule procedures. In a few cases, an answer yielding zero for one question voids another question; e.g. if the elections for the national legislature and head of government are not considered free (question 1), then the next question, “Are elections… fair?“, is not considered, but automatically scored zero. Likewise, there are a few questions considered so important that a low score on them yields a penalty on the total score sum for their respective categories, namely:

1. “Whether national elections are free and fair”;
2. “The security of voters”;
3. “The influence of foreign powers on government”;
4. “The capability of the civil servants to implement policies”.

The five category indices, which are listed in the report, are then averaged to find the Democracy Index for a given country. Finally, the Democracy Index, rounded to two decimals, decides the regime type classification of the country.

The report discusses other indices of democracy, as defined, e.g. by Freedom House, and argues for some of the choices made by the team from the Economist Intelligence Unit. In this comparison, a higher emphasis is placed on the public opinion and attitudes, as measured by surveys, but on the other hand, economic living standards are not weighted as one criterion of democracy (as seemingly some other investigators have done).

The report is widely cited in the international press as well as in peer reviewed academic journals.

Classification definitions

Full democracies are nations where civil liberties and fundamental political freedoms are not only respected but also reinforced by a political culture conducive to the thriving of democratic principles. These nations have a valid system of governmental checks and balances, an independent judiciary whose decisions are enforced, governments that function adequately, and diverse and independent media. These nations have only limited problems in democratic functioning.

Flawed democracies are nations where elections are fair and free and basic civil liberties are honoured but may have issues (e.g. media freedom infringement and minor suppression of political opposition and critics). These nations have significant faults in other democratic aspects, including underdeveloped political culture, low levels of participation in politics, and issues in the functioning of governance.

Hybrid regimes are nations with regular electoral frauds, preventing them from being fair and free democracies. These nations commonly have governments that apply pressure on political opposition, non-independent judiciaries, widespread corruption, harassment and pressure placed on the media, anaemic rule of law, and more pronounced faults than flawed democracies in the realms of underdeveloped political culture, low levels of participation in politics, and issues in the functioning of governance.

Authoritarian regimes are nations where political pluralism is nonexistent or severely limited. These nations are often absolute monarchies or dictatorships, may have some conventional institutions of democracy but with meagre significance, infringements and abuses of civil liberties are commonplace, elections (if they take place) are not fair and free, the media is often state-owned or controlled by groups associated with the ruling regime, the judiciary is not independent, and censorship and suppression of governmental criticism are commonplace.

Democracy Index by country 2019

Listing by country is available on The Economist website.

Democracy Index 2019

Rank	Country	Score	Electoral process and pluralism	Functio­ning of govern­ment	Political partici­pation	Political culture	Civil liberties	Regime type	Region[n 1]	Changes from last year
1	Norway	9.87	10.00	9.64	10.00	10.00	9.71	Full democracy	Western Europe	Score:  Rank:
2	Iceland	9.58	10.00	9.29	8.89	10.00	9.71	Full democracy	Western Europe
3	Sweden	9.39	9.58	9.64	8.33	10.00	9.41	Full democracy	Western Europe
4	New Zealand	9.26	10.00	9.29	8.89	8.13	10.00	Full democracy	Asia & Australasia
5	Finland	9.25	10.00	8.93	8.89	8.75	9.71	Full democracy	Western Europe	Score:  0.11 Rank:  3
6	Ireland	9.24	10.00	7.86	8.33	10.00	10.00	Full democracy	Western Europe	Score:  0.09 Rank:
7	Denmark	9.22	10.00	9.29	8.33	9.38	9.12	Full democracy	Western Europe	Score:  Rank:  2
	Canada	9.22	9.58	9.64	7.78	9.38	9.71	Full democracy	North America	Score:  0.07 Rank:  1
9	Australia	9.09	10.00	8.93	7.78	8.75	10.00	Full democracy	Asia & Australasia	Score:  Rank:
10	Switzerland	9.03	9.58	9.29	7.78	9.38	9.12	Full democracy	Western Europe
11	Netherlands	9.01	9.58	9.29	8.33	8.75	9.12	Full democracy	Western Europe	Score:  0.12 Rank:
12	Luxembourg	8.81	10.00	8.93	6.67	8.75	9.71	Full democracy	Western Europe	Score:  Rank:
13	Germany	8.68	9.58	8.57	8.33	7.50	9.41	Full democracy	Western Europe
14	United Kingdom	8.52	9.58	7.50	8.89	7.50	9.12	Full democracy	Western Europe	Score:  0.01 Rank:
15	Uruguay	8.38	10.00	8.57	6.11	7.50	9.71	Full democracy	Latin America	Score:  Rank:
16	Austria	8.29	9.58	7.86	8.33	6.88	8.82	Full democracy	Western Europe	Score:  Rank:
	Spain	8.29	9.58	7.14	7.78	8.13	8.82	Full democracy	Western Europe	Score:  0.11 Rank:  3
18	Mauritius	8.22	9.17	8.21	5.56	8.75	9.41	Full democracy	Sub-Saharan Africa	Score:  Rank:  1
19	Costa Rica	8.13	9.58	7.50	6.67	7.50	9.41	Full democracy	Latin America	Score:  0.06 Rank:  1
20	France	8.12	9.58	7.86	7.78	6.88	8.53	Full democracy	Western Europe	Score:  0.32 Rank:  9
21	Chile	8.08	9.58	8.57	5.00	8.13	9.12	Full democracy	Latin America	Score:  0.11 Rank:  2
22	Portugal	8.03	9.58	7.86	6.11	7.50	9.12	Full democracy	Western Europe	Score:  0.19 Rank:  5
23	South Korea[n 2]	8.00	9.17	7.86	7.22	7.50	8.24	Flawed democracy	Asia & Australasia	Score:  Rank:  2
24	Japan	7.99	8.75	8.21	6.67	7.50	8.82	Flawed democracy	Asia & Australasia
25	United States	7.96	9.17	7.14	7.78	7.50	8.24	Flawed democracy	North America	Score:  Rank:
26	Malta	7.95	9.17	7.50	6.11	8.13	8.82	Flawed democracy	Western Europe	Score:  0.26 Rank:  8
27	Estonia	7.90	9.58	7.86	6.67	6.88	8.53	Flawed democracy	Eastern Europe	Score:  0.07 Rank:  4
28	Israel	7.86	9.17	7.86	8.89	7.50	5.88	Flawed democracy	Middle East & North Africa	Score:  0.07 Rank:  2
29	Botswana	7.81	9.17	7.14	6.11	7.50	9.12	Flawed democracy	Sub-Saharan Africa	Score:  Rank:  1
30	Cape Verde	7.78	9.17	7.36	6.67	6.88	8.82	Flawed democracy	Sub-Saharan Africa	Score:  0.1 Rank:  4
31	Taiwan	7.73	9.58	8.21	6.11	5.63	9.12	Flawed democracy	Asia & Australasia	Score:  Rank:  1
32	Czech Republic	7.69	9.58	6.79	6.67	6.88	8.53	Flawed democracy	Eastern Europe	Score:  Rank:  2
33	Belgium	7.64	9.58	8.21	5.00	6.88	8.53	Flawed democracy	Western Europe	Score:  0.14 Rank:  2
34	Cyprus	7.59	9.17	6.43	6.67	6.88	8.82	Flawed democracy	Western Europe	Score:  Rank:  1
35	Italy	7.52	9.58	6.07	7.78	6.25	7.94	Flawed democracy	Western Europe	Score:  0.19 Rank:  2
36	Slovenia	7.50	9.58	6.79	6.67	6.25	8.24	Flawed democracy	Eastern Europe	Score:  Rank:
	Lithuania	7.50	9.58	6.43	6.11	6.25	9.12	Flawed democracy	Eastern Europe
38	Latvia	7.49	9.58	6.07	6.11	6.88	8.82	Flawed democracy	Eastern Europe	Score:  0.11 Rank:
39	Greece	7.43	9.58	4.86	6.67	7.50	8.53	Flawed democracy	Western Europe	Score:  0.14 Rank:
40	South Africa	7.24	7.42	7.50	8.33	5.00	7.94	Flawed democracy	Sub-Saharan Africa	Score:  Rank:
41	Timor-Leste	7.19	9.58	6.29	5.56	6.88	7.65	Flawed democracy	Asia & Australasia	Score:  Rank:  1
42	Slovakia	7.17	9.58	7.14	5.56	5.63	7.94	Flawed democracy	Eastern Europe	Score:  0.07 Rank:  2
43	Malaysia	7.16	9.17	7.86	6.67	6.25	5.88	Flawed democracy	Asia & Australasia	Score:  0.28 Rank:  9
	Trinidad and Tobago	7.16	9.58	7.14	6.11	5.63	7.35	Flawed democracy	Latin America	Score:  Rank:
45	Colombia	7.13	9.17	6.79	5.56	5.63	8.53	Flawed democracy	Latin America	Score:  0.17 Rank:  6
46	Panama	7.05	9.58	6.07	6.67	5.00	7.94	Flawed democracy	Latin America	Score:  Rank:  1
47	Bulgaria	7.03	9.17	6.43	7.22	4.38	7.94	Flawed democracy	Eastern Europe
48	Argentina	7.02	9.17	5.36	6.11	6.25	8.24	Flawed democracy	Latin America
49	Suriname	6.98	9.17	6.43	6.67	5.00	7.65	Flawed democracy	Latin America	Score:  Rank:
50	Jamaica	6.96	8.75	7.14	4.44	6.25	8.24	Flawed democracy	Latin America	Score:  0.06 Rank:  3
51	India	6.90	8.67	6.79	6.67	5.63	6.76	Flawed democracy	Asia & Australasia	Score:  0.33 Rank:  10
52	Brazil	6.86	9.58	5.36	6.11	5.00	8.24	Flawed democracy	Latin America	Score:  0.11 Rank:  2
53	Tunisia	6.72	9.17	5.71	7.22	5.63	5.88	Flawed democracy	Middle East & North Africa	Score:  0.31 Rank:  10
54	Philippines	6.64	9.17	5.36	7.22	4.38	7.06	Flawed democracy	Asia & Australasia	Score:  0.07 Rank:  1
55	Ghana	6.63	8.33	5.71	6.67	6.25	6.18	Flawed democracy	Sub-Saharan Africa	Score:  Rank:  2
	Hungary	6.63	8.75	6.07	5.00	6.25	7.06	Flawed democracy	Eastern Europe
57	Poland	6.62	9.17	6.07	6.11	4.38	7.35	Flawed democracy	Eastern Europe	Score:  0.05 Rank:  3
58	Peru	6.60	9.17	5.00	5.56	5.63	7.65	Flawed democracy	Latin America	Score:  Rank:  1
59	Croatia	6.57	9.17	6.07	5.56	5.00	7.06	Flawed democracy	Eastern Europe	Score:  Rank:  1
60	Dominican Republic	6.54	9.17	5.36	6.11	5.00	7.06	Flawed democracy	Latin America	Score:  Rank:  1
	Lesotho	6.54	9.17	4.50	6.67	5.63	6.76	Flawed democracy	Sub-Saharan Africa	Score:  0.1 Rank:  4
62	Mongolia	6.50	9.17	5.71	5.56	5.00	7.06	Flawed democracy	Asia & Australasia	Score:  Rank:
63	Romania	6.49	9.17	5.71	5.56	4.38	7.65	Flawed democracy	Eastern Europe	Score:  0.11 Rank:  3
64	Indonesia	6.48	7.92	7.14	6.11	5.63	5.59	Flawed democracy	Asia & Australasia	Score:  0.09 Rank:  1
65	Namibia	6.43	6.58	5.36	6.67	5.63	7.94	Flawed democracy	Sub-Saharan Africa	Score:  0.18 Rank:  4
66	Serbia	6.41	8.25	5.36	6.11	5.00	7.35	Flawed democracy	Eastern Europe	Score:  Rank:  3
67	Ecuador	6.33	8.75	5.36	6.11	4.38	7.06	Flawed democracy	Latin America	Score:  0.06 Rank:  1
68	Thailand	6.32	7.42	5.36	6.11	6.25	6.47	Flawed democracy	Asia & Australasia	Score:  1.69 Rank:  38
69	Sri Lanka	6.27	7.00	6.07	5.56	6.25	6.47	Flawed democracy	Asia & Australasia	Score:  0.08 Rank:  2
70	Paraguay	6.24	8.75	5.71	5.00	4.38	7.35	Flawed democracy	Latin America	Score:  Rank:
71	El Salvador	6.15	9.17	4.64	6.11	3.75	7.06	Flawed democracy	Latin America	Score:  0.19 Rank:  6
	Guyana	6.15	6.92	5.36	6.11	5.00	7.35	Flawed democracy	Latin America	Score:  0.52 Rank:  17
73	Mexico	6.09	7.83	6.07	7.22	3.13	6.18	Flawed democracy	Latin America	Score:  0.1 Rank:  2
74	Papua New Guinea	6.03	6.92	6.07	3.89	5.63	7.65	Flawed democracy	Asia & Australasia	Score:  Rank:  1
75	Hong Kong	6.02	3.58	4.36	6.11	7.50	8.53	Flawed democracy	Asia & Australasia	Score:  0.13 Rank:  2
	Singapore	6.02	3.92	7.86	5.00	6.25	7.06	Flawed democracy	Asia & Australasia	Score:  0.36 Rank:  9
77	North Macedonia	5.97	7.00	5.36	6.67	3.75	7.06	Hybrid regime	Eastern Europe	Score:  0.1 Rank:  1
78	Ukraine	5.90	7.42	2.71	6.67	6.25	6.47	Hybrid regime	Eastern Europe	Score:  0.21 Rank:  6
79	Albania	5.89	7.00	5.36	4.44	5.00	7.65	Hybrid regime	Eastern Europe	Score:  0.09 Rank:  3
80	Bangladesh	5.88	7.83	6.07	6.11	4.38	5.00	Hybrid regime	Asia & Australasia	Score:  0.31 Rank:  8
81	Fiji	5.85	6.58	5.36	6.11	5.63	5.59	Hybrid regime	Asia & Australasia	Score:  Rank:  2
82	Senegal	5.81	6.08	6.07	4.44	6.25	6.18	Hybrid regime	Sub-Saharan Africa	Score:  0.34 Rank:  9
83	Moldova	5.75	6.58	4.64	6.11	4.38	7.06	Hybrid regime	Eastern Europe	Score:  0.1 Rank:  4
84	Montenegro	5.65	5.67	5.36	6.11	4.38	6.76	Hybrid regime	Eastern Europe	Score:  0.09 Rank:  3
85	Madagascar	5.64	7.92	3.57	6.11	5.63	5.00	Hybrid regime	Sub-Saharan Africa	Score:  0.42 Rank:  10
86	Armenia	5.54	7.50	5.36	6.11	3.13	5.59	Hybrid regime	Eastern Europe	Score:  0.75 Rank:  17
87	Malawi	5.50	6.08	4.29	5.00	6.25	5.88	Hybrid regime	Sub-Saharan Africa	Score:  0.01 Rank:  3
88	Liberia	5.45	7.42	3.07	5.56	5.63	5.59	Hybrid regime	Sub-Saharan Africa	Score:  0.1 Rank:  5
89	Georgia	5.42	7.83	3.21	6.11	4.38	5.59	Hybrid regime	Eastern Europe	Score:  0.08 Rank:
	Honduras	5.42	7.83	4.29	4.44	4.38	6.18	Hybrid regime	Latin America	Score:  0.21 Rank:  4
91	Bhutan	5.30	8.75	6.79	2.78	4.38	3.82	Hybrid regime	Asia & Australasia	Score:  Rank:  3
92	Nepal	5.28	4.83	5.36	5.00	5.63	5.59	Hybrid regime	Asia & Australasia	Score:  0.1 Rank:  5
93	Guatemala	5.26	6.92	4.64	3.89	4.38	6.47	Hybrid regime	Latin America	Score:  0.34 Rank:  6
94	Kenya	5.18	3.50	5.71	6.67	5.63	4.41	Hybrid regime	Sub-Saharan Africa	Score:  0.07 Rank:  4
95	Tanzania	5.16	5.75	5.00	5.00	5.63	4.41	Hybrid regime	Sub-Saharan Africa	Score:  0.25 Rank:  4
96	Morocco	5.10	5.25	4.64	5.56	5.63	4.41	Hybrid regime	Middle East & North Africa	Score:  0.11 Rank:  4
97	Benin	5.09	4.67	5.71	4.44	5.63	5.00	Hybrid regime	Sub-Saharan Africa	Score:  0.65 Rank:  16
	Zambia	5.09	4.75	2.93	4.44	6.88	6.47	Hybrid regime	Sub-Saharan Africa	Score:  0.52 Rank:  11
99	Uganda	5.02	4.33	3.57	4.44	6.88	5.88	Hybrid regime	Sub-Saharan Africa	Score:  0.18 Rank:  3
100	Mali	4.92	6.42	3.07	3.89	5.63	5.59	Hybrid regime	Sub-Saharan Africa	Score:  0.49 Rank:  9
101	Kyrgyzstan	4.89	6.08	2.93	6.67	3.75	5.00	Hybrid regime	Eastern Europe	Score:  0.22 Rank:  3
102	Bosnia and Herzegovina	4.86	6.17	2.93	5.56	3.75	5.88	Hybrid regime	Eastern Europe	Score:  0.12 Rank:  1
	Sierra Leone	4.86	6.58	2.86	3.33	6.25	5.29	Hybrid regime	Sub-Saharan Africa	Score:  0.2 Rank:  3
104	Bolivia	4.84	4.75	3.93	5.00	3.75	6.76	Hybrid regime	Latin America	Score:  0.86 Rank:  21
105	Haiti	4.57	4.75	2.07	3.89	6.25	5.88	Hybrid regime	Latin America	Score:  0.34 Rank:  3
106	Lebanon	4.36	3.92	1.50	6.67	5.00	4.71	Hybrid regime	Middle East & North Africa	Score:  0.27 Rank:
107	Gambia	4.33	4.00	4.29	3.33	5.63	4.41	Hybrid regime	Sub-Saharan Africa	Score:  0.02 Rank:  4
108	Pakistan	4.25	6.08	5.71	2.22	2.50	4.71	Hybrid regime	Asia & Australasia	Score:  0.08 Rank:  4
109	Nigeria	4.12	5.17	3.93	3.33	3.75	4.41	Hybrid regime	Sub-Saharan Africa	Score:  0.32