IP 15: Democracy Barometer
In the face of ongoing democratization over recent decades, the measurement and evaluation of democracy has received special attention. However, the focus so far has been on the question whether a state is a democracy or not. But what about the quality of established democracies? Can they claim to be perfectly democratic and escape scrutiny? What makes a good or high quality of democracy?
The project "Democracy Barometer" has developed an instrument to assess the quality of democracy in 75 established democracies and to measure the fine differences that exist between them. It allows for benchmarking between established democracies and, as democracy is seen as an ongoing process, a critical observation of their democratic development over time. In the second phase of the NCCR Democracy the Democracy Barometer focuses on the explanation of different qualities of democracy and the analysis of the political as well as the societal impact of differences in the quality of democracy.
- New Democracy Barometer shows how democratic the 30 best democracies are, NCCR Newsletter No.8, February 2011
- Die Vermessung freier Gesellschaften - Das Demokratiebarometer bietet ein differenziertes Bild
WZB Mitteilungen, Heft 131, März 2011
