ToolBOX
State of Democracy
| Purpose |
IDEA’s State of Democracy (SoD) methodology is a framework for assessing the condition of democracy and progress towards democratization. Its main purpose is to contribute to the process of democratisation through:
providing an instrument for assessing how effectively reforms are working in practice |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Types of data used |
The methodology seeks qualitative answers to a set of search questions complemented by quantitative data where appropriate |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Methodology |
The assessment is carried out by citizens of the country being assessed.
The methodology is based on two basic democratic principles, i.e. popular control of public decision making and makers and political equality between citizens. The framework uses 7 mediating values that include: participation, authorisation, representation, accountability, transparency, responsiveness and solidarity. For each of these values the framework examines requirements and institutional means of realisation.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Area of Governance |
Democracy
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro-poor /gender sensitive aspects |
“Indicator questions” can be disaggregated by gender and income, and include questions that aim to capture the specific voices of women and the poor. For example:
"To what extent do women participate in political life and public office at all levels?" |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Example indicators |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Where to find this tool | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Actionability |
The framework is failry actionable on some indicators, that allow for clear policy recommendation of what to do if the situation in a country is reported to be less than satisfactory. For example, indicators on freedom of information legislation are easily transformed into policy recommendation that such may need to be put into place. Other indicators are more abstract, and may be more difficult to tranlsate into direct action. For example, if it is found that tolerance of diversity at home is low, there is no clear policy prescription about what to do with the issue. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Complementarity |
the framework includes input and de jure indicators such as the legislative framework, as well as output and defacto indicators such how well this legislation works in practice. |