That is, according to the Bertelsmann Stiftung's Transformation Index which, conveniently, omits 'the West' from its database and engages in name-calling, which passes for 'poli-sci' these days
Generally, one would either compare two or a handful of either very different or very similar nations, or compare actual law and procedure with observable measurable fact (i.e. does the actions match the semantics) for one nation, or do a global study based on a couple of very general criteria (since they needs be both comparable and quantifiable).
Also, one would clearly state why in a global or general study some nations were excluded - say Greenaldn for insntance, seeing as it has a hybrid form of being both part of Denmark and has limited sovereignty.
So one could compare Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland quite easily. One could also compare Sweden and Singapore, or Norway and Venezuela, or Saudi Arabia and Indonesia, for similarities and differences.
Of course, actually measuring how a nation lives up to its professed ideals is the most time consuming, tricky and difficult method since one has to study a metric ton of culture and history too, not just look at tabls and graphs. Take China - to us it is a dystopian national socialist dictatorship, but to the average chinese citizen it is the model society others should emulate. This discrepancy in interpretation of reality needs be taken into account, always, no matter one's personal bias. What we call freedom, they call disorder, so to speak.
I'd say any study shorter than at least about 100 pages explanatory and exploratory analysis is of about as much worth as a poll - you get what you ask for, simply put. (Or SISU, as the process is often called.)
I'd recommend one starts with the World Value Survey and look at how they put their reports together, while rememebering that it is only a rough guide, the maps especially so. Another good way of judging the progression or regression of democracy (while having a clear definition in mind) is choosing a few quite normal activities (say writing/selling books, art or other entertainment) and track over time how they have been (de/re)-regulated, both legalistic but also in practice: Sweden has as of yet no laws allowing pre-publishig censorship, but several cases has been brought to court where groups instead havetried to invoke IP-rights or cited factual errors in pre-print versions as reason to ban publishing and sale of a book. So the law in theory disallows censorship but the practice is active attempts to stifle nd silence dissenting voices (f.e. agents of the swedish state and the socialist democrats calling for the banning and burning of a book about Sweden's nazi-collaboration, a book written by a jewish author, well I think the irony-scope broke).
I put a CTA about submitting comments on the EU digital passport and linked to your posts in the Action Alerts section of the piece I just published:
https://margaretannaalice.substack.com/p/are-you-a-good-german-or-a-badass
Thanks for spreading the word!
Hope it helps! Keep us posted 🤞
Done
Thanks a lot!
Generally, one would either compare two or a handful of either very different or very similar nations, or compare actual law and procedure with observable measurable fact (i.e. does the actions match the semantics) for one nation, or do a global study based on a couple of very general criteria (since they needs be both comparable and quantifiable).
Also, one would clearly state why in a global or general study some nations were excluded - say Greenaldn for insntance, seeing as it has a hybrid form of being both part of Denmark and has limited sovereignty.
So one could compare Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland quite easily. One could also compare Sweden and Singapore, or Norway and Venezuela, or Saudi Arabia and Indonesia, for similarities and differences.
Of course, actually measuring how a nation lives up to its professed ideals is the most time consuming, tricky and difficult method since one has to study a metric ton of culture and history too, not just look at tabls and graphs. Take China - to us it is a dystopian national socialist dictatorship, but to the average chinese citizen it is the model society others should emulate. This discrepancy in interpretation of reality needs be taken into account, always, no matter one's personal bias. What we call freedom, they call disorder, so to speak.
I'd say any study shorter than at least about 100 pages explanatory and exploratory analysis is of about as much worth as a poll - you get what you ask for, simply put. (Or SISU, as the process is often called.)
I'd recommend one starts with the World Value Survey and look at how they put their reports together, while rememebering that it is only a rough guide, the maps especially so. Another good way of judging the progression or regression of democracy (while having a clear definition in mind) is choosing a few quite normal activities (say writing/selling books, art or other entertainment) and track over time how they have been (de/re)-regulated, both legalistic but also in practice: Sweden has as of yet no laws allowing pre-publishig censorship, but several cases has been brought to court where groups instead havetried to invoke IP-rights or cited factual errors in pre-print versions as reason to ban publishing and sale of a book. So the law in theory disallows censorship but the practice is active attempts to stifle nd silence dissenting voices (f.e. agents of the swedish state and the socialist democrats calling for the banning and burning of a book about Sweden's nazi-collaboration, a book written by a jewish author, well I think the irony-scope broke).
It's like the guano reservation: mainly self-referential.
By now, I keep wondering if the managerial/expert classes aren't actually 'living (their own) discourse' while we the people aren't.