What Indices Can Tell Us About the Status of Global Democracy and Rule of Law

Evidence-based programming is one of the key topics of the TED network’s Rule of Law and Anti-corruption working group. The group met virtually in January with the World Justice Project (WJP) and International IDEA (I-IDEA) who presented methodology, rationale, and findings related to their “Rule of Law Index” (WJP) and “Global State of Democracy (GSOD) Indices” (I-IDEA). The participants learned more about the recent trends and dynamics on democracy and rule of law and reflected on the application of the indices in rule of law policies and programming. 

Both indices evaluate and rank countries across key rule of law indicators. In addition to that, the aggregated data incorporates further indicators such as for example corruption and transparency, offering a more comprehensive definition to the rule of law. WJP’s “Rule of Law Index” methodology involves conducting regular surveys, eliciting perspectives from both households and legal experts in-country. These surveys ask the day-to-day experiences and perceptions of the functionality of the (legal) systems. I-IDEA’s “GSOD Indices,” on the other hand, aggregates data from various sources, including observational data, standard-based coding, and expert survey responses (50% of the data coming from Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem)). 

One of the main findings discussed was the decline of the rule of law in a growing number of countries. Participants shared experiences in encountering resistance when presenting negative, unfavourable, data. The recommendation emphasised openness to dialogue, acknowledging data limitations and refraining from pushing unsupported data/conclusions. The objective is to identify receptive champions and remain open for opportunities. Examples were shared, highlighting how indicators and indexes can serve dual purposes: acting as an accountability tool, like in Zimbabwe, where a single indicator was used, and as a measure of progress of the national development strategy, as seen by applying the WJP Index in Kenya. 

Practical advice emerged regarding the utilisation of data, spanning its role as a diagnostic tool for programme design, monitoring and evaluation. Additionally, reliable, globally comparable third-party data informs policy dialogue and promotes reform, thus serving as a basis for capacity building in evidence-based policy making. The audience agreed on the usefulness of combining different indices and data sources when working at the policy level. 

With over 60 participants, including representatives from European Union Delegations (EUD) in more than 10 partner countries, the virtual meeting provided a platform for discussion and knowledge exchange on the leveraging of data for effective governance and policy implementation.