Democracy

Records of the international observation organization, such as the EU Database on Election Missions (https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/eu-election-observation-missions-1_en) and the website of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (https://www.osce.org/odihr/elections)  

The Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) Voter Turnout Website contains the most comprehensive global collection of political participation statistics available. Regularly updated voter turnout figures for national presidential and parliamentary elections since 1945 are presented country by country using both the number of registered voters and voting age population (VAP) as indicators. Where available, the spoilt ballot rate is also included.

Related to SDG 17.1.1

The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) conducts innovative applied research to identify socio-political and programmatic factors that impact the development of robust democratic institutions and processes. These in turn inform the development of effective programming in the democracy and governance sector.
The IFES has already undertaken some pre- and post-election surveys in Myanmar and Nigeria, but the IFES and/or its methodology could be considered for monitoring future projects. For example, the survey includes the following question:
How likely are you to vote in the […] elections scheduled for later this year?

Committee to Protect Journalists, an independent non-profit organisation, publishes the number of journalists killed on an annual basis. 
SDG Indicator 16.10.1: Number of verified cases of killing, kidnapping, enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention and torture of journalists, associated media personnel, trade unionists and human rights advocates in the previous 12 months
 

This indicator measures how many journalists are imprisoned for exercising their profession. The indicator provides additional information on the level of freedom of expression in a given country. Please use with care as the number may go down for reasons other than increased freedom, i.e. if journalists are exiled or if they begin to self-censor out of fear of reprisal.

This indicator measures what the judicial system of a state does to avoid impunity for attacks against journalists. Attacks is understood here in very broad terms and can include verbal or written threats or intimidation, physical violence and violations of the right to life or the right not to be tortured. The indicator contributes to measuring whether there is enabling environment for freedom of expression and the exercise of the journalistic profession in a given country.

The Democracy Ranking model refers to one political dimension [50%] and five non-political dimensions [which are aggregated with corresponding weights]: (1) gender (socio-economic and educational gender equality) [10%]; (2) economy (economic system) [10%]; (3) knowledge (knowledge-based information society, research and education) [10%]; (4) health (health status and health system) [10%]; (5) environment (environmental sustainability) [10%]. To every dimension different indicators are assigned (such as Freedom House scores on political rights, civil liberties, and press freedom, as well as TI's Corruption Perceptions Index and others). All indicators are transformed to a value rage of “1” to “100”, where “1” represents the weakest (poorest) and “100” the strongest (best) value. More details here. 

The Freedom on the Net index measures each country’s level of internet and digital media freedom based on a set of methodology questions. The index also measures access and openness of other digital means of transmitting information, particularly mobile phones and text messaging services. Freedom on the Net provides analytical reports and numerical scores for 65 countries. Annual Reports are available on the Freedom House website starting in 2011. 

Freedom of the Press, an annual report on media independence around the world, assesses the degree of print, broadcast, and digital media freedom in 199 countries and territories. Published since 1980, it provides numerical scores and country narratives evaluating the legal environment for the media, political pressures that influence reporting, and economic factors that affect access to news and information.

The Democracy Index is based on five categories: electoral process and pluralism; civil liberties; the functioning of government; political participation; and political culture. It provides a snapshot of the state of democracy for 165 independent states, which make up the majority of the world’s states (micro-states are excluded). There is both an overall score as well as scores in individual categories. 

Based on their scores on a range of indicators within these categories, each country is then itself categorised as one of four types of regime: “full democracies”; “flawed democracies”; “hybrid regimes”; and “authoritarian regimes”.

 

Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) are a research dataset summarizing the views on the quality of governance provided by a large number of enterprises, citizen and expert survey respondents in industrial and developing countries.
The indicator on Voice and accountability captures perceptions of the extent to which a country's citizens are able to participate in selecting their government, as well as freedom of expression, freedom of association, and a free media. This indicator can help us monitor whether democracy is participatory and representative. Other potentially interesting WGI indicators include Regulatory Quality, Rule of Law, and Control of Corruption.
 

Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) are a research dataset summarizing the views on the quality of governance provided by a large number of enterprises, citizen and expert survey respondents in industrial and developing countries.
The indicator on Government effectiveness captures perceptions of the quality of public services, the quality of the civil service and the degree of its independence from political pressures, the quality of policy formulation and implementation, and the credibility of the government's commitment to such policies. This indicator can help us monitor whether democracy is functioning. Other potentially interesting WGI indicators include Regulatory Quality, Rule of Law, and Control of Corruption.
 

The Index is compiled by pooling the responses of experts to a questionnaire devised by the RSF. This qualitative analysis is combined with quantitative data on abuses and acts of violence against journalists during the period evaluated. The criteria evaluated in the questionnaire are pluralism, media independence, media environment and self-censorship, legislative framework, transparency, and the quality of the infrastructure that supports the production of news and information.
Country scores range from 0 to 100 (with 0 being the best possible score and 100 the worst).

V-Dem distinguishes among 7 high-level principles of democracy: electoral, liberal, participatory, majoritarian, consensual, deliberative and egalitarian, which are then further disaggregated into lower-levels of democracy such as regular elections, direct democracy, gender equality and others. 
V-Dem Democracy Indices and Indicators include macro-level indices that describe features of democracy at various levels (overall, mid-level and lower-level indices), as well as indicators that address very specific features of political systems.
 

V-Dem distinguishes among 7 high-level principles of democracy: electoral, liberal, participatory, majoritarian, consensual, deliberative and egalitarian, which are then further disaggregated into lower-levels of democracy such as regular elections, direct democracy, gender equality and others. 
V-Dem Democracy Indices and Indicators include macro-level indices that describe features of democracy at various levels (overall, mid-level and lower-level indices), as well as indicators that address very specific features of political systems.
 

V-Dem distinguishes among 7 high-level principles of democracy: electoral, liberal, participatory, majoritarian, consensual, deliberative and egalitarian, which are then further disaggregated into lower-levels of democracy such as regular elections, direct democracy, gender equality and others. 

V-Dem Democracy Indices and Indicators include macro-level indices that describe features of democracy at various levels (overall, mid-level and lower-level indices), as well as indicators that address very specific features of political systems.