How democratic is your country?
In its annual review of the state of democracy in the world, the Economist Intelligence Unit finds a mere 25 countries to be “fully democratic” with the UK coming in 18th and the USA at 19th.
The compilers of the survey comment:
“In 2011 there has been little change at the top of the rankings, which unsurprisingly are dominated by Scandinavian countries and other affluent liberal democracies such as New Zealand and Canada.
Equally, the countries bringing up the very bottom of the list—that is, those we consider to be the world’s most repressive and authoritarian regimes—still include the usual suspects. North Korea is bottom, in 167th position, with Chad, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan just above it.
But the 2011 index also sees significant changes, both for better and for worse. The biggest gainer is Tunisia, which not only initiated the Arab Spring but which has had the most success so far in translating revolution into democratic progress.”
You can see the full list here.
January 8th, 2012 at 4:40 pm
How you can be in 18th place as a Fully Democratic nation when your second Parliamentary chamber:
– is not elected even indirectly by the populace,
– comprises members there for life, and
– includes clerics appointed by their religious sect and 90 hereditary peers elected by their fellow hereditary peers and hereditary peers simply there by virtue of the obscure posts they hold (Earl Marshal and Lord Great Chamberlain
is a total mystery.
Also when the government of the day cannot be dismissed by a simple majority of the only elected chambe of the Parliament.
January 8th, 2012 at 8:00 pm
Yes indeed, Dan. The House of Lords must be the craziest chamber of any legislature in the world.