The Comparative Survey of Freedom: Experiences and Suggestions

The Comparative Survey of Freedom, published since 1973, annually rates all independent states & dependent territories for levels of freedom or democracy, as defined by the traditional political rights & civil liberties of Western democracies. The checklists used for these ratings are analyzed, & although open to criticism, are found to be quite similar to those produced by other analysts from different perspectives. Unlike other studies, the Survey's regular production provides a useful & consistent time series. However, democracy is a moving target, & extensions of the survey in time or levels of discrimination are suggested that would force the investigator to address a variety of new & difficult problems in comparability that are not faced by the survey in its present form. 2 Appendixes, 36 References. Adapted from the source document.