Freedom in the World
Also called: Freedom House index · Topic: Democracy: Forms of Government, Principles and Outcomes · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Freedom in the World is a yearly report by Freedom House, based in Washington. It scores countries on two things. Political rights cover elections and taking part in government. Civil liberties cover speech, belief, association and the rule of law. Each country is then rated "free", "partly free" or "not free".
Example
Freedom House has rated India "partly free" since 2021. It points to concerns such as internet shutdowns and curbs on NGOs. India's government argues that such indices rely on perceptions and small expert panels.
Don't confuse with
- World Press Freedom Index: it is published by RSF in Paris and ranks only media freedom, not overall freedom.
Related concepts
- V-Dem Democracy Report
- EIU Democracy Index
- World Press Freedom Index
- Electoral autocracy
- Hybrid regime
- Illiberal democracy
- Democratic backsliding