The best measure of democracy is done annually by The Economist. Their methodology consists of answering a 60-point questionnaire with scores of 0, 0.5, or 1. They then take the score from each category (out of ten) and calculate the average across all categories, from the fairness of the electoral process to the openness of government. Here Gabe de Roche presents how he graded the U of T Students’ Union to arrive at the Democracy Score of 6.54 out of 10—on the low end of what The Economist would call a “Flawed Democracy.”
Read de Roche’s commentary
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- Move to another section of the questionnaire
- + [You are here] Electoral Process and Pluralism
- ++ Functioning Government
- +++ Political Participation
- ++++ Democratic Political Culture
- +++++ Civil Liberties
- ====== The Final Tally
- 1. Are elections for the national legislature and head of government free? Consider whether elections are competitive in that electors are free to vote and are offered a range of choices.
- 1: Essentially unrestricted conditions for the presentation of candidates (for example, no bans on major parties)
- 0.5: There are some restrictions on the electoral process
- 0: A single-party system or major impediments exist (for example, bans on a major party or candidate)
- 2. Are elections for the national legislature and head of government fair?
- 1: No major irregularities in the voting process
- 0.5: Significant irregularities occur (intimidation, fraud) but do not affect
significantly the overall outcome - 0: Major irregularities occur and affect the outcome
- Score 0 if score for question 1 is 0.
- 3. Are municipal elections both free and fair?
- 1: Are free and fair
- 0.5: Are free but not fair
- 0: Are neither free nor fair
- 4. Is there universal suffrage for all adults? Bar generally accepted exclusions (for example non-nationals, criminals, members of armed forces in some countries).
- 1: Yes
- 0: No
- 5. Can citizens cast their vote free of significant threats to their security from state or non-state bodies?
- 1: Yes
- 0: No
- 6. Do laws provide for broadly equal campaigning opportunities?
- 1: Yes
- 0.5: Yes formally, but in practice opportunities are limited for some candidates
- 0: No
- 7. Is the process of financing political parties transparent and generally accepted?
- 1: Yes
- 0.5: Not fully transparent
- 0: No
- 8. Following elections, are the constitutional mechanisms for the orderly transfer of power from one government to another clear, established, and accepted?
- 1: All three criteria are fulfilled
- 0.5: Two of the three criteria are fulfilled
- 0: Only one or none of the criteria is satisfied
- 9. Are citizens free to form political parties that are independent of the government?
- 1: Yes
- 0.5: There are some restrictions
- 0: No
- 10. Do opposition parties have a realistic prospect of achieving government?
- 1: Yes
- 0.5: There is a dominant two-party system in which other political forces never have any effective chance of taking part in national government
- 0: No
- 11. Is potential access to public office open to all citizens?
- 1: Yes
- 0.5: Formally unrestricted, but in practice restricted for some groups, or for citizens from some parts of the country
- 0: No
- 12. Are citizens free to form political and civic organisations, free of state interference and surveillance?
- 1: Yes
- 0.5: Officially free, but subject to some restrictions or interference
- 0: No
SCORE: 6.5/12 = 5.417 out of 10
- Move to another section of the questionnaire
- + [You are here] Electoral Process and Pluralism
- ++ Functioning Government
- +++ Political Participation
- ++++ Democratic Political Culture
- +++++ Civil Liberties
- ====== The Final Tally
