Data from Freedom Rising by Christian Welzel

Data source: Christian Welzel

Go to the original dataset webpage

Description:

The World Values Survey measures of secular values and emancipative values are theoretically explained and empirically tested for their cross-cultural reliability and validity in Freedom Rising , pp. 57-105. The backward estimates of emancipative values for decades before available survey data are explained in Freedom Rising, pp. 157-161.

Last updated by source: 2014-03-01

Dataset type: Time-Series
Dataset level: Country

Citation:

When using this dataset, please cite as:
• Welzel, C. (2013). Freedom rising: Human empowerment and the quest for emancipation (1st ed.). Cambridge University Press.



Variables in this dataset:

Associational Activity
QoG Code: wel_aa

Meaning: Formative 7-item index measuring to what extent people are active in all of the associations from type 1 to type 3 (see above). At the country level, the indicator measures the prevalence of such activity in a given society, using the population average. Source: World Values Surveys, all countries and time points with available data. Scaling: Variables are rescaled such that non-membership is coded 0, inactive membership coded 0.5 and active membership 1 for each association. Then the average over the associations is calculated. Country-level scores are the average of each national sample from the WVS.

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Associational Activity (Type 1)
QoG Code: wel_aa1

Meaning: Formative 3-item index measuring to what extent people are active in recreational, humanitarian and environmental associations. At the country level, the indicator measures the prevalence of such activity in a given society, using the population average. Source: World Values Surveys, all countries and time points with available data. Scaling: Variables are rescaled such that non-membership is coded 0, inactive membership coded 0.5 and active membership 1 for each association. Then the average over the associations is calculated. Country-level scores are the average of each national sample from the WVS.

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Associational Activity (Type 2)
QoG Code: wel_aa2

Meaning: Formative 3-item index measuring to what extent people are active in the church or religious organizations. At the country level, the indicator measures the prevalence of such activity in a given society, using the population average. Source: World Values Surveys, all countries and time points with available data. Scaling: Variables are rescaled such that non-membership is coded 0, inactive membership coded 0.5 and active membership 1. Country-level scores are the average of each national sample from the WVS.

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Associational Activity (Type 3)
QoG Code: wel_aa3

Meaning: Formative 3-item index measuring to what extent people are active in political parties, labour unions and professional associations. At the country level, the indicator measures the prevalence of such activity in a given society, using the population average. Source: World Values Surveys, all countries and time points with available data. Scaling: Variables are rescaled such that non-membership is coded 0, inactive membership coded 0.5 and active membership 1 for each association. Then the average over the associations is calculated. Country-level scores are the average of each national sample from the WVS.

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Citizen Rights
QoG Code: wel_citrig

Meaning: Conditional index that measures the prevalence of citizen rights as the presence of respect of political participation rights on the condition of the presence of respect of personal autonomy rights, using multiplication to combine the two [CitRig = PAR * PPR]. Source: Welzel's (2013: 254-263) ``citizen rights index'', available annually for most countries in the world from 1981 to 2010. Scaling: Index scores range from 0 for the complete absence of citizen rights in law and practice to 1 for their full presence in law and practice, with proper fractions for intermediate positions. Links: Data sources, rescaling procedures and replication data are meticulously documented in the Online Appendix to Welzel's (2013) Freedom Rising at www.cambridge.com/welzel (p. 72). Test statistics documenting this index's superior validity in comparison to alternative democracy measures are reported in Welzel (2013: 267-271). Note: the missing code (-99) has been recoded to missing (.).

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Cognitive Mobilization
QoG Code: wel_cm

Meaning: Formative multi-item index measuring the extent of people's cognitive mobilization over the domains of informational connectedness, perceived stimulation and emancipative values [(InfCon + PerSti + EVI) / 3 calculated at the individual level and then aggregated to the country level]. Source: Index invented by Welzel, based on data from the World Values Surveys, all countries from rounds five and six. Scaling: Multi-point index with original scores on each of the multiple items rescaled from minimum 0 to maximum 1, with proper fractions for intermediate positions, and then averaged over the three measures. Components load on the same dimension at the individual level, with pretty similar loadings, and their combination produces a highly reliable overall index (alpha above .80). Country scores are population averages (arithmetic mean) on the 0-1 index. Remarks: Individual-level scores are normally distributed around the mean in each national sample.

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Control of Corruption
QoG Code: wel_coc

Meaning: Factor scale from the World Bank's ``global governance indicators'' measuring the degree of corruption control in a country. Source: Alexander and Welzel (2011); Alexander, Inglehart and Welzel (2012). Categorization is available in annual measures for most countries of the world from 1996 to 2006. Scaling: The factor scores are standardized into a range from minimum 0 (for the lowest ever observed corruption control) to maximum 1.0 (for the highest ever observed corruption control), with fractions for intermediate positions. Note: In the original data there exists two different observations for Dominica, the value has been recoded to missing for this country.

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Culture Zone
QoG Code: wel_culture

Meaning: Culture zone scheme, attributing each country to one of ten distinct culture zones created on the basis of religious traditions, imperial/colonial legacies and ethno-linguistic composition. Source: Classification invented and developed in Welzel, Freedom Rising (2013: 23-34), www.cambridge.org/welzel (Online Appendix, p. 8-11). Coding: 1. Reformed West (Western European societies strongly affected by the Reformation) 2. New West (overseas offshoots of Western Europe) 3. Old West (mostly Catholic parts of Western Europe being core parts of the Roman Empire) 4. Returned West (Catholic and Protestant parts of post-communist Europe returning to the EU) 5. Orthodox East (Christian Orthodox or Islamic parts of the post-communist world, mostly parts of the former USSR) 6. Indic East (parts of South and South East Asia under the historic influence of Indian culture) 7. Islamic East (regions of the Islamic world that have been parts of the Arab/Caliphate, Persian and Ottoman empires) 8. Sinic East (parts of East Asia under the historic influence of Chinese culture) 9. Latin America (Central and South America and the Caribbean) 10. Sub-Saharan Africa (African countries South of the Sahara). Remarks: A cluster analysis asking to place countries into ten different clusters on the basis of religious traditions, imperial legacies and ethno-linguistic composition variables produces a ninety percent overlapping classification of countries.

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Cool Water Index
QoG Code: wel_cwi

Meaning: The indicator measures the prevalence of relatively cool temperatures in each season combined with abundant fresh water resources throughout the year, on a country's historically most populated areas. Source: Index construction based on geo-climate data from the Harvard Geography Project, as documented in the appendix to Welzel's (2013) Freedom Rising, online at www.cambirdge.org/welzel, pp. 105-112. Scaling: Scores range from 0 for the hottest and driest countries to 1 for countries combining highly consistent precipitation with cold temperatures.

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Enlightened Understanding of Democracy
QoG Code: wel_demenl

Meaning: 6-item index measuring the extent to which people's understanding of democracy is enlightened in the sense that they define democracy ``correctly'' by its liberal core and at the same time explicitly reject non-liberal alternative notions. Source: Index invented and documented in Welzel, Freedom Rising (2013: 79; 310-315), www.cambridge.org/welzel (Online Appendix, p. 100), based on data from the World Values Surveys, countries from rounds five and six. Scaling: Multi-point index from minimum 0 when all three liberal notions of democracy are fully rejected and all three non-liberal notion fully accepted, to maximum 1.0, when the exact opposite is the case, with proper fractions for intermediate positions. Country scores are population averages (arithmetic mean) on the 0-1 index. Remarks: Individual-level scores are normally distributed around the mean in each national sample.

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Liberal Understanding of Democracy
QoG Code: wel_demlib

Meaning: 3-item index measuring the extent to which people's understanding of democracy is liberal in the sense that they define democracy ``correctly'' by its liberal, including free elections, civil liberties and equal rights. Source: Index invented and documented in Welzel, Freedom Rising (2013: 79; 310-315), www.cambridge.org/welzel (Online Appendix, p. 100), based on data from the World Values Surveys, countries from rounds five and six. Scaling: Multi-point index from minimum 0 when all three liberal notions of democracy are fully rejected, to maximum 1.0, when the exact opposite is the case, with proper fractions for intermediate positions. Country scores are population averages (arithmetic mean) on the 0-1 index. Remarks: Individual-level scores are normally distributed around the mean in each national sample.

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Non-Liberal Understanding of Democracy
QoG Code: wel_demnlib

Meaning: 3-item index measuring the extent to which people's understanding of democracy is non-liberal in the sense that they define democracy ``incorrectly'' by non-liberal attributes, including religious authority over the laws, military authority over government and unemployment benefits. Source: Index invented and documented in Welzel, Freedom Rising (2013: 79; 310-315), www.cambridge.org/welzel (Online Appendix, p. 100), based on data from the World Values Surveys, countries from rounds five and six. Scaling: Multi-point index from minimum 0 when all three non-liberal notions of democracy are fully rejected, to maximum 1.0, when the exact opposite is the case, with proper fractions for intermediate positions. Country scores are population averages (arithmetic mean) on the 0-1 index. Remarks: Individual-level scores are normally distributed around the mean in each national sample.

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Democratic Rights
QoG Code: wel_dr

Meaning: 14-point index measuring the prevalence of democratic rights based on Freedom House's ``civil liberties'' and ``political rights'' ratings. Source: Alexander and Welzel (2011); Alexander, Inglehart and Welzel (2012). Categorization is available in annual measures for most countries of the world from 1996 to 2006. Scaling: The two Freedom House scales are inverted, averaged and standardized into a range from minimum 0 (no democratic rights) to 100 (maximum democratic rights), with percentages of the maximum rights for intermediate positions. Note: In the original data there exists two different observations for Dominica, the value has been recoded to missing for this country.

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Effective Democracy Index
QoG Code: wel_edi

Meaning: Conditional multi-point index measuring the extent of effective democracy, understood as the presence of democratic rights on the condition that honest governance puts them into real practice [EDI = DemRig * HonGov]. Source: Alexander and Welzel (2011); Alexander, Inglehart and Welzel (2012). Categorization is available in annual measures for most countries of the world from 1996 to 2006. Scaling: Scores are weighted percentages ranging from a theoretical minimum of 0 for the least effective or absent democracy to 100 for the most effective democracy. Note: In the original data there exists two different observations for Dominica, the value has been recoded to missing for this country.

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Emancipative Values: Autonomy Component
QoG Code: wel_evau

Meaning: 3-item index measuring a national culture's emphasis on universal freedoms in the domain of personal autonomy (independence, imagination and non-obedience as desired child qualities). Source: Index invented and documented in Welzel, Freedom Rising (2013: 66-69), www.cambridge.org/welzel (Online Appendix, p. 20-29), based on data from the World Values Surveys, all countries and time points. Scaling: Four-point scale, ranging from a theoretical minimum of 0 when the least secular position is taken on all 3 items, to a maximum of 1.0 when the most secular position is taken on all 3 items. Intermediate positions are given in fractions of 1.0. Country scores are population averages (arithmetic mean) on the 0-1 index.

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Emancipative Values: Choice Component
QoG Code: wel_evch

Meaning: 3-item index measuring a national culture's emphasis on universal freedoms in the domain of reproductive choices (acceptance of divorce, abortion, homosexuality). Source: Index invented and documented in Welzel, Freedom Rising (2013: 66-69), www.cambridge.org/welzel (Online Appendix, p. 20-29), based on data from the World Values Surveys, all countries and time points. Scaling: Multi-point scale, ranging from a theoretical minimum of 0 when the least emancipative position is taken on all 3 items, to a maximum of 1.0 when the most emancipative position is taken on all 3 items. Intermediate positions are given in fractions of 1.0. Country scores are population averages (arithmetic mean) on the 0-1 index.

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Emancipative Values: Equality Component
QoG Code: wel_eveq

Meaning: 3-item index measuring a national culture's emphasis on universal freedoms in the domain of gender equality (support of women's equal access to education, jobs and power). Source: Index invented and documented in Welzel, Freedom Rising (2013: 66-69), www.cambridge.org/welzel (Online Appendix, p. 20-29), based on data from the World Values Surveys, all countries and time points. Scaling: Multi-point scale, ranging from a theoretical minimum of 0 when the least emancipative position is taken on all 3 items, to a maximum of 1.0 when the most emancipative position is taken on all 3 items. Intermediate positions are given in fractions of 1.0. Country scores are population averages (arithmetic mean) on the 0-1 index.

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Emancipative Values Index
QoG Code: wel_evi

Meaning: ``Protective-vs.-Emancipative Values'' - 12-item index measuring a national culture's emphasis on universal freedoms in the domains of (1) reproductive choice (acceptance of divorce, abortion, homosexuality), (2) gender equality (support of women's equal access to education, jobs and power), (3) people's voice (priorities for freedom of speech and people's say in national, local and job affairs), and (4) personal autonomy (independence, imagination and non-obedience as desired child qualities). Source: Index invented and documented in Welzel, Freedom Rising (2013: 66-69), www.cambridge.org/welzel (Online Appendix, p. 20-29), based on data from the World Values Surveys, all countries and time points. Scaling: Continuous scale, ranging from a theoretical minimum of 0 when the least emancipative position is taken on all 12 items, to a maximum of 1.0 when the most emancipative position is taken on all 12 items. Intermediate positions are given in fractions of 1.0. Country scores are population averages (arithmetic mean) on the 0-1 index. Remarks: The EVI is a conceptual refinement of Inglehart and Welzel's (2005) ``Survival-vs.-Self-expression Values''. Individual-level scores are normally distributed around the mean in each national sample. In the context of Freedom Rising's human empowerment framework, emancipative values are interpreted as motivational empowerment.

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Emancipative Values: Voice Component
QoG Code: wel_evvo

Meaning: 3-item index measuring a national culture's emphasis on universal freedoms in the domain of people's voice (priorities for freedom of speech and people's say in national and local affairs). Source: Index invented and documented in Welzel, Freedom Rising (2013: 66-69), www.cambridge.org/welzel (Online Appendix, p. 20-29), based on data from the World Values Surveys, all countries and time points. Scaling: Multi-point scale, ranging from a theoretical minimum of 0 when the least emancipative position is taken on all 3 items, to a maximum of 1.0 when the most emancipative position is taken on all 3 items. Intermediate positions are given in fractions of 1.0. Country scores are population averages (arithmetic mean) on the 0-1 index. Remarks: This index partly overlaps with Inglehart's (1977; 1997) measure of postmaterialist values.

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Informational Connectedness
QoG Code: wel_ic

Meaning: 8-item index measuring the diversity of information sources used by the average individual in a nation. Source: Index invented and documented in Welzel, Freedom Rising (2013: 79), www.cambridge.org/welzel (Online Appendix, p. 29-30), based on data from the World Values Surveys, countries from rounds five and six. Scaling: Multi-point index, ranging from a theoretical minimum of 0, when not a single one of the eight information sources has been used ``last week'', to a maximum of 1.0, when all eight sources were used. Intermediate positions are measured in fractions of 1. Country scores are population averages (arithmetic mean) on the 0-1 index. Remarks: Individual-level scores are normally distributed around the mean in each national sample. In Freedom Rising's (2013) human empowerment framework, informational connectedness is interpreted as connective empowerment.

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Individual Empowerment
QoG Code: wel_ie

Meaning: Formative multi-item index measuring the extent to which the people in a society are mentally and habitually empowered to make their own choices and to pursue them in their actions. The index covers the domains of motivational empowerment (emancipative values), connective empowerment (informational connectedness), perceptive empowerment (perceived stimulation), intellectual empowerment (formal education) and behavioural empowerment (social movement activity) [(EVI + InfCon + PerSti + ForEdu + SMA) / 5 calculated at the individual level and then aggregated to the country level]. Source: Index invented by Welzel, based on data from the World Values Surveys, all countries from rounds five and six. Scaling: Multi-point index with original scores on each of the multiple items rescaled from minimum 0 to maximum 1, with proper fractions for intermediate positions, and then averaged over all the measures. Components load on the same dimension at the individual level, with pretty similar loadings, and their combination produces a highly reliable overall index (alpha above .80). Country scores are population averages (arithmetic mean) on the 0-1 index. Remarks: Individual-level scores are normally distributed around the mean in each national sample.

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Mobilization Potential for Democratizing Pressures
QoG Code: wel_mob

Meaning: Index measures the extent to which people's enlightened democratic desires exceed exceed the perceived democraticness of their country, assuming that this gap between desired and perceived democraticness creates mass mobilization potential for democratic reform movements. The potential is the 0-to-1 standardized residuals obtained from regressing EnlDes on PerDem at the individual level and aggregating these scores to the country level by using the mean. Source: Welzel, based on data from the World Values Surveys, all countries from rounds five and six. Scaling: Multi-point index ranging from minimum 0, when a respondent's enlightened democratic desire is much lower than what her democracy assessment predicts, to maximum 1.0, when the enlightened democratic desire is much higher than what the democracy assessment predicts. Country scores are population averages (arithmetic mean) on the 0-1 index. Remarks: Individual-level scores are normally distributed around the mean in each national sample.

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Personal Autonomy Rights
QoG Code: wel_par

Meaning: The indicator measures to what extent a country enacts personal autonomy rights by law and respects them in practice. Source: Welzel's (2013: 254-263) ``personal autonomy rights index'' based on Freedom House's ``civil liberties'' as well as Cingranelli/Richards' ``integrity rights''. Freedom House civil liberties are inverted and then standardized into a range from minimum 0 to maximum 1.0. CIRI integrity rights are also standardized into a range from minimum 0 to maximum 1.0. Then the average of the two is taken to measure personal autonomy rights. Measures exist on an annual basis from 1981 to 2010 for most countries in the world. Scaling: Index scores range from 0 for the completely absent or disrespected personal autonomy rights to 1.0 for their full presence and respect, with proper fractions for intermediate positions. Links: Data sources, rescaling procedures and replication data are meticulously documented in the Online Appendix to Welzel's (2013) Freedom Rising at www.cambridge.com/welzel (p. 72). Test statistics documenting this index's superior validity in comparison to alternative democracy measures are reported in Welzel (2013: 267-271). Note: the missing code (-99) has been recoded to missing (.).

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Political Participation Rights
QoG Code: wel_ppr

Meaning: The indicator measures to what extent a country enacts political participation rights by law and respects them in practice. Source: Welzel's (2013: 254-263) ``political participation rights index'' based on Freedom House's ``political rights'' as well as Cingranelli/Richards' ``empowerment rights''. Freedom House political rights are inverted and then standardized into a range from minimum 0 to maximum 1.0. CIRI empowerment rights are also standardized into a range from minimum 0 to maximum 1.0. Then the average of the two is taken to measure political participation rights. Measures exist on an annual basis from 1981 to 2010 for most countries in the world. Scaling: Index scores range from 0 for completely absent or disrespected political participation rights to 1.0 for their full presence and respect, with proper fractions for intermediate positions. Links: Data sources, rescaling procedures and replication data are meticulously documented in the Online Appendix to Welzel's (2013) Freedom Rising at www.cambridge.com/welzel (p. 72). Test statistics documenting this index's superior validity in comparison to alternative democracy measures are reported in Welzel (2013: 267-271). Note: the missing code (-99) has been recoded to missing (.).

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Perceived Stimulation
QoG Code: wel_ps

Meaning: 3-item index measuring the extent of people's perceived cognitive stimulation based on whether they perceive their daily tasks as mostly ``routine versus creative'', mostly ``manual versus intellectual'' and as mostly ``remote controlled versus supervised'', with the latter option in each of these three (1 to 10 scaled) polarities indicating stronger perceived stimulation. Source: Welzel, based on data from the World Values Surveys, all countries from rounds five and six. Scaling: Multi-point index with original scores on each of the three items rescaled from minimum 0 to maximum 1, with proper fractions for intermediate positions, and then averaged over the three measures. Country scores are population averages (arithmetic mean) on the 0-1 index. Remarks: Individual-level scores are normally distributed around the mean in each national sample. In Welzel's human empowerment framework, perceived stimulation is interpreted as perceptive empowerment.

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Regime Type
QoG Code: wel_regtype

Meaning: Regime types measure the 4-fold combination of personal autonomy rights and political participation rights, resulting in four combinations. Source: Welzel, Freedom Rising (2013: 257-258). Typology is available in annual measures for most countries of the world from 1981 to 2010. Scaling: 1 "Pure Autocracy'': both personal autonomy rights and political participation rights below the scale midpoint (0.50); 2 "Inclusive Autocracy'': personal autonomy rights below the scale midpoint, political participation rights above the scale midpoint; 3 "Liberal Autocracy'': personal autonomy rights above the scale midpoint, political participation rights below; 4 "Minimal Democracy'': both personal autonomy rights and political participation rights above the scale midpoint. Links: Data sources, rescaling procedures and replication data are meticulously documented in the Online Appendix to Welzel's (2013) Freedom Rising at www.cambridge.com/welzel (p. 72). Test statistics documenting this index's superior validity in comparison to alternative democracy measures are reported in Welzel (2013: 267-271).

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Rule of Law Index
QoG Code: wel_rli

(Rule of Law + Control of Corruption) / 2

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Rule of Law
QoG Code: wel_rol

Meaning: Factor scale from the World Bank's ``global governance indicators'' measuring the degree of law enforcement in a country. Source: Alexander and Welzel (2011); Alexander, Inglehart and Welzel (2012). Categorization is available in annual measures for most countries of the world from 1996 to 2006. Scaling: The factor scores are standardized into a range from minimum 0 (for the lowest ever observed rule of law score) to maximum 1.0 (for the highest ever observed rule of law score), with fractions for intermediate positions. Note: In the original data there exists two different observations for Dominica, the value has been recoded to missing for this country.

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Scalezone on Citizen Rights
QoG Code: wel_scalezone

Meaning: Categorical scale zones on the citizen rights index, distinguishing four categories from more completely to less completely autocratic, and then from less completely to more completely democratic. Source: Welzel, Freedom Rising (2013: 255-256). Categorization is available in annual measures for most countries of the world from 1981 to 2010. Scaling: 1 ``Complete Autocracy'': citizen rights score less equal 0.25; 2 ``Incomplete Autocracy'': citizen rights score above 0.25 and less equal 0.50; 3 ``Incomplete Democracy'': citizen rights score above 0.50 and less equal 0.75; 4 ``Complete Democracy'': citizen rights score above 0.75. Links: Data sources, rescaling procedures and replication data are meticulously documented in the Online Appendix to Welzel's (2013) Freedom Rising at www.cambridge.com/welzel (p. 72). Test statistics documenting this index's superior validity in comparison to alternative democracy measures are reported in Welzel (2013: 267-271).

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Social Movement Activity
QoG Code: wel_sma

Meaning: 3-item index measuring to what extent three types of peaceful social movement activities (petitions, demonstrations, boycotts) are part of a national culture's action repertoire. Source: Index invented and documented in Welzel, Freedom Rising (2013: 222-225), www.cambridge.org/welzel (Online Appendix, p. 66-70), based on data from the World Values Surveys. Scaling: Multi-point index from a theoretical minimum 0 when none of the three activities is part of the action repertoire to 1.0 when all three of them are. On each activity, non-execution is coded 0, anticipated execution .33 and actual execution 1. Then for each individual the average over the three activities is calculated. Country scores are population averages (arithmetic mean) on the 0-1 index. Remarks: Individual-level scores are normally distributed around the mean in each national sample. In the context of Freedom Rising's human empowerment framework, social movement activity is interpreted as behavioural empowerment.

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Secular Values: Defiance Component
QoG Code: wel_svde

Meaning: 3-item index measuring a national culture's distance to ``sacred'' sources of authority in the domain of patrimonial authority (the nation, the state, the parents). Source: Index invented and documented in Welzel, Freedom Rising (2013: 63-66), www.cambridge.org/welzel (Online Appendix, p. 12-19), based on data from the World Values Surveys, all countries and time points. Scaling: Multi-point scale, ranging from a theoretical minimum of 0 when the least secular position is taken on all 3 items, to a maximum of 1.0 when the most secular position is taken on all 3 items. Intermediate positions are given in fractions of 1.0. Country scores are population averages (arithmetic mean) on the 0-1 index.

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Secular Values: Disbelief Component
QoG Code: wel_svdi

Meaning: 3-item index measuring a national culture's distance to ``sacred'' sources of authority in the domain of religious authority (faith, commitment, practice). Source: Index invented and documented in Welzel, Freedom Rising (2013: 63-66), www.cambridge.org/welzel (Online Appendix, p. 12-19), based on data from the World Values Surveys, all countries and time points. Scaling: Multi-point scale, ranging from a theoretical minimum of 0 when the least secular position is taken on all 3 items, to a maximum of 1.0 when the most secular position is taken on all 3 items. Intermediate positions are given in fractions of 1.0. Country scores are population averages (arithmetic mean) on the 0-1 index.

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Secular Values Index
QoG Code: wel_svi

Meaning: ``Sacred-vs.-Secular Values'' - 12-item index measuring a national culture's secular distance to ``sacred'' sources of authority, including (1) religious authority (faith, commitment, practice), (2) patrimonial authority (the nation, the state, the parents), (3) order institutions (army, police, courts), and (4) normative authority (anti-bribery, anti-cheating and anti-evasion norms). Source: Index invented and documented in Welzel, Freedom Rising (2013: 63-66), www.cambridge.org/welzel (Online Appendix, p. 12-19), based on data from the World Values Surveys, all countries and time points. Scaling: Continuous scale, ranging from a theoretical minimum of 0 when the least secular position is taken on all 12 items, to a maximum of 1.0 when the most secular position is taken on all 12 items. Intermediate positions are given in fractions of 1.0. Country scores are population averages (arithmetic mean) on the 0-1 index. Remarks: The SVI is a conceptual refinement of Inglehart and Welzel's (2005) ``Traditional-vs.-Secular-rational Values''. Individual-level scores are normally distributed around the mean in each national sample.

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Secular Values: Relativism Component
QoG Code: wel_svre

Meaning: 3-item index measuring a national culture's distance to ``sacred'' sources of authority in the domain of normative authority (anti-bribery, anti-cheating and anti-evasion norms). Source: Index invented and documented in Welzel, Freedom Rising (2013: 63-66), www.cambridge.org/welzel (Online Appendix, p. 12-19), based on data from the World Values Surveys, all countries and time points. Scaling: Multi-point scale, ranging from a theoretical minimum of 0 when the least secular position is taken on all 3 items, to a maximum of 1.0 when the most secular position is taken on all 3 items. Intermediate positions are given in fractions of 1.0. Country scores are population averages (arithmetic mean) on the 0-1 index. Note: The value for Slovenia in 2005 is considerably higher than the values for Slovenia in other years.

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Secular Values: Skepticism Component
QoG Code: wel_svsk

Meaning: 3-item index measuring a national culture's distance to ``sacred'' sources of authority in the domain of order institutions (army, police, courts). Source: Index invented and documented in Welzel, Freedom Rising (2013: 63-66), www.cambridge.org/welzel (Online Appendix, p. 12-19), based on data from the World Values Surveys, all countries and time points. Scaling: Multi-point scale, ranging from a theoretical minimum of 0 when the least secular position is taken on all 3 items, to a maximum of 1.0 when the most secular position is taken on all 3 items. Intermediate positions are given in fractions of 1.0. Country scores are population averages (arithmetic mean) on the 0-1 index.

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Political System Type
QoG Code: wel_sys

Meaning: 4-fold system typology derived from cross-tabulating democratic rights and honest governance. Source: Alexander and Welzel (2011); Alexander, Inglehart and Welzel (2012). Categorization is available in annual measures for most countries of the world from 1996 to 2006. 1. "Unbound Autocracy'': both democratic rights and honest governance below their scale midpoints 2. "Bounded Autocracy'': democratic rights below, honest governance above the scale midpoint 3. "Ineffective Democracy'': democratic rights above, honest governance below the scale midpoint 4. "Effective Democracy'': both democratic rights and honest governance above the scale midpoint. Note: In the original data there exists two different observations for Dominica, the value has been recoded to missing for this country.

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Generalized Trust
QoG Code: wel_trgen

Meaning: Multi-item formative index measuring to what extent trust in others is general, assigning increasing weights to trust's generality from close to unspecified to remote others [(IngTru + 2 * UnsTru + 3 * OutTru) / 6 calculated at the individual level and then aggregated to the country level using the population average]. Source: Index invented and documented in Welzel, Freedom Rising (2013: 199-200), www.cambridge.org/welzel (Online Appendix, p. 62-63), based on data from the World Values Surveys, countries from rounds five and six. Scaling: Multi-point index ranging from 0 when there is no generalized trust to 1.0 for the opposite case, with proper fractions for intermediate positions. Country-level scores are the average of each national sample. Remarks: Individual-level scores are normally distributed around the mean in each national sample.

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In-Group Trust
QoG Code: wel_trigr

Meaning: 3-item formative index measuring to what extent people trust others to whom they are acquainted. Source: Delhey, Newton and Welzel (2011), based on the Welzel-trust items in the World Values Surveys, all countries and time points from rounds 5 and 6. Scaling: 4-point rating scales recoded from lowest trust (0) to highest trust (1) and averaged over the three items. Country-level scores are the average of each national sample. Remarks: Individual-level scores are normally distributed around the mean in each national sample.

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Out-Group Trust
QoG Code: wel_trogr

Meaning: 3-item formative index measuring to what extent people trust others to whom they are not familiar and who are dissimilar on important group-forming criteria, including religion and nationality. Source: Delhey, Newton and Welzel (2011), based on the Welzel-trust items in the World Values Surveys, all countries and time points from rounds 5 and 6. Scaling: 4-point rating scales recoded from lowest trust (0) to highest trust (1) and averaged over the three items. Country-level scores are the average of each national sample. Remarks: Individual-level scores are normally distributed around the mean in each national sample.

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Trust (Standard)
QoG Code: wel_trstd

Meaning: Dummy coded standard trust question indicating to what extent people believe that they can trust unspecified other people. Source: World Values Surveys, all countries and time points from rounds 1 to 6. Scaling: Dummy index standardized into 0 for non-trust and 1.0 for trust in unspecified others. Country-level scores are the average of each national sample, thus transforming the individual-level dummy codes into a continuous 0-to-1.0 scale.

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Unspecific Trust
QoG Code: wel_trunsp

Meaning: 3-item formative index measuring to what extent people trust others or believe them to be fair when these others are neither specified as close or remote or in any other way [(PerFai + StaTru) / 2 calculated at the individual level and then aggregated to the country level using the population average]. Source: Index invented and documented in Welzel, Freedom Rising (2013: 199-200), www.cambridge.org/welzel (Online Appendix, p. 62-63), based on data from the World Values Surveys, countries from rounds five and six. Scaling: Multi-point index ranging from 0 when there is no trust and perceived fairness of unspecified others to 1.0 for the opposite case, with proper fractions for intermediate positions. Country-level scores are the average of each national sample.

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