QoG code: vdem_libdem
Liberal democracy index
Question: To what extent is the ideal of liberal democracy achieved?
Clarification: The liberal principle of democracy emphasizes the importance of protecting individual
and minority rights against the tyranny of the state and the tyranny of the majority. The liberal model takes a "negative" view of political power insofar as it judges the quality of democracy by the limits placed on government. This is achieved by constitutionally protected civil liberties, strong rule of law, an independent judiciary, and effective checks and balances that, together, limit the exercise of executive power. To make this a measure of liberal democracy, the index also takes the level of electoral democracy into account.
| Dataset | No. Countries |
|---|---|
| Basic cross-section | 172 |
| Basic time-series | 175 |
| Standard cross-section | 172 |
| Standard time-series | 175 |
| OECD cross-section | 32 |
| OECD time-series | 32 |
| Dataset | Available for years |
|---|---|
| Standard time-series | 1946-2024 |
| Basic time-series | 1946-2024 |
| OECD time-series | 1946-2024 |
This variable has information from 1946 to 2024.