This essay will compare and contrast two widely-used measures in democracy research; Freedom House(FH) and National Elections across Democracy and Autarky (NELDA). Firstly, the theoretical frameworks behind both of the measures will be introduced. In order to add a practical base to this comparison and identify the differences in pictures and/or the definitions both measures give, discussion will be centralized with the case of Albania. Following the critical evaluation of merits and demerits of measures, a conclusion will be formulated containing the opinion for a more effective measure.
The democracy research incorporates a niche of distinct measures. Although this can be characterized as distinct future of the field, it also triggers differences between the definitions, operationalization and empirical study of democracy in scholar works. These indicators of democracy vary in terms of their natures, methodologies and applications. Some of them follow a taxonomy-oriented path, classifying countries into categories while others derive certain scores from various indices according to the country's performance in certain democracy components such as electoral competition, freedom of media, and maintenance of human rights.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Scanning the Measures: Freedom House
- Scanning the Measures: NELDA
- Comparison of FH and NELDA within The Portrait of Albania
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This essay analyzes and compares two widely-used democracy measures: Freedom House (FH) and National Elections across Democracy and Autarky (NELDA). The main objective is to critically evaluate their theoretical frameworks, identify differences in their application, and assess their effectiveness in understanding the political landscape of Albania. The essay will also explore the merits and demerits of both measures in capturing a comprehensive picture of democracy.
- Theoretical Frameworks of Democracy Measures
- Application of FH and NELDA in the Context of Albania
- Comparison of FH and NELDA Data for Albania
- Critical Analysis of FH and NELDA Methodologies
- Assessment of the Effectiveness of Both Measures
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This chapter introduces the diverse range of democracy research measures, highlighting their unique characteristics and the varying interpretations of democracy they provide. It sets the stage for comparing FH and NELDA, two prominent measures, and focuses on their theoretical foundations and practical application.
- Scanning the Measures: Freedom House: This chapter examines FH, a multi-dimensional indicator that combines continuous, dichotomous, and trichotomous elements to evaluate political rights and civil liberties. It explores the methodology and criteria used by FH to classify countries as free, partly free, or not free, and highlights the specific aspects of democratic competition that it emphasizes.
- Scanning the Measures: NELDA: This chapter delves into NELDA, a dataset that focuses on three core criteria: the allowance for opposition, the legalization of a multiparty system, and the possibility for multi-candidate elections. It explains how NELDA categorizes countries based on their electoral competition and provides an overview of its data collection methodology.
- Comparison of FH and NELDA within The Portrait of Albania: This chapter examines the application of FH and NELDA to Albania, highlighting the similarities and differences in their assessments of the country's democratic development over time. It analyzes the trends in both measures, particularly during key periods of political and economic change, and explores the strengths and weaknesses of each measure in capturing the nuances of Albanian politics.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The key terms and concepts central to this essay include: democracy measures, Freedom House (FH), National Elections across Democracy and Autarky (NELDA), political rights, civil liberties, electoral competition, Albania, democratic development, theoretical frameworks, methodological comparison, and assessment of effectiveness.
- Quote paper
- Kaan Akkanat (Author), 2012, Application of Freedom House and NELDA measures to Albania, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/292755
