Measuring democracy : a bridge between scholarship and politics

Author(s)

• Munck, Gerardo L. (Gerardo Luis)

Bibliographic Information

Measuring democracy : a bridge between scholarship and politics

Gerardo L. Munck

（Democratic transition and consolidation）

Johns Hopkins University Press, c2009

• : hardcover
• : pbk

Note

Bibliography: p. 159-174

Includes index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

Although democracy is a widely held value, concrete measurement of it is elusive. Gerardo L. Munck's constructive assessment of the methods used to measure democracies promises to bring order to the debate in academia and in practice. Drawing on his years of academic research on democracy and measurement and his practical experience evaluating democratic practices for the United Nations and the Organization of American States, Munck's discussion bridges the theories of academia with practical applications. In proposing a more open and collaborative relationship between theory and action, he makes the case for reassessing how democracy is measured and encourages fundamental changes in methodology. Munck's field-tested framework for quantifying and qualifying democracy is built around two instruments he developed: the UN Development Programme's Electoral Democracy Index and a case-by-case election monitoring tool used by the OAS. Measuring Democracy offers specific, real-world lessons that scholars and practitioners can use to improve the quality and utility of data about democracy.

Table of Contents

List of Figures and Tables Preface 1. Bringing Knowledge to Bear on Politics: The Uses and Misuses of Data in Democracy Promotion 2. Conceptualizing and Measuring Democracy: An Evaluation of Alternative Indices 3. Drawing Boundaries: The Crafting of Intermediate Regime Categories 4. Producing and Validating Political Data: The Case of the Electoral Democracy Index 5. Assessing Elections: A Methodology for Election Observation Missions 6. Revisiting Concepts: Democracy and Other Political Values 7. Developing Measures: Beyond Electoral Democracy Notes References Index

by "Nielsen BookData"

• NCID: BA9052491X
• ISBN:
  • 9780801890925
  • 9780801890932
• LCCN: 2008032108
• Country Code: us
• Title Language Code: eng
• Text Language Code: eng
• Place of Publication: Baltimore
• Pages/Volumes: xix, 178 p.
• Size: 24 cm
• Classification:
  • LCC : JC423
  • DC22 : 321.8
• Subject Headings:
  • LCSH : Democracy -- Measurement
  • LCSH : Democratization -- Measurement
• Parent Bibliography ID:
  • BA82406805