In this assignment, you will get familiar with the Freedom House indicators and read the following 2017 article (available on Canvas page under the module called “Second Written Assignment”):
Puddington, Arch and Tyler Roylance. 2017. The Dual Threat of Populists and Autocrats. Journal of Democracy 28 (2): 105-119.
Learning Goals:
• Get familiar with measurement of democracy, particularly the Freedom House indicators.
• Understand the most recent patterns of democracy and authoritarianism in the world.
PART I: The Freedom House Indicators
I.1. Familiarize yourself with and get information on the Freedom House methodology in this website:
https://freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/2020-02/Methodology_FIW_2017.pdf
Answer the following questions (35 points):
1. What are the characteristics of countries rated 1 on the “Political Rights” dimension of the Freedom House indicators? (Total points: 7)
2. What are the characteristics of countries rated 1 on the “Civil Liberties” dimension of the Freedom House indicators? (Total points: 7)
3. What are the characteristics of countries rated 7 on the “Political Rights” dimension of the Freedom House indicators? (Total points: 7)
4. What are the characteristics of countries rated 7 on the “Civil Liberties” dimension of the Freedom House indicators? (Total points: 7)
5. How is a country’s Freedom Rating or Status computed? (Total points: 7)
I.2. Click on the following link to see Freedom Ratings across the globe for 2020 and answer the following two questions (14 points):
https://freedomhouse.org/countries/freedom-world/scores
1. List three countries rated “Not Free” for each of the continents listed below (total points:7)
a. Africa
b. Asia
c. Europe
d. South America
2. List three countries rated “Partly Free” for each of the continents listed below (total points:7)
a. Africa
b. Asia
c. Europe
d. South America
1
PART II: Democracy Trends
Read the article by Puddington and Roylance (2017) and answer the following questions (51 points). Provide short
answers (about 1 paragraph per question).
1. Has freedom in the world increased or decreased in 2016? What countries experienced the most dramatic changes? Explain in your own words. (Total points: 5)
2. Why has authoritarianism deepened in China and Russia? Explain in your own words. (Total points: 10)
3. In your own words, define and describe populism. According to the authors, where is populism spreading and why? Do you agree with the authors, why or why not? (Total points: 10)
4. What country fell from “Partly Free” to “Not Free”? Why? Explain in your own words. (Total points: 10)
5. In your own words, describe the trends of democracy and authoritarianism in the Middle East and North Africa. Make sure to reference to at least two countries in this region. (Total points: 10)
6. In your view, do the Freedom House indicators measure accurately the extent of democracy in a country, why or why not? (Total points: 6)
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