Governance

Aggregate Governance Indicators by Country & Year (World Bank)

Aggregate governance research indicators for 212 countries for 1996–2007 for six dimensions of governance:

• Voice and accountability

• Political stability and absence of violence

• Government effectiveness

• Regulatory quality

• Rule of law

• Control of corruption

Assessing Governance Dataset (ODI)

The dataset includes 30 indicators for 16 developing countries for the years 1996 and 2000. The data includes 5 indicators within 6 arenas of governance: 

• Civil Society

• Political Society

• Government

• Bureaucracy

• Economic Society

• Judiciary

Corporate Corruption/Ethics Index (World Bank)

• Corporate ethics index

• Public sector ethics index

• Judicial/Legal effectiveness

• Corporate governance index

Corruption Perceptions Index (Transparency International)

The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) is a composite index, using data from twelve surveys of business people and assessments by country analysts from nine independent institutions.

Country Policy and Institutional Assessment - CPIA (World Bank)

The CPIA index rates developing countries on a set of 16 criteria grouped in four sectors: economic management, structural policies, policies for social inclusion and equity, and public sector management and institutions. 2005 and 2006 data publicly available.

Database of Political Institutions (Beck, Clarke, Groff, Keefer, and Walsh 2000-2004)

Contains data on political institutions for 1975-2006 for the following categories:

• Legislature

• Electoral rules

• Stability and checks & balances

• Federalism

DataGob Database (IDB)

Provides access to 400 governance indicators by country and year in four major areas: democracy, markets, public sector management and rule of law. The indicators available through DataGob come from 30 different sources (including some of those listed below), and information on the methodology used to construct indicators is available.

Economic Freedom of the World Index (The Fraser Institute)

Data for every 5 years from 1970-2000, annual data thereafter:

• Size of Government: Expenditures, Taxes, and Enterprises

• Legal Structure and Security of Property Rights

• Access to Sound Money

• Freedom to Trade Internationally

• Regulation of Credit, Labour, and Business

Failed States Index (The Fund for Peace)

Based on twelve indicators in the three categories social, economic and political indicators:

• Mounting Demographic Pressures

• Massive Movement of Refugees or Internally Displaced Persons

• Legacy of Vengeance-Seeking Group Grievance or Group Paranoia

• Chronic and Sustained Human Flight

• Uneven Economic Development along Group Lines

• Sharp and/or Severe Economic Decline

• Criminalization and/or Delegitimisation of the State

• Progressive Deterioration of Public Services

• Suspension or Arbitrary Application of the Rule of Law and Widespread Violation of Human Rights

• Security Apparatus Operates as a "State Within a State"

• Rise of Factionalized Elites

• Intervention of Other States or External Political Actors

Freedom in the World Index (Freedom House)

The Freedom in the World survey provides an annual evaluation (since 1972) of the state of global freedom as experienced by individuals. The survey measures freedom according to two broad categories: political rights and civil liberties for 192 countries and 14 related and disputed territories.

Globalization Index (KOF)

The KOF index of globalization is available for 122 countries for the period 1970-2005 and measures three dimensions of globalization:

• Economic

• Social

• Political

Open Budget Index by Country (CBPP)

"The Open Budget Index is computed using the average of the responses to 91 of the questions on the Open Budget Questionnaire in 2006. These questions cover the public availability of budget information in seven key budget documents." (Access the data by clicking "Downloadable Database and Reference Material").

Polity IV Dataset (CIDCM)

Contains coded annual information on regime and authority characteristics for all independent states and covers the years 1800-2004. Indicators include:

• Indicators of democracy and autocracy

• Authority characteristics

• Polity regime transitions

The Global Integrity Index (Global Integrity)

Assesses the existence and effectiveness of anti-corruption mechanisms that promote public integrity. More than 290 discrete integrity indicators constitute the index, which are organized into six key categories:

• Civil Society, Public Information and Media

• Elections

• Government Accountability

• Administration and Civil Service

• Oversight and Regulation

• Anti-Corruption and Rule of Law