Democracy-Dictatorship Index

Democracy-Dictatorship (DD), index of democracy and dictatorship, or simply the DD index, or the DD datasets, was the binary measure of democracy and dictatorship whose publication stopped in 2008. Originally proposed by Adam Przeworski, and further developed and maintained by José Antonio Cheibub, Jennifer Gandhi, and James Raymond Vreeland.

Based on the regime binary classification idea proposed by Mike Alvarez in 1996, and the Democracy and Development (or DD measure, ACLP dataset) proposed by Przeworski, Cheibub, Gandhi, and Vreeland developed a six-fold regime classification scheme, resulting what the authors called as the DD datasets. The DD dataset covers the annual data points of 199 countries from 1946 (or date of independence) to 2008.

Six-fold regime classification scheme and its rules The DD index first classifies the regimes into two types: democracies and dictatorships. For democracies, it categorizes them into three types: parliamentary, semi-presidential and presidential democracies. For dictatorships, monarchic, military and civilian dictatorship. " Based on a "minimalist" theory of democracy, the index relies on rules regarding the existence of competitive elections. Resorting to democratic concepts by Karl Popper and Joseph Schumpeter, Przeworski defended the minimalist approach, citing Popper that "the only system in which citizens can get rid of governments without bloodshed."

Four rules For a regime to be considered as a democracy by the DD scheme, it must meet the requirement of four rules below:

Some regimes may meet the first three rules, but lack an alternation in power in its historical past; these regimes are classified as dictatorships because of cases where the incumbent only allows elections as long as they keep winning, and would refuse to step down if they lost. However, since they might also give up power willingly, the regime is marked with a type II value to signal potential classification errors where a democratic regime may be falsely classified as dictatorship.. This does not indicate cases of semi-democracy or semi-dictatorship.. The authors acknowledged that the last rule is more complicated to implement, but stated that it helps researchers to control potential errors and removes subjective judgement from the classification.

Countries

The Democracy-Dictatorship Index has the main regime types of "democracy" and "dictatorship" and three sub-types for each as well. Democracies can be either parliamentary, semi-presidential, or presidential and dictatorships can be civilian, military, or royal. Many countries which are seen as otherwise democratic are dictatorships because there has yet to be an alternation in power since their incumbent government has never lost an election. Therefore, it is impossible to know if the regime is a democracy or a dictatorship, so DD Index considers them dictatorships until an alternation in power occurs. + Countries by regime type (2008)RegimeTypeSubtypeReason for DictatorshipDictatorshipCivilian Dictatorship4. No alternation in powerDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDictatorshipCivilian Dictatorship4. No alternation in powerDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDictatorshipCivilian Dictatorship1. Executive not electedDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDemocracyPresidential DemocracyDemocracySemi-Presidential DemocracyDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDemocracySemi-Presidential DemocracyDictatorshipCivilian Dictatorship4. No alternation in powerDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDictatorshipRoyal Dictatorship1. Executive not elected2. No partiesDictatorshipCivilian Dictatorship1. Executive not elected2. No Legislature3. No legislative partiesDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDictatorshipCivilian Dictatorship4. No alternation in powerDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDemocracyPresidential DemocracyDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDemocracyPresidential DemocracyDictatorshipCivilian Dictatorship1. Executive not electedDictatorshipMilitary Dictatorship4. No alternation in powerDemocracyPresidential DemocracyDictatorshipRoyal Dictatorship1. Executive not elected2. Legislature not elected3. One partyDemocracySemi-Presidential DemocracyDictatorshipMilitary Dictatorship4. No alternation in powerDemocracyPresidential DemocracyDictatorshipRoyal Dictatorship1. Executive not elected3. No legislative parties DictatorshipCivilian Dictatorship4. No alternation in powerDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDemocracySemi-Presidential DemocracyDictatorshipMilitary Dictatorship4. No alternation in powerDictatorshipMilitary Dictatorship4. No alternation in powerDemocracyPresidential DemocracyDictatorshipCivilian Dictatorship3. All parties are in regimeDemocracyPresidential DemocracyDemocracyPresidential DemocracyDictatorshipMilitary Dictatorship4. No alternation in powerDemocracyPresidential DemocracyDictatorshipCivilian DictatorshipDemocracySemi-Presidential DemocracyDictatorshipMilitary Dictatorship4. No alternation in powerDemocracyPresidential DemocracyDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDictatorshipCivilian Dictatorship4. No alternation in powerDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDictatorshipCivilian Dictatorship3. One legislative partyDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDemocracyPresidential DemocracyDemocracySemi-Presidential DemocracyDemocracyPresidential DemocracyDictatorshipMilitary Dictatorship4. No alternation in powerDemocracyPresidential DemocracyDictatorshipMilitary Dictatorship4. No alternation in powerDictatorshipCivilian Dictatorship1. Executive not elected2. Legislature not elected3. All parties banned4. No alternation in powerDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDictatorshipCivilian Dictatorship3. All parties are in regime4. No alternation in powerDictatorshipMilitary Dictatorship1. Executive not elected2. No Legislature3. No Legislative partiesDemocracySemi-Presidential DemocracyDemocracySemi-Presidential DemocracyDictatorshipCivilian Dictatorship4. No alternation in powerDictatorshipMilitary Dictatorship4. No alternation in powerDemocracySemi-Presidential DemocracyDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDemocracyPresidential DemocracyDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDemocracyPresidential DemocracyDictatorshipMilitary Dictatorship1. Executive not electedDemocracySemi-Presidential DemocracyDictatorshipCivilian Dictatorship4. No alternation in powerDictatorshipCivilian Dictatorship4. No alternation in powerDemocracyPresidential DemocracyDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDemocracySemi-Presidential DemocracyDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDemocracyPresidential DemocracyDictatorshipCivilian DictatorshipDictatorshipMilitary DictatorshipAll parties in regimeDemocracySemi-Presidential DemocracyDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDictatorshipRoyal Dictatorship1. Executive not electedDictatorshipCivilian Dictatorship4. No alternation in powerDemocracyPresidential DemocracyDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDictatorshipRoyal Dictatorship1. Executive not elected3. All parties legally bannedDemocracySemi-Presidential DemocracyDictatorshipMilitary Dictatorship3. Legally single party stateDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDictatorshipCivilian Dictatorship4. No alternation in powerDemocracyPresidential DemocracyDictatorshipMilitary Dictatorship1. Executive not elected2. Legislature is appointed3. No partiesDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDemocracySemi-Presidential DemocracyDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDemocracySemi-Presidential DemocracyDemocracySemi-Presidential DemocracyDemocracyPresidential DemocracyDemocracyParliamentary Democracy3. All parties in regime4. No alternation in powerDemocracyPresidential DemocracyDemocracySemi-Presidential DemocracyDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDictatorshipMilitary Dictatorship1. Executive not elected2. No Legislature3. No Legislative partiesDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDemocracyPresidential DemocracyDemocracyPresidential DemocracyDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDemocracySemi-Presidential DemocracyDictatorship Civilian Dictatorship4. No alternation in powerDictatorshipRoyal Dictatorship1. Executive not electedDictatorshipCivilian Dictatorship4. No alternation in powerDictatorshipMilitary Dictatorship1. Executive not elected2. No Legislature3. No Legislative partiesDictatorshipCivilian Dictatorship4. No alternation in powerDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDictatorshipCivilian DictatorshipDemocracySemi-Presidential DemocracyDemocracyPresidential DemocracyDictatorshipCivilian Dictatorship1. Executive not electedDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDictatorshipRoyal Dictatorship1. Executive not elected2. Legislature is closed3. No Legislative partiesDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDemocracyPresidential DemocracyDemocracyPresidential DemocracyDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDemocracyPresidential DemocracyDemocracyPresidential DemocracyDemocracyPresidential DemocracyDemocracySemi-Presidential DemocracyDemocracySemi-Presidential DemocracyDictatorshipRoyal Dictatorship1. Executive not elected2. Legislature not elected3. No Legislative partiesDemocracySemi-Presidential DemocracyDictatorshipCivilian Dictatorship4. No alternation in powerDictatorshipMilitary Dictatorship4. No alternation in powerDictatorshipRoyal Dictatorship4. No alternation in powerDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDemocracySemi-Presidential DemocracyDictatorshipRoyal Dictatorship1. Executive not elected2. Legislature not elected3. No Legislative partiesDemocracySemi-Presidential DemocracyDemocracySemi-Presidential DemocracyDictatorshipCivilian Dictatorship4. No alternation in powerDemocracyPresidential DemocracyDictatorshipCivilian Dictatorship4. No alternation in powerDemocracySemi-Presidential DemocracyDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDictatorshipCivilian Dictatorship2. Legislature not elected3. No Legislative partiesDictatorshipCivilian Dictatorship4. No alternation in powerDemocracyPresidential DemocracyDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDemocracyPresidential DemocracyDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDictatorshipMilitary Dictatorship1. Executive not elected2. Legislature not electedDemocracyPresidential DemocracyDictatorshipRoyal Dictatorship1. Executive not elected3. Legally single party stateDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDemocracyDirect DemocracyDictatorshipMilitary Dictatorship3. All parties in regimeDemocracySemi-Presidential DemocracyDictatorshipCivilian Dictatorship4. No alternation in powerDictatorshipMilitary Dictatorship4. No alternation in powerDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDictatorshipCivilian Dictatorship4. No alternation in powerDictatorshipRoyal Dictatorship1. Executive not elected2. Legislature not elected3. All parties legally banned4. No alternation in power DemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDictatorshipMilitary Dictatorship4. No alternation in power DemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDictatorshipCivilian Dictatorship3. Legally one party stateDemocracyParliamentary Democracy DictatorshipCivilian Dictatorship4. No alternation in power DemocracySemi-Presidential DemocracyDictatorshipRoyal Dictatorship1. Executive not elected2. No Legislature3. No Legislative parties DemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDemocracyPresidential DemocracyDemocracyPresidential DemocracyDictatorshipCivilian Dictatorship3. One party4. No alternation in powerDemocracyParliamentary DemocracyDictatorshipCivilian Dictatorship1. Executive not elected4. No alternation in powerDictatorshipCivilian Dictatorship1. Executive not elected3. One partyDictatorshipMilitary Dictatorship4. No alternation in powerDictatorshipCivilian Dictatorship4. No alternation in powerDictatorshipCivilian Dictatorship4. No alternation in power

Democracy classification