Bruce E. Moon, Jennifer Harvey Birdsall, Sylvia Ceisluk, Lauren M. Garlett, Joshua J. Hermias, Elizabeth Mendenhall, Patrick D. Schmid, and Wai Hong Wong "Voting Counts: Participation in the Measurement of Democracy" Studies in Comparative International Development 41, 2 (Summer, 2006): 3-32.

Abstract

The measures of democracy commonly used in empirical research suffer notable limitations; primarily the exclusion of participation. As a result, quantitative studies may undervalue the effect of democracy on important social outcomes or misinterpret the aspect of democracy responsible for that effect. We respond by introducing and validating two variants of a new indicator, the Participation Enhanced Polity Score (PEPS), which augments institutional factors with the breadth of citizen participation. We demonstrate, using statistical evidence on democratic persistence, basic needs fulfillment, and gender equality, that no measure of democracy can be considered an accurate representation of its basic character without directly including participation as a core component.

Manuscript

Studies in Comparative International Development 41, 2 (Summer, 2006): 3-32

15 April 2006 draft, final submission to SCID , Word .pdf

 

Data and documentation

Files through 2003, as reported in SCID, 2006, can be downloaded here.

An updated data file through 2005 is now available on request. Contact Bruce E. Moon

For later updates (not yet available), contact Bruce E. Moon

About the project

This project began as an experimental methods course in 2002.

Who we are [affiliations as of 6/15/2006]

.. Bruce E. Moon is professor of international relations at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He is the author of The Political Economy of Basic Human Needs (Cornell University Press, 1991) and two editions of The Dilemmas of International Trade (Westview Press, 1996, 2000).
.. Jennifer Harvey Birdsall is a researcher for an NGO in Geneva, Switzerland. She received her B.A. in international relations and economics from Lehigh University and her M.S. in global affairs from Rutgers University-Newark.
.. Sylvia Ciesluk is pursuing an M.A. at the Fletcher School at Tufts University. She received her B.S. in economics from Lehigh University.
.. Lauren M. Garlett is a geography teacher at Bellamy Middle School in Chicopee, Massachusetts. She received both her B.A in international relations and her M.Ed. in secondary education from Lehigh University.
.. Joshua J. Hermias is associate director of the Global Young Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C.. He received his B.A. in economics from Lehigh University and his M.A. in international development from the University of East Anglia, Norwich, England.
.. Elizabeth Mendenhall is pursuing an MIA in economic and political development at Columbia University. She received a B.A. in international relations at Lehigh University.
.. Patrick D. Schmid is a Ph.D. candidate in computer science at Lehigh University. He received both his B.S. and M.S. in computer science from Lehigh University.
.. Wai Hong Wong is a research associate at FactSet Research Systems. He received his B.A. in international relations and economics at Lehigh University.

patrick@patrick-s.de; wwong9@excite.com; elizabeth_mendenhall@hotmail.com; lorax314@yahoo.com; j.hermias@gmail.com; jjbirdsall@msn.com; Sylvia.Ciesluk@tufts.edu; j.hermias@alumni.lehigh.edu