Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) is a new approach to conceptualizing and measuring democracy. It is a collaboration among more than 50 scholars worldwide which is co-hosted by the Department of Political Science at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden; and the Kellogg Institute at the University of Notre Dame, USA.

With four Principal Investigators, two Program managers, fifteen Project Managers, more than thirty Regional Managers, almost 200 Country Coordinators, and approximately 2,800 Country Experts, the V-Dem project is one of the largest social science data collection projects focusing on research.

V-Dem collects data for 350+ indicators across a wide range of democracy aspects. Electoral democracy is in the centre and linked to this concept we find six additional dimensions of democracy: liberal, majoritarian, deliberative, participatory, consensual and egalitarian. In addition to a number of main indices, data is broken down into a number of components that are available to the user along with all indicators. Through the unique character of the database, old and new questions about the nature, growth and survival of democracy can be tested in a way not possible before.

Data is available for 177 countries from 1900 to 2016. Altogether, the database consists of approximately 17 million data points. The database is updated annually and new datasets are launched every year in the spring.

The dataset is available for download here: https://www.v-dem.net/en/data/data-version-7-1/

The data can also be explored online via: https://www.v-dem.net/en/analysis/

Purpose:

The world's largest database on democracy. The database provides 350+ indicators for 177 countries 1900-2016. Show less..

Data contains personal data

Method and outcome

Unit of analysis

Geographic unit

Group

Event/Process/Activity

Time Method

Time series

Sampling procedure

Total universe/Complete enumeration

Time period(s) investigated

1900 – Ongoing

Data collection

Geographic coverage

Geographic spread

Geographic location: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America

Geographic description: Worldwide

Administrative information

Responsible department/unit

Department of Political Science

Contributor(s)

University of Notre Dame, Kellogg Institute for International Studies

Topic and keywords

Research area

Politics (CESSDA Topic Classification)

Conflict, security and peace (CESSDA Topic Classification)

Elections (CESSDA Topic Classification)

Government, political systems and organisations (CESSDA Topic Classification)

International politics and organisations (CESSDA Topic Classification)

Political behaviour and attitudes (CESSDA Topic Classification)

Political science (Standard för svensk indelning av forskningsämnen 2011)

Social conditions and indicators (CESSDA Topic Classification)

Keywords

Politics, Political institutions, Democracy, Political change, Democratization, Political systems, Political indicators, Representative democracy, Parliamentary systems, Political issues, Political, social and economic issues

Publications

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Asante, R., Norman, M., Tzelgov, E., & Lindberg, S. I. (2012) "Media in West Africa: A Thematic Report Based on Data 1900-2012", V-Dem Thematic Report Series, No. 1, October 2013. Available online: https://v-dem.net/DemoComp/en/images/TR001MediainWAfricav5.pdf

Cornejo, R. C. & Coppedge, M. (2013) "El Salvador: A Country Report Based on Data 1900-2012", V-Dem Country Report Series, No. 5, November 2013. Available online: https://v-dem.net/DemoComp/en/images/CR005ElSalvador.pdf

Cornejo, R. C., Diop, A. S., & Coppedge, M. (2012) "Senegal: A Country Based Report Based on Data 1900-2012", V-Dem Country Report Series, No. 6, November 2013. Available online: https://v-dem.net/DemoComp/en/images/CR006Senegal.pdf

Hicken, A. (2012) "Myanmar/Burma: A Country Based Report Based on Pilot-Study Data", V-Dem Country Report Series, No. 001, February 2012. Available online: https://v-dem.net/DemoComp/en/images/CR001Burmapilot2012.pdf

Hliang, A. A., Teehankee, J., Wang, Y., Mechkova, V., Ciobanu, V., & Lindberg S. I. (2013) "Myanmar/Burma: A Country Report Based on Data 1900-2012", V-Dem Country Report Series, No. 4, November 2013. Available online: https://v-dem.net/DemoComp/en/images/CR004Burmav4.pdf

Lindberg, S. I., & Boylan, J. C. (2013) "Ghana: A Country Report Based on Pilot-Study Data", V-Dem Country Report Series, No. 002, June 2012. Available online: https://v-dem.net/DemoComp/en/images/CR002Ghanapilot2012.pdf

Teehankee, J., Tiulegenov, M., Wang, Y., Ciobanu, V., & Lindberg, S. I. (2013) "Party System in South and Southeast Asia: A Thematic Report Based on Data 1900-2012", V-Dem Thematic Report Series, No. 2, October 2013. Available online: https://v-dem.net/DemoComp/en/images/TR002PoliticalPartiesinSAv4.pdf

Tiulegenov, M., Tzelgov, E., Mechkova, V., & Lindberg, S. I. (2013) "Georgia: A Country Based Report Based on Data 1900-2012", V-Dem Country Report Series, No. 3, October 2013. Available online: https://v-dem.net/DemoComp/en/images/CR003Georgiav10.pdf

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