In his essay, Alexander Hudson argues the following:
"At International IDEA, we subscribe to a rather broad definition of democracy. Our organisation understands democracy to require popular control of decision making and decision makers, and equality in the exercise of that control. We measure democracy in a disaggregated way that can accommodate different institutional forms. This means that we do not come to a single value for democracy. Instead, we measure the core attributes of democracy as stand-alone values."
For more, see: https://theloop.ecpr.eu/how-to-measure-democracy-a-practitioners-view/
Now imagine if we did not start with our own definition of democracy but rather asked others how they define democracy. How should we measure the core attributes of these many and different understandings of democracy in the world? And what do you think this approach could achieve?
https://theloop.ecpr.eu/how-to-measure-democracy-a-practitioners-view/
Jean-Paul Gagnon I think that one possible way to measure the core attributes of democracy across different understandings is to identify a set of universally accepted democratic values and use them as a benchmark for comparison. These values could include popular control of decision-making, political equality, freedom of speech and association, fair elections, and the rule of law. Personally, I believe that by measuring the presence or absence of these values in different democracies, we could create a comparative index of democracy that takes into account the diverse understandings of democracy in the world.
Most importantly,this approach could achieve several things. First, it could help us better understand the diverse ways in which democracy is understood and practiced around the world. By examining the similarities and differences between different definitions of democracy, we could gain a more nuanced understanding of the challenges and opportunities that democracies face in different parts of the world.
Second, it could help us identify areas where democratic institutions and practices are strong or weak. By measuring the core attributes of democracy in different countries, we could identify areas where democratic institutions and practices are functioning well and where they need improvement.
Finally, it could help us develop a more inclusive and adaptable understanding of democracy that takes into account the diverse needs and aspirations of people around the world. By recognizing that democracy can take different institutional forms and be understood in different ways, we can work towards creating a more pluralistic and responsive democratic system that is better able to meet the needs of all people.
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