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The Freedom House Annual Survey employs the Political Rights checklist to help determine the degree to which people can participate in the political process of their country. Each country is then rated on a seven-category scale, 1 representing the most free and 7 the least free. These 7 categories are laid out below. To purchase the Annual Survey print edition visit the store.

Country 2007 Political Rights Score 2006 Political Rights Score Democracy Rank 2007
Afghanistan 5 5 122
Albania 3 3 68
Algeria 6 6 98
Angola 6 6 111
Argentina 2 2 66
Armenia 5 5 103
Australia 1 1 9
Austria 1 1 12
Azerbaijan 6 6 128
Bangladesh 5q 4 116
Belarus 7 7 144
Belgium 1 1 12
Benin 2 2 49
Bhutan 6 6 78
Bolivia 3 3 55
Bosnia and Herzegovina 4q 3p 78
Botswana 2 2 41
Brazil 2 2 53
Bulgaria 1 1 36
Burkina Faso 5 5 76
Burundi 4 4q 125
Cambodia 6 6 106
Cameroon 6 6 113
Country 2007 Political Rights Score 2006 Political Rights Score

Democracy Rank 2007

Canada 1 1

8

Central African Republic 5 5 106
Chad 7q 6 136
Chile 1 1 21
China 7 7 121
Colombia 3 3 65
Congo, Republic of the 6 6q 95
Costa Rica 1 1 25
Cote d'Ivoire 7 7q 118
Croatia 2 2 45
Cuba 7 7 128
Czech Republic 1 1 23
Dem. Rep. of the Congo 5 5p 140
Denmark 1 1 2
Dominican Republic 2 2 58
Ecuador 3 3 66
Egypt 6 6 100
El Salvador 2 2 48
Eritrea 7 7 143
Estonia 1 1 18
Ethiopia 5 5 127
Finland 1 1 1
France 1 1 16
Gabon 6 6 104
Gambia, The 5 5 128
Georgia 4q 3 86
Germany 1 1 11
Ghana 1 1 35
Greece 1 1 32
Guatemala 3 3p 96
Guinea 6 6 119
Guinea-Bissau 4 4q 88
Haiti 4 4p 113
Honduras 3 3 69
Hungary 1 1 24
Country 2007 Political Rights Score 2006 Political Rights Score Democracy Rank 2007
India 2 2 47
Indonesia 2 2 71
Iran 6 6 138
Iraq 6 6 132
Ireland 1 1 14
Israel 1 1 31
Italy 1 1 28
Jamaica 2 2 42
Japan 1 1 30
Jordan 5 5 81
Kazakhstan 6 6 132
Kenya 4q 3 106
Korea, North 7 7 75
Korea, South 1 1 32
Kuwait 4 4 80
Kyrgyzstan 5 5 116
Laos 7 7 141
Latvia 2q 1 39
Lebanon 5 5 93
Lesotho 2 2 57
Liberia 3 3p 115
Libya 7 7 146
Lithuania 1 1 25
Macedonia 3 3 61
Madagascar 4 4q 83
Malawi 4 4 88
Malaysia 4 4 82
Mali 2 2 46
Mauritania 4p 5p 93
Mauritius 1 1 32
Mexico 2 2 63
Moldova 3 3 105
Mongolia 2 2 52
Morocco 5 5 92
Mozambique 3 3 61
Myanmar 7 7 150
Namibia 2 2 43
Nepal 5 5p 100
Netherlands 1 1 6
New Zealand 1 1 4
Nicaragua 3 3 64
Niger 3 3 98
Nigeria 4 4 100
Norway 1 1 7
Country 2007 Political Rights Score 2006 Political Rights Score Democracy Rank 2007
Oman 6 6 87
Pakistan 6 6 110
Panama 1 1 37
Papua New Guinea 3 3 58
Paraguay 3 3 73
Peru 2 2 53
Philippines 4q 3 85
Poland 1 1 29
Portugal 1 1 17
Romania 2 2 50
Russia 6 6 125
Rwanda 6 6 136
Saudi Arabia 7 7 119
Senegal 2 2 58
Serbia 3 3 50
Sierra Leone 3p 4 72
Singapore 5 5 74
Slovakia 1 1 27
Slovenia 1 1 19
Somalia 7 7q 146
South Africa 2 2q 40
Spain 1 1 19
Sri Lanka 4 4 96
Sudan 7 7 142
Sweden 1 1 3
Switzerland 1 1 5
Syria 7 7 138
Taiwan 2 2q 38
Tajikistan 6 6 132
Tanzania 4 4 84
Thailand 6p 7q 88
Togo 5p 6 122
Trinidad and Tobago 2 2p 44
Tunisia 7q 6 112
Turkey 3 3 55
Turkmenistan 7 7 149
Uganda 5 5 88
Ukraine 3 3 69
United Arab Emirates 6 6 77
United Kingdom 1 1 9
United States 1 1 15
Uruguay 1 1 22
Uzbekistan 7 7 148
Venezuela 4 4 128
Vietnam 7 7 122
Yemen 5 5 132
Zambia 3 3p 106
Zimbabwe 7 7 144




 

Is the head of state and/or head of government or other chief of authority elected through free and fair elections?

Are the legislative representatives elected through free and fair elections?

Are their fair electoral laws, equal campaigning opportunities, fair polling and honest tabulation of ballots?

Are the voters able to endow their freely elected representatives with real power?

Do the people have the right to organise in different political parties or other competitive political groupings of their choice, and is the system open to the rise and fall of these competing parties or groupings?

Is there a significant opposition vote, de facto opposition power, and a realistic possibility for the opposition to increase its support or gain power through elections?

Are the people free from domination by the military, foreign powers, totalitarian parties, religious hierarchies, economic oligarchies or any other powerful group?

Do cultural, ethnic and other minority groups have reasonable self-determination, self-government, autonomy or participation through informal consensus in the decision-making process?

Additional discretionary questions:

For traditional monarchies that have no parties or electoral process, does the system provide for consultation with the people, encourage discussion of policy, and allow the right to petition the ruler?

Is the government or occupying power deliberately changing the ethnic composition of a country or territory so as to destroy a culture or tip the political balance in favour of another group?
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