Measuring Electoral Integrity around the World: A New Dataset
Pippa Norris, Richard W. Frank and Ferran Martinex i Coma
Many contentious elections end in disputes about alleged fraud, irregularities, and malpractices. How do we know when these claims are valid and when they are false complaints from sore losers? This article describes a new dataset developed by the Electoral Integrity Project. Based on a survey of election experts, the research provides new evidence to compare how national contests around the world are meeting international standards of electoral integrity. The questionnaire includes 49 key indicators clustered into 11 stages of the electoral cycle, as well as generating an overall summary Perception of Electoral Integrity (PEI) 100-point index. The evidence displays high levels of external validity, internal validity, and legitimacy. The PEI datasets allow researchers to gauge the perceived quality of elections worldwide. This study summarizes the PEI’s research design, compares the quality of elections around the globe, and illustrates how electoral integrity is linked with both democracy and development.
Measuring Electoral Integrity around the World: A New Dataset, by Pippa Norris, Richard W. Frank and Ferran Martinex i Coma, appears in PS: Political Science & Politics Volume 47 / Issue 04 / October 2014, pp 789-798
Pippa Norris is the Paul F. McGuire Lecturer in Comparative Politics at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Laureate Research Fellow and professor of government and international relations at the University of Sydney, and director of the Electoral Integrity Project. She can be reached at pippa_norris@harvard.edu.
Richard W. Frank is research fellow and project manager for the Electorial Integrity Project in the department of government and international relations at the University of Sydney. He can be reached atrichard.frank@sydney.edu.au.
Ferran Martínez i Coma is research fellow in the department of government and international relations at the University of Sydney. He can be reached at ferran.martinezcoma@sydney.edu.au.