Government Authority -- the degree of control governments exercise

Issue:

Government Authority

What this is

This is a map of the reach of governments, based on three kinds of data:

· the resources they have available, based on per capita GDP

· issues that challenge government authority, such as corruption, crime, and insurgency

· government intentions: the degree of control the government is inclined to exercise

The data combine to create an index score ranging from 100 (much of Western Europe) downwards, bottoming out at D.R. Congo (6) and Somalia (1).

Note that “adequate” signifies the degree of governance, not the competence or virtue of the government with that rating.

What it means for the future

The index suggests government’s ability to get things done:

· At the lowest end, governments are challenged to exercise basic control over their territories, making a country an effective “hole” in the world’s governance structures. This primes them to host unwanted phenomena, from terrorist groups and pirates to diseases eradicated elsewhere. They are failed states, or in danger of becoming so.

· In the “frayed” and “strained” categories, states’ strength is higher, but capacities can still be weak. These states might, for instance, find it difficult to enforce intellectual property laws, or protect the environment.

Data sources

· Per capita income: Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook

· Corruption: “TI Corruption Perceptions Index,” Transparency International

· Crime: media reports

· Insurgency, secession: media reports