Selection from the POLITY IV dataset

A selection of variables from the Polity IV dataset (case and country-year formats). See Monty G. Marshall, Ted Robert Gurr, Keith Jaggers, 2014. POLITY IV PROJECT: Dataset Users' Manual. Center for Systemic Peace. Original dataset and codebook available at www.systemicpeace.org. Documentation below is directly derived form this codebook.

polity_annual

Format

An object of class tbl_df (inherits from tbl, data.frame) with 17053 rows and 21 columns.

Variable descriptions

country_name

Standardized country name. This is the same across all datasets in this package, so you can always join them by country_name and year. Character with 186 distinct values. Most common: Afghanistan (216), Austria (216), China (216), Denmark (216), France (216), Iran (Persia) (216), Japan (216), Nepal (216), Oman (216), Portugal (216), Russia (Soviet Union) (216), Spain (216), Sweden (216), Thailand (216), Turkey (Ottoman Empire) (216), United Kingdom (216), United States of America (216). NAs = 0.

GWn

Gleditsch-Ward numeric country code. See Gleditsch and Ward (1999). Numeric. Max = 950, min = 2, distinct = 186, mean = 402.93, sd = 249.457, NAs = 0.

year

Year. Numeric. Max = 2015, min = 1800, distinct = 216, mean = 1938.894, sd = 59.439, NAs = 0.

polity

Combined Polity Score. The codebook says this: "The POLITY score is computed by subtracting the AUTOC score from the DEMOC score; the resulting unified polity scale ranges from +10 (strongly democratic) to -10 (strongly autocratic). Note: The POLITY score was added to the Polity IV data series in recognition of its common usage by users in quantitative research and in the overriding interest of maintaining uniformity among users in this application. The simple combination of the original DEMOC and AUTOC index values in a unitary POLITY scale, in many ways, runs contrary to the original theory stated by Eckstein and Gurr in Patterns of Authority (1975) and, so, should be treated and interpreted with due caution Its primary utility is in investigative research which should be augmented by more detailed analysis. The original theory posits that autocratic and democratic authority are distinct patterns of authority, elements of which may co-exist in any particular regime context. The inclusion of this variable in the data series should not be seen as an acceptance of the counter-proposal that autocracy and democracy are alternatives or opposites in a unified authority spectrum, even though elements of this perspective may be implied in the original theory. The POLITY variable provides a convenient avenue for examining general regime effects in analyses but researchers should note that the middle of the implied POLITY "spectrum" is somewhat muddled in terms of the original theory, masking various combinations of DEMOC and AUTOC scores with the same POLITY score. Investigations involving hypotheses of varying effects of democracy and/or autocracy should employ the original Polity scheme and test DEMOC and AUTOC separately." Numeric. Max = 10, min = -88, distinct = 24, mean = -4.08, sd = 17.67, NAs = 0.

polity2

Revised Combined Polity Score: This variable "modifies the combined annual POLITY score by applying a simple treatment, or "fix," to convert instances of "standardized authority scores" (i.e., -66, -77, and -88) to conventional polity scores (i.e., within the range, -10 to +10). The values have been converted according to the following rule set:

-66 Cases of foreign "interruption" are treated as "system missing."

-77 Cases of "interregnum," or anarchy, are converted to a "neutral" Polity score of "0."

-88 Cases of "transition" are prorated across the span of the transition. For example, country X has a POLITY score of -7 in 1957, followed by three years of -88 and, finally, a score of +5 in 1961. The change (+12) would be prorated over the intervening three years at a rate of per year, so that the converted scores would be as follows: 1957 -7; 1958 -4; 1959 -1; 1960 +2; and 1961 +5.

Note: Ongoing (-88) transitions in the most recent year are converted to "system missing" values. Transitions (-88) following a year of independence, interruption (-66), or interregnum (-77) are prorated from the value "0."" Numeric. Max = 10, min = -10, distinct = 22, mean = -0.596, sd = 7.067, NAs = 235.

exrec

Executive recruitment. 1 = Ascription, 2 = ascription + designation, 3 = designation, 4 = self-selection, 5 = executive-guided transition, 6 = dual - ascription + election, 7 = transitional or restricted elections, 8 = competitive elections. (-88 = transition, -77 = interregnum, -66 foreign interruption). See official Polity codebook for further detail. Factor with 11 levels. Most common: Ascription (2622), Dual Executive (Designation) (1208), Designation (4014), Self-Selection (1428), Gradual Transition from Self-Selection (446), Transitional or Restricted Election (1143), Competitive Election (5083). NAs = 201.

exconst

Executive constraints. 1 = unlimited, 7 = executive parity or subordination. (-88 = transition, -77 = interregnum, -66 foreign interruption). See official Polity codebook for further detail. Factor with 10 levels. Most common: Unlimited Authority (4761), Intermediate Category 1/3 (925), Slight to Moderate Limitations (3754), Intermediate Category 3/5 (342), Substantial Limitations (1281), Intermediate Category 5/7 (700), Executive Parity or Subordination (4524). NAs = 0.

polcomp

Political competition. 1= repressed (totally closed), 2 = restricted, 3 = authoritarian-guided liberalization, 4 = uninstitutionalized, 5 = gradual transition from uninstitutionalized, 6 = factional/restricted, 7 = factional, 8 = liberalization or retrenchment, 9 = limited and/or decreasing overt coercion, 10 = institutionalized electoral. (-88 = transition, -77 = interregnum, -66 foreign interruption). See official Polity codebook for further detail. Factor with 13 levels. Most common: Suppressed (4108), Restricted (1978), Uninstitutionalized (533), Factional/Restricted (3768), Factional (1018), Electoral Transition: Limited Conflict/Coercion (1110), Institutionalized Electoral (2762). NAs = 126.

polity_country

Original country name in dataset. Character with 193 distinct values. Most common: Afghanistan (216), Austria (216), China (216), Denmark (216), France (216), Iran (216), Japan (216), Nepal (216), Oman (216), Portugal (216), Spain (216), Sweden (216), Thailand (216), Turkey (216), United Kingdom (216), United States (216). NAs = 0.

GWc

Gleditsch-Ward alphabetic country code. See Gleditsch and Ward (1999). Character with 186 distinct values. Most common: AFG (216), AUS (216), CHN (216), DEN (216), FRN (216), IRN (216), JPN (216), NEP (216), OMA (216), POR (216), RUS (216), SPN (216), SWD (216), THI (216), TUR (216), UKG (216), USA (216). NAs = 0.

cown

Correlates of War numeric country code. Differs from GWn for a few country-years. See Gleditsch and Ward (1999). Numeric. Max = 950, min = 2, distinct = 186, mean = 402.953, sd = 249.456, NAs = 0.

polity_ccode

Country code in Polity datasets. Differs from GWn for a few country-years. See Gleditsch and Ward (1999). Numeric. Max = 950, min = 2, distinct = 194, mean = 402.905, sd = 249.446, NAs = 0.

region

Region. Character with 20 distinct values. Most common: South America (2017), Southern Europe (1467), Western Europe (1662). NAs = 0.

continent

Continent. Character with 5 distinct values. Most common: Americas (4182), Asia (4079), Europe (5269). NAs = 0.

GW_startdate

Date at which the state entered the system of states according to Gleditsch and Ward, or NA if it has never been a member. Date. Max = 2011-07-09, min = 1816-01-01, distinct = 142, NAs = 0.

GW_enddate

Date at which the state ceased to be a member of the system of states according to Gleditsch and Ward, or NA if it still exists. Date. Max = 2006-06-04, min = 1830-09-22, distinct = 19, NAs = 15461.

microstate

Indicator of whether the state is a microstate, according to Gleditsch's list of microstates. Logical. TRUE = 0, FALSE = 17053, NAs = 0.

lat

Latitude. Numeric. Max = 61.924, min = -40.901, distinct = 183, mean = 22.351, sd = 25.654, NAs = 0.

lon

Longitude. Numeric. Max = 178.065, min = -121.869, distinct = 183, mean = 9.435, sd = 65.115, NAs = 0.

in_cow

Whether the country-year is in the Correlates of War system of states. Logical. TRUE = 16904, FALSE = 149, NAs = 0.

in_system

Whether the country-year is in the Gleditsch-Ward system of states. See Gleditsch and Ward (1999). Logical. TRUE = 16155, FALSE = 898, NAs = 0.

References

See Monty G. Marshall, Ted Robert Gurr, Keith Jaggers, 2014. POLITY IV PROJECT: Dataset Users' Manual. Center for Systemic Peace.

See also

Other democracy: all_gwf_extended_yearly, democracy, extended_uds, kailitz_yearly, lied, magaloni, vdem, wahman_teorell

Other regime characteristics: PIPE, all_gwf_extended_yearly, all_gwf_periods, all_gwf, kailitz_yearly, lied, magaloni_extended, magaloni, svolik_institutions, wahman_teorell