Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/110276 
Year of Publication: 
2015
Series/Report no.: 
Discussion Paper Series No. 130
Publisher: 
Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, Chair of Economic Order and Social Policy, Würzburg
Abstract: 
We present a novel approach for measuring democracy, which enables a very detailed and sensitive index. This method is based on Support Vector Machines, a mathematical algorithm for pattern recognition. Our implementation evaluates 188 countries in the period between 1981 and 2011. The Support Vector Machines Democracy Index (SVMDI) is continuously on the 0-1-Interval and robust to variations in the numerical process parameters. The algorithm introduced here can be used for every concept of democracy without additional adjustments, and due to its exibility it is also a valuable tool for comparison studies.
Subjects: 
Democracy
Support Vector Machines
Democracy Index
JEL: 
C43
C65
C82
H11
P16
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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