Measures of Freedom
Measures of Freedom
The events of 1989 and 1990 continued a trend that had gained momentum
in the early 1980s. According to a study by Freedom House, by 1975, most
Third World democracies had disappeared. The number of countries espous-
ing Marxism had expanded from 6 at the end of the 1960s to 17 at the be-
ginning of the 1980s. Since 1980, however, no additional countries became
Marxist, and by the end of 1988, 38.3 percent of the world's population lived
in free countries." Since the late 1970s, when the Freedom House survey
became established, there have been "30 transitions from military or one-
party domination to formal civilian, elected rule, as well as 10 reversions to
military rule."12 The transition from totalitarianism to democracy was taking
hold.
In the Freedom House survey countries are categorized as "free," "partly
free," and "not free." The groupings are based on two major factors: political
rights, which enable people to participate freely in the political process, and
civil liberties, which involve "the freedom to develop views, institutions, and
personal autonomy apart from the state."15 People are considered free if they
can choose the nature of the political system and the leaders of their country.
(See Map 2.2.)
The following paragraph summarizes the 1989-1990 Survey:
The Survey classified 61 countries as free, 44 as partly free, and 62 as not free. It
found that 38.87 percent of the world's people lived in countries rated free;
21.85 percent in those rated partly free; and 39.28 in those found not free.
However, while 60.72 percent of the world's population was living in free soci-
eties or those with a relatively high degree of freedom (the highest number
since the Survey began), the free or freer countries were almost uniformly lib-
eral democracies, societies with institutional safeguards for the preservation of
political rights and civil liberties and juridical mechanisms for self-correction
and redressing injustices. Such institutional safeguards were not present in the
62 not-free countries, nor to an appreciable extent in the new but as yet unde-
fined political and socioeconomic order emerging in much of Eastern Europe.
Moreover, existing democracies and the delicate process of reform in partly free
nations were threatened by a myriad of political, social and economic factors.14
The events of 1989 and 1990 continued a trend that had gained momentum
in the early 1980s. According to a study by Freedom House, by 1975, most
Third World democracies had disappeared. The number of countries espous-
ing Marxism had expanded from 6 at the end of the 1960s to 17 at the be-
ginning of the 1980s. Since 1980, however, no additional countries became
Marxist, and by the end of 1988, 38.3 percent of the world's population lived
in free countries." Since the late 1970s, when the Freedom House survey
became established, there have been "30 transitions from military or one-
party domination to formal civilian, elected rule, as well as 10 reversions to
military rule."12 The transition from totalitarianism to democracy was taking
hold.
In the Freedom House survey countries are categorized as "free," "partly
free," and "not free." The groupings are based on two major factors: political
rights, which enable people to participate freely in the political process, and
civil liberties, which involve "the freedom to develop views, institutions, and
personal autonomy apart from the state."15 People are considered free if they
can choose the nature of the political system and the leaders of their country.
(See Map 2.2.)
The following paragraph summarizes the 1989-1990 Survey:
The Survey classified 61 countries as free, 44 as partly free, and 62 as not free. It
found that 38.87 percent of the world's people lived in countries rated free;
21.85 percent in those rated partly free; and 39.28 in those found not free.
However, while 60.72 percent of the world's population was living in free soci-
eties or those with a relatively high degree of freedom (the highest number
since the Survey began), the free or freer countries were almost uniformly lib-
eral democracies, societies with institutional safeguards for the preservation of
political rights and civil liberties and juridical mechanisms for self-correction
and redressing injustices. Such institutional safeguards were not present in the
62 not-free countries, nor to an appreciable extent in the new but as yet unde-
fined political and socioeconomic order emerging in much of Eastern Europe.
Moreover, existing democracies and the delicate process of reform in partly free
nations were threatened by a myriad of political, social and economic factors.14
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