Countries at the Crossroads: An Analysis of Democratic Governance

"Countries at the Crossroads manages to achieve the best of both worlds. A precise, standardized measurement tool for civil liberties, rule of law, corruption, and accountability allows meaningful comparisons across countries and across time. At the same time, in-depth narratives put flesh on the bones and provide concrete prescriptions for reform."uJack Snyder, Robert and Renee Belfer Professor of International Relations, Columbia University

"In a short period of time, Countries at the Crossroads has managed to become an invaluable source for analysts, practitioners, and policymakers working on governance and development. Crossroads' integration of quantitative indexes and in-depth qualitative descriptions is particularly noteworthy. So is its perspective on the meaning of governance, which is much more than technocratic public-sector performance: Crossroads emphasizes the importance of civil liberties and democratic accountability, the rule of law, and anticorruption and transparency efforts."uDaniel Kaufmann, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution, and former Director of Governance and Anticorruption, World Bank Institute

"Countries at the Crossroads has established itself as a rigorous and comprehensive analytical tool that helps explain the depth and trajectory of governance reforms in a set of strategically relevant countries. At a time when policymakers and assistance providers are seeking more effective ways to support democratic reforms in at-risk and newly democratizing states, Countries at the Crossroads' detailed country narratives and comparative data provide invaluable guidance."uMorton H. Halperin, Senior Advisor, Open Society Institute

"Countries at the Crossroads is an outstanding collection of in-depth yet concise and accessible assessments of the state of democratic governance in countries that are politically fluid or strategically important. An invaluable supplement to Freedom in the World and an indispensable handbook for scholars and policymakers."-Larry Diamond, Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University

Countries at the Crossroads: An Analysis of Democratic Governance evaluates government performance in 70 strategically important countries from across the globe, including emerging market countries and at-risk states. The in-depth comparative analyses and quantitative ratingsuexamining accountability and public voice, civil liberties, rule of law, and anticorruption and transparencyuserve as a valuable tool for public analysts, educators and students, government officials, and the business community.

Freedom House is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that supports democratic change, monitors freedom, and advocates for democracy and human rights.