Download full text
(external source)
Citation Suggestion
Please use the following Persistent Identifier (PID) to cite this document:
https://doi.org/10.17645/pag.v6i1.1235
Exports for your reference manager
Method Factors in Democracy Indicators
[journal article]
Abstract Method factors represent variance common to indicators from the same data source. Detecting method factors can help uncover systematic bias in data sources. This article employs confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to detect method factors in 23 democracy indicators from four popular data sources: The... view more
Method factors represent variance common to indicators from the same data source. Detecting method factors can help uncover systematic bias in data sources. This article employs confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to detect method factors in 23 democracy indicators from four popular data sources: The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Freedom House, Polity IV, and the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) project. Using three different multi-dimensional concepts of democracy as starting points, we find strong evidence for method factors in all sources. Method-specific factors are strongest when yearly changes in the scores are assessed. The sources find it easier to agree on long-term average scores. We discuss the implications for applied researchers.... view less
Keywords
democracy; indicator; measurement; method
Classification
Basic Research, General Concepts and History of Political Science
Free Keywords
confirmatory factor analysis; method bias
Document language
English
Publication Year
2018
Page/Pages
p. 92-104
Journal
Politics and Governance, 6 (2018) 1
Issue topic
Why Choice Matters: Revisiting and Comparing Measures of Democracy
ISSN
2183-2463
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed