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Measuring the Maghreb: what do rankings and indexes really tell us?
Die Vermessung des Maghreb: vermeintliche Klarheit durch politökonomische Rankings und Indizes
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Corporate Editor
Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik -SWP- Deutsches Institut für Internationale Politik und Sicherheit
Abstract International rankings and indexes, such as the World Press Freedom Index published in mid-April 2021, are increasingly influential in the Maghreb. The region's governments promote improvements in their own performance, protest where they score poorly, and celebrate outranking their rivals. Ranking... view more
International rankings and indexes, such as the World Press Freedom Index published in mid-April 2021, are increasingly influential in the Maghreb. The region's governments promote improvements in their own performance, protest where they score poorly, and celebrate outranking their rivals. Rankings also allow opposition groups and activists to spotlight grievances in their own country. External cooperation partners, above all the European Union (EU) and its member states, use them as a basis for decision making and policies towards Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. While rankings and indexes insinuate objectivity and comparability, their sources, validity and utilisation are frequently problematic. Only if they are embedded in qualitative research on the Maghreb and their downsides reflected can they make a meaningful contribution to identifying reform needs and addressing deficits. (author's abstract)... view less
Keywords
Maghreb region; Morocco; Algeria; Tunisia; international comparison; economic factors; social factors; democratization; freedom of opinion; freedom of information; authoritarian system; corruption; agricultural development; economic situation; economic reform; domestic security; competitiveness; militarization; ranking; method; criticism
Classification
Political Process, Elections, Political Sociology, Political Culture
Free Keywords
Statistischer Index; Human Development
Document language
English
Publication Year
2021
City
Berlin
Page/Pages
7 p.
Series
SWP Comment, 37/2021
DOI
https://doi.org/10.18449/2021C37
ISSN
2747-5107
Status
Published Version; reviewed
Licence
Deposit Licence - No Redistribution, No Modifications