Recent events in the United States have given us a good look at how a country fares when trust in its institutions is undermined by power-focused people's tribunals. This raises the question of whether we sufficiently realize the value of democracy to us as citizens. In this edition of the General Government Performance Index, I explore how democracy translates into tangible returns relevant to citizens.
Illustration: Craig Stephens
There are bookcases full of books about populism. As faithful readers of my articles are aware, I can't regularly escape 'wondering' about this phenomenon. In this article, I examine what a vote cast on a populist party ultimately yields for voters. I distinguish between three scenarios: absolute power, opposition, and minority support government. For populist voters, the yield turns out to be very disappointing.
In the 2019 edition of my General Government Performance Index (GGPI), I focus on the influence that political systems such as the form of government and electoral system have on the quality of government administration. More specifically, I try to see if there is a relationship between these components and the level of government performance and income (in) equality relevant to citizens. In this article, I also present the results of the GGPI 2019.
The General Government Performance Index (GGPI) maps yields of government policy decisions benefitting citizens, against the burden to produce those. It provides a surprising insight into the results of policy choices made. In the 2018 edition of the GGPI, we also take a close look at how general government performance, translates into political support for the policies pursued.