World Freedom Rankings by Freedom House
According to its website, Freedom House is an independent watchdog organization that supports the expansion of freedom around the world. Freedom House supports democratic change, monitors freedom, and advocates for democracy and human rights.
Freedom House was founded in 1941 by prominent Americans concerned with growing threats to peace and democracy. As such Freedom House has been a vigorous proponent of democratic values and a steadfast opponent of dictatorships of the far left and the far right. Eleanor Roosevelt and Wendell Willkie served as Freedom House ’s first honorary co-chairpersons.
Throughout its history, Freedom House has opposed tyranny around the world, including dictatorships in Latin America, apartheid in South Africa, Soviet domination of Central and Eastern Europe, and religiously-based totalitarian regimes such as those governing Sudan, Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Freedom House has promoted the growth of freedom by encouraging U.S. policymakers, international institutions, and the governments of established democracies to adopt policies that advance human rights and democracy around the world. At the same time, it provides support to individuals working in the world’s young democracies to overcome debilitating legacies of tyranny, dictatorship, and political repression; as well as to activists working in repressive societies to bring about greater freedom and openness.
Freedom House translates the intangible values of freedom into a strong tangible impact by combining analysis, advocacy and action.
Freedom House’s Freedom Index
This ranking by Freedom House quantifies political freedom and civil liberties into a single combined index on each sovereign country’s level of freedom and liberty. The initials “PR” and “CL” stand for Political Rights and Civil Liberties, respectively. The number 1 represents the most free countries and the number 7 represents the least free. Several countries fall in the continuum in between. The freedom ratings show an overall judgment based on survey results.
Freedom House’s Survey
Freedom House ’s most important publication is Freedom in the World which is a comparative assessment of global political rights and civil liberties. Published annually since 1972, the Freedom of the World survey collects data from 193 countries and 15 related and disputed territories. The results are published and used by policymakers, the media, international corporations, civic activists, and human rights defenders to monitor trends in democracy and track improvements and setbacks in freedom worldwide.
The 49 Most Free Countries in the World
From their research Freedom House determined which countries of the world could be considered the most and least free in terms of political freedom and civil liberties. In all, 49 countries rated a “1” in both political freedom and civil liberties indicating the most free societies in the world, included the following nations:
Andorra
Australia
Austria
Bahamas
Barbados
Belgium
Canada
Cape Verde
Chile
Costa Rica
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominca
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Kiribati
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Marshall Islands
Micronesia
Nauru
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Palau
Poland
Portugal
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
San Marino
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tuvalu
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
The 17 Least Free Countries in the World
A “7” rating under Freedom House’s system indicates that a nation is relatively “not free.” Only eight countries received “7” in both political freedom and civil liberties. Those eight countries deemed to be the least free societies included:
Burma
Cuba
Libya
North Korea
Somalia
Sudan
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan
None other countries received at least one 7 and one 6 in the two sections of the freedom index; they included:
Belarus
China
Chad
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Laos
Saudi Arabia
Syria
Zimbabwe
, The Most and Least Free Countries in the World by Freedom House www.ozeldersin.com bitirme tezi,ödev,proje dönem ödevi