Assessing the Quality of Democracy: The International IDEA Framework

This articles sets out the main principles, mediating values, and pillars of the democracy assessment framework developed by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA). It discusses the tradition of democracy assessment, the efforts at measuring democracy, lays out the key strengths and differences of the IDEA framework, and reflects on its application in over twenty-five countries. The article argues that in addition to an assessment function, the framework has been useful in initiating and sustaining democratic reform in a number of countries.