A central premise of Democracy Web is that one of the best means for teaching about democracy is through comparative study of democracy's principles, history and current practice. Each Study Guide unit includes three Country Studies, one each for the three categories in Freedom House’s annual survey ─ “Free,” “Partially Free” and “Not Free.” (The Country Study of the United States is in the last unit, Freedom of Religion.) They may be accessed below individually (in alphabetical order) or by category.
AZERBAIJAN COUNTRY STUDY: Free, Fair & Regular Elections
Status: Not Free
| Political Rights: 0/40 | Civil Liberties: 7/60
Azerbaijan lies at the crossroads between Europe and Asia - with Russia to the north, Iran to the south and Georgia and Armenia to the northwest and west.
CHINA COUNTRY STUDY: Freedom of Association
Status: Not Free
| Political Rights: -2/40 | Civil Liberties: 11/60
CHINA COUNTRY STUDY: Freedom of Expression
Status: Not Free
| Political Rights: -2/40 | Civil Liberties: 11/60
The People’s Republic of China is a unitary republic and one-party dictatorship. Freedom in the World has categorized the country as “not free” since the first survey in 1973 and today it ranks among teh least free nations.
CUBA COUNTRY STUDY: Economic Freedom
Status: Not Free
| Political Rights: 1/40 | Civil Liberties: 11/60
Cuba is a unitary republic with a one-party dictatorship. Cuba has been ranked “not free” in all of Freedom House’s world surveys since 1973.
IRAN COUNTRY STUDY: Consent of the Governed
Status: Not Free
| Political Rights: 4/40 | Civil Liberties: 7/60
The territory of Iran, previously known as Persia, was ruled by monarchical dynasties or occupied and dominated by foreign powers for nearly all of its recorded history.
KAZAKHSTAN COUNTRY STUDY: Accountability and Transparency
Status: Not Free
| Political Rights: 5/40 | Civil Liberties: 18/60
Kazakhstan is a presidential republic in Central Asia. Since its independence in 1991, Kazakhstan has not had democratic governance.
NORTH KOREA COUNTRY STUDY: Human Rights and Freedom from State Tyranny
Status: Not Free
| Political Rights: 0/40 | Civil Liberties: 3/60
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is a unitary republic with a highly repressive one-party dictatorship and among the worst violators of human rights.
SAUDI ARABIA COUNTRY STUDY: Rule of Law
Status: Not Free
| Political Rights: 1/40 | Civil Liberties: 7/60
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy and Islamic state, and is ranked among the “worst of the worst” dictatorships in the Freedom in the World report.
SUDAN COUNTRY STUDY: Majority Rule, Minority Rights
Status: Not Free
| Political Rights: -3/40 | Civil Liberties: 9/60
Since gaining independence in 1956, Sudan has endured numerous civil wars and been governed mostly by military dictatorships.
SYRIA COUNTRY STUDY: The Multiparty System
Status: Not Free
| Political Rights: -3/40 | Civil Liberties: 4/60
Syria, a constitutional republic located in the Middle East, is among the world’s most repressive dictatorships.
TURKEY COUNTRY STUDY: Majority Rule, Minority Rights
Status: Not Free
| Political Rights: 17/40 | Civil Liberties: 16/60
Turkey has a presidential-parliamentary system, now with dominant executive powers following a controversial 2017 referendum.
UGANDA COUNTRY STUDY: Freedom of Expression
Status: Not Free
| Political Rights: 10/40 | Civil Liberties: 24/60
Uganda is a unitary republic with a presidential system. The current president came to power in 1986 and has governed in largely authoritarian manner.
UZBEKISTAN COUNTRY STUDY: Constitutional Limits on Government
Status: Not Free
| Political Rights: 2/40 | Civil Liberties: 10/60
Uzbekistan is a nation in Central Asia with a mixed presidential-parliamentary system, but in practice is a consolidated dictatorship.
VENEZUELA COUNTRY STUDY: Free, Fair & Regular Elections
Status: Not Free
| Political Rights: 1/40 | Civil Liberties: 14/60
The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has a dominant presidential system and authoritarian government.
VIETNAM COUNTRY STUDY: Freedom of Religion
Status: Not Free
| Political Rights: 4/40 | Civil Liberties: 15/60
The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a unitary republic and one-party dictatorship. Since 1975, Freedom in the World has categorized the united country as “not free.”