Descriptions
Full Democracy: A full democracy on the Terran Democracy Index is a state where freedom of expression, religion, press and assembly are guarenteed through either law or the constitution. A state where a full democratic system has been in place for most of its history and elections are held freely and fairly. A full democracy holds itself accountable and is a pillar of freedom and democracy within Terra. It is often represented by a multitude of parties in their respective parliament and protects the fundamental democratic rights of its citizens. It is a resilient and capable democratic power.
Flawed Democracy: A flawed democracy is a state where basic freedoms like the freedom of expression, religion, press and assembly are guarenteed by law but (possibly) sometimes questioned by the executive power or another authority of the state. A nation can also be classified as a flawed democracy if only one party has, over the course of decades, dominated the political scene of the country and little to no opossition has formed itself. In flawed democracies generally free elections take place but are in some cases influenced by pressure from societal groups or government institutions.
Hybrid Regime: A hybrid regime is a government that actively opposses basic freedoms like freedom of expression, religion, press and assembly either oppossing all of these rights or a few of them. Hybrid regime's often influence elections directly to benefit the ruling class or party. Democracy is present, but in a limited form and the democratic system is often rigged and corrupt. A regime where a specific non elected individual is granted extensive powers is also deemed a hybrid regime if the government below him or her is deemed partially democratic. A hybrid regime is often recognizable by a rigged electoral system, the supression of basic freedoms and either one or a handfull of individuals controlling large layers of the government.
Dictatorial Regime: A dictatorial regime is a regime that supresses its people in every sense of the word. Freedom of religion, expression, press and assembly is practically non-existent and a large state apparatus ensures that minorities and any form of oppossition is supressed. In dicatorial regimes there is no instance of democracy present in the system, with most if not all power consolidated within the ruling party, the ruler or a group of influential individuals. A dictatorial regime disregards human rights and the basic freedoms of its citizens and rules with an iron fist.
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Notable Changes
Kirlawa
From Full Democracy to Flawed Democracy
Reason:
Kirlawa in recent years has seen major shifts in government and society. Under its new government, basic stability has returned, but the country is still reeling from the effects of instability. Coupled with the seeming attempts by the government to extend its rule through electoral reforms it has prompted the Democracy Index to classify the country as a flawed democracy, even moving in the direction of a hybrid regime if democratic principles and rules are not reastablished or respected
Vascania
From Flawed Democracy to Dictatorial Regime
Reason:
Vascania, once a beacon of democracy and governance in the region, has morphed into a dictatorial regime. For over 20 years its (now former) dictator Talavalakar had ruled the country with an iron fist. Political oppossition, religious freedom and the freedom of assembly have all been curtailed during his rule. The country its monarchy has done nothing to restore democracy, potentially in fear of its own position. With the death of Talavalakar the country now heads into a uncertain period in which it is unclear whether it will persist as a autocratic regime or return to a democracy.
Aldegar
From Flawed Democracy to Hybrid Regime
Reason:
Aldegar, despite having modest democratic successes in the past, has recently descended into chaos and instability culminating in the Aldegar Canal closing. Under this atmosphere, meteoric changes have been brought to the country. While TDI sees Aldegar's future as bright, its current state justifies a hybrid ranking as the country tries to find a new democratic footing following years of instability and crisis. With political and societal groups now using their influence to gain a foothold in this new system
