get_eps: Get episodes of regime transformation (ERT)

In vdeminstitute/ERT: Provides the most recent version of the Episodes of Regime Transformation dataset

Get episodes of regime transformation (ERT)

Description

Helps to identify episodes of democratization (liberalizing autocracy, democratic deepening) and autocratization (democratic regression, autocratic regression) in the most recent vdem data set. For further details please check the ERT codebook attached to the package and available here: https://github.com/vdeminstitute/ERT/blob/master/inst/ERT_codebook.pdf

Usage

get_eps(
  data = ERT::vdem,
  start_incl = 0.01,
  cum_incl = 0.1,
  year_turn = 0.03,
  cum_turn = 0.1,
  tolerance = 5
)

Arguments

data	The data based on which the episodes are identified. By default the most recent vdem data set.
start_incl	What is the minimum annual change on V-Dem's Electoral Democracy Index (EDI) necessary to trigger an episode? This is the absolute value of the first difference in the EDI required for the onset of either a democratization (+) or autocratization episode (–).
cum_incl	What is the minimum amount of total change on the EDI necessary to constitute a manifest episode? A potential episode might be a period involving any amount of changes over a period following an annual change equal to the start inclusion (e.g. 0.01). To identify substantial changes, we set a cumulative inclusion threshold. This is the absolute value of the total amount of change needed on the EDI to be considered manifest.
year_turn	What is the amount of annual change in the opposite direction to trigger the termination of an episode? An episode may end when the case suddenly moves in the opposite direction. For example, during an episode of democratization, a country may experience a sudden drop on the EDI. This could signal the onset of an autocratization episode. To avoid overlap between episodes, we set the absolute value of a change in the opposite direction on the EDI as a trigger for the termination of an episode. Note: Advanced users who wish to remove this criteria altogether should set the value of year\_turn equal to cum\_turn. Setting this to zero would allow for an episode to terminate when any year of no change is encountered.
cum_turn	What is the amount of gradual change in the opposite direction to trigger the termination of an episode? An episode may end when the case begins moving in the opposite direction gradually. For example, during an episode of democratization, a country may experience a gradual drop on the EDI over a number of years that signals democratization has ended. This could also signal the onset of an autocratization episode. To avoid overlap between episodes, we set the absolute value of a gradual change in the opposite direction on the EDI over the tolerance period (e.g. 5 years) as a trigger for the termination of an episode.
tolerance	What is the number of years considered as tolerance for stasis or a gradual movement in the opposite direction? The tolerance defines the number of years an episode is allowed to remain in stasis (i.e. no more movements equal to the start inclusion) and/or move in the opposite direction before it is terminated. This parameter also defines the number of years necessary for a case to be considered a democratic breakdown or stabilized electoral autocracy. Therefore, care is necessary when manipulating the default value. This could lead to large changes in the composition of episodes. We set the default to 5 years because this is the typical amount for an electoral cycle for most countries.

Details

Democratization is an umbrella term for any movement towards demcracy - be it in autocracies or democracies (cf. Wilson et al., 2020). Liberalizing autocracy is defined as a subtype of democratiztion and specifically focuses on any movement towards democracy which starts in autocracies. Democratic deepening is also a subtype of democratization and concerns all those which are already democratic and further improve their democratic traits.

Autocratization is defined as any movement towards autocracy which starts within democracies or autocracies (cf. Lührmann and Lindberg, Democratization, 2019). Democratic regression is defined as a subtype of autocratization and specifically focuses on any movement towards autocracy which starts in democracies. Autocratic regression is also a subtype of autocratization and concerns all those which are already autocratic and further decline.

Value

A data frame specifying episodes of regime transformation and their outcomes in the most recent V-Dem data set. For further details and explanations on episodes and outcomes please check the ERT codebook attached to the package and available here: https://github.com/vdeminstitute/ERT/blob/master/inst/ERT_codebook.pdf

Examples

#Don't run
#Get the episodes with standard parameters:
#episodes <- get_eps()

vdeminstitute/ERT documentation built on Oct. 8, 2024, 10:42 p.m.