Countries Considered to be Full Democracies

Various countries in the world are under different political systems. Governments may be classified as a full or a flawed democracy. Hybrid and authoritarian regimes also exist.

Full democracy refers to the system whereby all the democratic principles are upheld. Nations practicing a full democracy have political cultures such that freedom and civil liberties are upheld. All of the arms of government such as the executive and judiciary are independent. Other aspects such as the opposition and the media are respected since they ensure checks and balances.

Full Democracies

According to a report conducted by the Economist Intelligent Unit, several nations are considered to be “full democracies.” However, despite being treated as full democracies, they are ranked by the level of democracy. There are nineteen such countries in the world. Among these countries, Norway is considered as the most democratic nation in the world. The other full democracies include Iceland, Canada, Australia, Sweden, and Denmark, among many others.

Norway is the world’s leading democratic nation, with a score of 10. The score is an implication that all the democratic principles in this country are upheld. Iceland has a democratic score of 9.58 which is almost like that of Norway; hence it is considered as the second most full democratic nation. The third full democratic country is Sweden with a score of 9.39. Sweden is closely followed by New Zealand in the fourth position, having a score of 9.26. Denmark is one of the full democratic countries, with a score of 9.22, coming in fifth among the world’s full democracies.

The other nations include Ireland, Canada, Australia, and Finland. Ireland has a score of 9.15, coming in position six worldwide regarding full democracy. Canada (9.15), Australia (9.09), and Finland (9.03) come in seventh, eighth, and ninth positions of full democratic nations in the world. In the tenth position is Switzerland with a score of 9.03. Netherlands and Luxembourg are also considered to be full democracies. In the full democracies list, Netherlands is the eleventh full democratic nation while Luxembourg follows in position twelve. The two countries have a score of 8.89 and 8.81 in that order.

Germany’s democratic score of 8.61 makes it the thirteenth most democratic country globally. The United Kingdom follows closely, with a score of 8.53; hence becomes the fourteenth full democratic nation. Austria, Mauritius, Malta, Uruguay, and Spain are also among the full democracies. Austria has a score of 8.42, which follows that of the UK in the fifteenth position. Mauritius’ score of 8.22 makes it the sixteenth full democratic nation closely followed by Malta in the seventeenth position. Malta has a democratic score of 8.15. Uruguay and Spain conclude the list of full democracies. Uruguay’s score of 8.12 and Spain’s 9.08, making them the eighteenth and nineteenth full democracies respectively.

Impacts of a Full Democracy

A full democracy has positive effects on a country. Most of the countries considered to be sufficiently democratic have political and economic stability. As a result, there is international recognition and respect from the international community. Most of these countries host global conferences and house multinational headquarters. For example, countries such as Norway and Switzerland host UN meetings and offices due to their free status. Consequently, international investors are attracted to such nations hence expanding the countries’ economic bases. Other positive impacts are tourist attractions, strengthening foreign ties, and mediating international conflicts, among many others.