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| license: cc |
| language: |
| - en |
| tags: |
| - social_science |
| pretty_name: BTI Index |
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| # Transformation Index (BTI) Dataset — ARAC International |
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| ## Overview |
| This repository hosts curated datasets from the **Bertelsmann Stiftung Transformation Index (BTI)** covering the period **2006–2024**. The BTI is a global benchmark study that evaluates political, economic, and governance transformations in **137 countries**. It is unique in combining qualitative, expert-based country assessments with standardized quantitative scoring, producing two composite indices: |
| - **Status Index** – measures political and economic transformation. |
| - **Governance Index** – measures the quality of political leadership and governance performance. |
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| The dataset is available in multiple formats for user flexibility: |
| - **CSV** – tabular, human-readable format. |
| - **DTA** – for direct use in **Stata** statistical software. |
| - **Parquet** – optimized for **efficient querying and web-based applications**. |
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| ## About the BTI |
| The **BTI** is published biennially by the **Bertelsmann Stiftung**, Germany. It is designed to answer a core question: |
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| > How successfully are countries steering social change toward democracy under the rule of law and a market economy anchored in social justice? |
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| Unlike indices that focus narrowly on electoral processes, the BTI adopts a **broad concept of democracy**, incorporating **rule of law, separation of powers, civil liberties, and state capacity**. Similarly, its economic transformation framework includes **competition, private property rights, fiscal stability, welfare regimes, and sustainability**. Governance is assessed in terms of **steering capacity, consensus-building, resource efficiency, and international cooperation**. |
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| ## Methodology |
| The BTI methodology combines **qualitative expert surveys** with a multi-stage **review and calibration process**: |
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| 1. **Country Expert Assessments** – Independent scholars produce detailed country reports following a standardized codebook of **17 criteria and 49 indicators**. |
| 2. **Peer Review** – A second country expert reviews the assessment, adding an external perspective. |
| 3. **Regional & Interregional Calibration** – Regional coordinators and the BTI team adjust scores to ensure comparability across regions. |
| 4. **Final Review** – The BTI Board conducts a global review to validate consistency. |
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| The BTI thus generates **7,124 individual scores** per edition, which are then aggregated into the **Status Index** (political + economic transformation) and the **Governance Index** (leadership performance). |
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| ### Structure of Measurement |
| - **Political Transformation (5 criteria / 18 indicators):** stateness, political participation, rule of law, stability of democratic institutions, political and social integration. |
| - **Economic Transformation (7 criteria / 14 indicators):** socioeconomic development, market organization, monetary stability, private property, welfare regime, economic performance, sustainability. |
| - **Governance (5 criteria / 20 indicators):** steering capacity, resource efficiency, consensus-building, international cooperation, level of difficulty. |
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| More details are available in the [BTI 2024 Methodology Document](./BTI2024_Methodology.pdf). |
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| ## Purpose of This Repository |
| The datasets here are intended to support: |
| - **Research & Analysis** – Political science, economics, governance, and development studies. |
| - **Custom Data Curation** – Users can filter, subset, and export the data they need. |
| - **Application Development** – The included **Parquet file** powers an interactive HTML application (to be published separately) that allows users to: |
| - Query BTI indicators dynamically. |
| - Visualize transformations across regions and time. |
| - Export custom subsets into **CSV format** for further research or integration into other workflows. |
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| This approach supports **flexible, user-driven exploration** while maintaining methodological rigor. |
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| ## File Contents |
| - `2024-2006_bti_data.csv` – Full dataset in CSV format. |
| - `2024-2006_bti_data.dta` – Stata-formatted dataset. |
| - `2024-2006_bti_data.parquet` – Optimized Parquet dataset for efficient querying. |
| - `BTI2024_Codebook.pdf` – Full definitions of indicators and scoring rules. |
| - `BTI2024_Methodology.pdf` – Detailed methodology of the BTI process. |
| - `Relevant_info.pdf` – Supplementary notes. |
| - `index.html` – Interactive application template (built on the same framework as the V-Dem dashboard, powered by DuckDB-WASM for Parquet querying). |
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| ## Citation |
| If using this dataset in research or analysis, please cite as: |
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| **Bertelsmann Stiftung. Transformation Index BTI 2024. Gütersloh: Bertelsmann Stiftung. Available at: [https://bti-project.org](https://bti-project.org)** |
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| When referencing this repository, please acknowledge: |
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| **ARAC International Inc. – Global Security Analysis & Independent Research** |
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| ## License |
| The BTI data is © Bertelsmann Stiftung. Redistribution in this repository is for educational, research, and analytical purposes under fair-use principles. Always cite the original source. |
