The Statehood Index "StIx": Measurement Instrument and Analysis of Stateness

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Hans-Joachim Lauth
• Subject Area: Political Science
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 459600882

State and Stateness are central objects of analysis in the political sciences. Indices for the measurements of stateness have simultaneously gained importance, since the scientific community increasingly uses indicators to quantify stateness and to differentiate between types of state fragility. However, quantitative research based on aggregated measurements only sparsely pays attention to the quality of the data and the fit between concept and methodological implementation. The research project "The StIx Stateness Index: Measurement Instrument and Analysis" aims to close this research gap. The three-dimensional institutional medium-range concept of the state is based on the monopoly on the law, violence and administration. The monopoly of law, which has not been taken into account in existing indices, is crucial for both concept and measurement of StIx. In addition, the inclusion of informal institutions in conception and measurement addresses a research gap that has been theoretically captured but not yet adequately developed methodologically.Based on the “Varieties of Democracy” dataset, the new index “StIx” encompasses a timeframe from 1900 to 2020 and includes more than 200 states, exceeding existent indices both in terms of case numbers and measurement dates and addresses the measurement-specific challenges in a conceptually and theoretically coherent, methodologically rigorous and transparent manner. Furthermore, StIx provides data suited for long-term analysis, e.g. to explore the causes and consequences of divergent forms of statehood in relation to the time component, or to differentiate between phases of institutional stability and phases of transformation.In addition, a goal of the project is to provide a homepage with tools for online analysis, including conceptual and methodological information and codebook, as well as offering the generated data to ensure free usability. This enables further research as well as commitment to socio-political issues - as in development cooperation. After the compilation of the data and scores, the data´s usability is demonstrated by analysing selected questions with the new index: identifying diminished subtypes of stateness, patterns of state transformations and stability and analysis of the state-regime-nexus.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants