Ranking the World

by Alexander Cooley

"Over the last decade international rankings have emerged as a critical tool used by international actors engaged in global governance. State practices and performance are now judged by a number of high profile indexes, including assessments of their levels of corruption, quality of democracy, creditworthiness, media freedom, and business environment. However, these rankings always carry value judgments, methodological choices, and implicit political agendas. This volume expertly addresses the important analytical, normative and policy issues associated with the contemporary practice of...