In the past decade, more and more governmental and international organizations have used more or less formally structured sets of indicators to assess performance or make program decisions.  Such indicators include items such as the World Bank's Index of Electoral Competition; Transparency International's corruption indicators, and the Freedom House "Map of Freedom in the World."

The goals of the APSA Task Force on Democracy Audits and Governmental Indicators are to

1. Inventory and review the broad array of indicators of governmental and civic performance in use globally,
2. Bring political science expertise to bear to critique conceptual soundness, methodologies, data collection and measurement, normative implications, and usefulness;  and
3. Develop recommendations for further research, improved applications, and a possible continuing APSA role in monitoring and analysis.

Based on recommendations from the Task Force, future recommendations would also be developed to consider an on-going APSA role in the oversight, monitoring, and assessment of governmental and civic indicators worldwide. The principle would be for APSA to serve as an informed and independent resource in evaluation and technical assistance regarding use of indicators. 

The Task Force will explore these keys questions in reaching its stated goals:

1. What does "democracy" mean to different audiences? How is it different from "governance"?
2. What does "governance" mean to different audiences? What are the main aspects of governance that need to be measured?
3. How are democracy indicators being used?
4. How are governance indicators being used?
5. Are our indicators up to the task? What methodological improvements could be made?
6. How can we encourage political scientists to use better methods? How can we help ensure that our indicators are known beyond the profession and used appropriately? How can organizations beyond the profession help us produce better indicators?

Task Force Leadership

• Henry E. Brady, University of California-Berkeley, APSA President (2009-10)
• Michael J. Coppedge, University of Notre Dame, Task Force Chair

Task Force Members

• Michael Bratton, Michigan State University
• Michael Brintnall, American Political Science Association
• David Collier, University of California, Berkeley
• Christian Davenport, University of Notre Dame
• Simon D. Jackman, Stanford University
• Philip Keefer, The World Bank
• Stephen D. Krasner, Stanford University
• David D. Laitin, Stanford University
• Walter R. Mebane, Jr., University of Michigan
• Leonardo A. Morlino, Istituto Italiano di Scienze Umane
• Pippa Norris, Harvard University
• Susan Rose-Ackerman, Yale School of Law School
• Michael L. Ross, University of California, Los Angeles