• https://publications.iadb.org/en/publication/16950/politics-policies-economic-and-social-progress-latin-america-2006-report

Murillo, Maria Victoria, et al. (2015). Replication Data for: The Politics of Policies - IPES 2006. IDB Open Data. https://doi.org/10.60966/3qgeqqd2

1. Spanish

What does this dataset measure?

The dataset includes indicators on the quality of political and institutional frameworks in Latin America and the Caribbean, such as adaptability, congressional capacity, and public accountability.

What countries are included?

It covers a broad range of Latin American and Caribbean countries, providing comparable data on political institutions and governance performance.

What years are represented in the dataset?

Most data points correspond to the early 2000s, with updated institutional quality measures available for several countries through 2012.

What is meant by institutional quality?

Institutional quality reflects how effectively a country’s political institutions create, implement, and sustain public policies. This institutional quality dataset includes indexes on adaptability, efficiency, and policy credibility.

How can researchers use this dataset?

The data support cross-country analysis of the relationship between institutional quality and policy outcomes, offering valuable insights into governance, democracy, and macroeconomic reform.

What sources were used to build the dataset?

Indicators are based on IDB’s Politics of Policies methodology and include data from Berkman et al. (2012) and related institutional assessments.

How does this dataset connect to the 2006 IPES report?

It provides the empirical foundation for the 2006 IPES report, The Politics of Policies, which examines how political and institutional dynamics shape economic and social policies in the region.

What are political institutions and why are they important?

Political institutions are the formal and informal rules that structure governance. The dataset measures their quality through indices such as adaptability, stability, judicial independence, and efficiency, showing how institutional strength shapes policy outcomes.

How do political institutions influence public policy?

Indicators such as the overall quality of public policies (on a 0–4 scale) show that stronger institutions are associated with more coherent and effective policy implementation. For example, Chile scored 2.77 on the public-regard index in 2012, indicating greater institutional responsiveness.

What is the link between political institutions and economic growth?

While the IDB dataset does not provide GDP data, it highlights how institutional quality (efficiency, stability, adaptability) underpins state capacity, which is critical for sustained economic growth.

What are the primary functions of political institutions in a sovereign state?

This IDB dataset illustrates functions such as: - Adaptability (capacity to adjust policies over time)
- Stability (consistency of rules and governance)
- Judicial independence (rule of law enforcement)
- Congress capabilities (legislative strength)

How do political institutions influence social stability and the prevention of civil conflict?

The stability index (0–4 scale) captures institutional resilience. Southern Cone countries averaged 2.43 in 2012, indicating relatively strong stability compared to weaker scores in Andean nations.

How do political institutions create checks and balances to constrain executive power?

The IDB dataset includes judicial independence and congressional capabilities indices, which measure the ability of legislatures and courts to balance executive authority. Chile’s judiciary scored 3.06 in 2012, reflecting strong independence.

What are the quantitative frameworks for measuring the 'strength' or 'fragility' of political institutions?

The IDB dataset provides a framework of indices: - Adaptability
- Stability
- Efficiency
- Judicial independence
- Congress capabilities
- Policy quality

Each is measured on a standardized scale, enabling cross-country comparison.

What constitutes a 'strong' vs 'weak' political institution in the context of state building?

Scores closer to 4 indicate stronger institutions. For example, Chile’s judiciary (3.06) is considered strong, while Haiti’s efficiency score (0.52) reflects institutional weakness.