ASIA AND THE PACIFIC BREAKDOWN

Full Democracies

Full Democracies are nations where civil liberties and fundamental political freedoms are not only respected but also reinforced by a political culture conducive to the thriving of democratic principles. These nations have a valid system of governmental checks and balances, an independent judiciary whose decisions are enforced, governments that function adequately, and diverse and independent media. These nations have only limited problems in democratic functioning.

1. Australia
2. Japan
3. New Zealand
4. South Korea
5. Taiwan

Flawed Democracies

Flawed democracies are nations where elections are fair and free and basic civil liberties are honored but may have issues (e.g. media freedom infringement and minor suppression of political opposition and critics). These nations have significant faults in other democratic aspects, including underdeveloped political culture, low levels of participation in politics, and issues in the functioning of governance

1. India
2. Indonesia
3. Malaysia
4. Mongolia
5. Papua New Guinea
6. Philippines
7. Singapore
8. Sri Lanka
9. Thailand
10. Timor-Leste

Hybrid Regimes

Hybrid regimes are nations with regular electoral frauds,preventing them from being fair and free democracies. These nations commonly have governments that apply pressure on political opposition, non-independent judiciaries, widespread corruption, harassment and pressure placed on the media, anaemic rule of law, and more pronounced faults than flawed democracies in the realms of underdeveloped political culture, low levels of participation in politics, and issues in the functioning of governance.

1. Armenia
2. Bangladesh
3. Fiji
4. Georgia
5. Nepal
6. Pakistan
7. Bhutan
8. Solomon Islands

Authoritarian Regimes

Authoritarian regimes are nations where political pluralism is nonexistent or severely limited. These nations may have some conventional institutions of democracy but with meagre significance, infringements and abuses of civil liberties are commonplace, elections (if they take place) are not fair or free (including sham elections), the media is often state-owned or controlled by groups associated with the ruling regime, the judiciary is not independent, and censorship and suppression of governmental criticism are commonplace.

1. Azerbaijan
2. Afghanistan
3. China
4. Cambodia
5. North Korea
6. Laos
7. Myanmar
8. Kazakhstan
9. Kyrgyzstan
10. Tajikistan
11. Turkmenistan
12. Uzbekistan
13. Vietnam