Freedom in the World 2003: The Annual Survey of Political Rights and Civil Liberties

For 25 years, the nonprofit watchdog organization Freedom House has produced this annual accounting of the state of civil rights around the world. This year's edition covers 192 nations and 18 related (such as Puerto Rico) and disputed (such as Tibet) territories. According to Karatnycky, a senior scholar at Freedom House, there were more gains than losses in the past year: 46% of countries are described in the study as Free, the highest proportion since the survey began. More surprisingly perhaps, the study notes progress""in a number of countries with majority Muslim populations such as Bahrain and Senegal, defying some who argue that Islamic beliefs are somehow contrary to democratic development."" This overview will be indispensable to anyone interested in political and civil liberties.