Those values now have been assessed at one point in time in 15 countries. Comparisons are made with established democracies in western Europe. The main hypothesis is that democratic leaders are both more global and local in orientation. Each is measured by five value items and are combined into democratic value scores. The responses are aggregated into a globalism score.
Localism is assessed by several questions, including a localism value scale.
The data are taken from national samples of localities, cities and communes, ranging in size from 25,000 to 250,000, nationally adjusted. The three modalities of explaining forms of governance and their stability are economic, political institutional, and historical developmental. More than that, since the transitions and transformations of so many political systems during the past ten years, the fundamental question is how can different kinds of political systems explain economic growth and internal and external peace. It is generally established that democracies are significantly less aggressive towards their neighbors. What is less clear is how democratic institutions, today willfully established, provide the conditions necessary for general prosperity.