What did they mean by this?

(USER WAS BASED FOR THIS POST)

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Based, burger Freedom meme BTFO

Sure this is american/japanese website, they have no freedom. Russian 2ch is absolutely free.

Japan 96 ・・・・・・
this index is only lies

We don't even have freedom of speech how the fuck do they reckon we're a 99? Why do most fucking retards think Canada is some wonderland, this country is shit and run by fucking morons.

>President Michael J. Abramowitz
>Before joining Freedom House in February 2017, he was director of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Levine Institute for Holocaust Education.

Okay, I get it now.

> it's le (((JUICE)))

Reflects the fact that those reasons are political bullshit meant to make a point for pundit groups

Overview:
Japan is a multiparty parliamentary democracy. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has governed almost continuously since 1955, in opposition only twice. Political rights and civil liberties are generally well respected. Outstanding challenges include ethnic and gender-based discrimination, and claims of unduly close relations between government and the business sector.

Key Developments in 2017:
Prime Minister Shinzō Abe’s LDP decisively won a snap election in October. With ally Kōmeitō, the coalition holds the two-thirds supermajority needed for constitutional revision.
The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) fractured in September, and was surpassed by the newly formed liberal Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) in the October elections.
In July, new anticonspiracy and antiterrorism legislation went into effect. Critics said the law gives the government broad license to conduct surveillance activities and to restrict civil liberties as part of counterterrorism efforts.
Political Rights and Civil Liberties:
POLITICAL RIGHTS: 40 / 40
A. ELECTORAL PROCESS: 12 / 12
A1. Was the current head of government or other chief national authority elected through free and fair elections? 4 / 4

>UK not on list
>Probably in the negatives

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Japan is a parliamentary democracy. The prime minister is the head of government, and is chosen by the freely elected House of Representatives. The prime minister selects the cabinet, which can include a limited number of non-politicians. Japan’s emperor serves as head of state in a ceremonial capacity.

A2. Were the current national legislative representatives elected through free and fair elections? 4 / 4

The parliament, or Diet, has two chambers. The more powerful lower house, the House of Representatives, has 465 members elected to maximum four-year terms. The upper house, the House of Councillors, has 242 members serving fixed six-year terms, half elected every three years. The prime minister and his cabinet can dissolve the House of Representatives, but not the House of Councillors. The lower house can also pass a no-confidence resolution that forces the cabinet to either resign or dissolve the House of Representatives.

Legislative elections in Japan are free and fair. In September 2017, Prime Minister Abe dissolved the lower house and called for snap elections, citing a need for a fresh mandate in light of an increasing threat posed by North Korea, which had fired ballistic missiles over northern Japan. The LDP decisively won October’s snap elections, and together with its coalition partner, Kōmeitō, holds a two-thirds supermajority in the lower house.

A3. Are the electoral laws and framework fair, and are they implemented impartially by the relevant election management bodies? 4 / 4

Japan’s electoral laws are generally fair and well-enforced. However, malapportionment benefitting the rural districts from which the LDP draws significant support has been a persistent problem. In July 2017, a new redistricting law designed to reduce the voting weight disparities between urban and rural districts took effect. Districts will be revised again in 2020 after the census is conducted.

>Australia has a strong record of advancing and protecting political rights and civil liberties. Challenges to these freedoms include the threat of foreign political influence, harsh policies toward asylum seekers, and ongoing difficulties ensuring the equal rights of indigenous Australians.
Annnd discarded

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B. POLITICAL PLURALISM AND PARTICIPATION: 16 / 16
B1. Do the people have the right to organize in different political parties or other competitive political groupings of their choice, and is the system free of undue obstacles to the rise and fall of these competing parties or groupings? 4 / 4

Parties generally do not face undue restrictions on registration or operation. The CDP and the Party of Hope, both of which were formed in 2017, placed second and third respectively in the October 2017 elections.

B2. Is there a realistic opportunity for the opposition to increase its support or gain power through elections? 4 / 4

While the LDP has traditionally dominated the political scene, opposition parties have a realistic opportunity to increase their support or gain power through elections. The main opposition party, DP, fractured in September 2017, and was surpassed by the newly formed CDP in the October elections.

B3. Are the people’s political choices free from domination by the military, foreign powers, religious hierarchies, economic oligarchies, or any other powerful group that is not democratically accountable? 4 / 4

People’s political choices are generally free from domination by powerful interests that are not democratically accountable.

B4. Do various segments of the population (including ethnic, religious, gender, LGBT, and other relevant groups) have full political rights and electoral opportunities? 4 / 4

The ability to vote and run in national elections is limited to citizens, who may participate in elections regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Women remain underrepresented in government.

Around 600,000 ethnic Koreans—mainly the multigenerational descendants of forced laborers brought to Japan before 1945—hold special residential privileges but not Japanese citizenship, and are therefore ineligible to participate in national elections.

>syria
>0
You can literally get funs everywhere and carve out your own little feudal kingdom there. Only Libya is freer with its slave markets that even keep facebook pages.

USA #7

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Finland doesn't have freedom of speech either.

>Canada
>Free
m.youtube.com/watch?v=G-dPmFJ5IUk

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C. FUNCTIONING OF GOVERNMENT: 12 / 12
C1. Do the freely elected head of government and national legislative representatives determine the policies of the government? 4 / 4

Elected officials are free to govern without interference, though Japanese bureaucrats have some influence over policy.

C2. Are safeguards against official corruption strong and effective? 4 / 4

Corruption in government is relatively low. However, some government officials have close relations with business leaders, and retiring bureaucrats often quickly secure high-paying positions with companies that receive significant government contracts. In March 2017, the Ministry of Education reported more than 60 cases of illicit job placements of recently retired ministry bureaucrats.

Reporting on political corruption scandals is widespread and vigorous. In early 2017, active reporting on two scandals involving Prime Minister Abe weakened his popularity; one involved a dubious land deal, and another revolved around the approval of a university department. Separately, Defense Minister Tomomi Inada resigned in July following media reports that defense officials had concealed information revealing the worsening security situation in South Sudan, where Japanese troops were participating in a UN peacekeeping operation.

C3. Does the government operate with openness and transparency? 4 / 4

The Japanese government generally operates with openness and transparency. Access to information legislation allows individuals to request information from government agencies, but in practice the law has not always been implemented effectively. The Act on the Protection of Specially Designated Secrets went into effect in 2014 and allows for unclassified information to be automatically shared with the public. However, it also empowers state agencies to protect information on a range of security or diplomatic matters, with criminal penalties for those who reveal designated secrets.

> slave markets that even keep facebook pages
link pls

Not even close that's not the full list.

CIVIL LIBERTIES: 56 / 60
D. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND BELIEF: 15 / 16
D1. Are there free and independent media? 3 / 4

Press freedom is guaranteed in the constitution, and Japan has a highly competitive media sector. However, press freedom advocates have expressed concern about the Specially Designated Secrets Act, which can allow journalists to be prosecuted for revealing state secrets, even if that information was unknowingly obtained. A May 2017 report by the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression expressed concern about pressure exerted on media by the Japanese government, and recommended the repeal of Article 4 of the Broadcast Act, which gives the government the power to determine what information is “fair” and thus acceptable for public broadcast.

Under the traditional kisha kurabu (press club) system, institutions such as government ministries and corporate organizations have restricted the release of news to those journalists and media outlets with membership in their clubs.

D2. Are individuals free to practice and express their religious faith or nonbelief in public and private? 4 / 4

Freedom of religion is guaranteed by the constitution, and no substantial barriers exist to religious expression or expression of nonbelief.

D3. Is there academic freedom, and is the educational system free from extensive political indoctrination? 4 / 4

Academic freedom is constitutionally guaranteed, but education and textbooks have long been a focus of public and political debate. While there is not a national curriculum or single official history text, the Ministry of Education’s screening process has approved textbooks that downplay Japan’s history of imperialism and war atrocities. In May 2017, the UN Special Rapporteur called upon the Japanese government to reevaluate the government’s influence on the textbook approval process.

I don't get how any first world country can not have freedom of speech, this shit's fucked up.

That little cunt would LOVE to thought police me. Fucking Poodeau drools over a 1984-esque Canada.

but LDP=CIA's dogs

D4. Are individuals free to express their personal views on political or other sensitive topics without fear of surveillance or retribution? 4 / 4

The government does not restrict private discussion. Some observers expressed concern that antiterrorism and anticonspiracy legislation that went into effect in July 2017 could permit undue surveillance.

E. ASSOCIATIONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL RIGHTS: 12 / 12
E1. Is there freedom of assembly? 4 / 4

Freedom of assembly is protected under the constitution, and peaceful demonstrations take place frequently. In 2017, protests were held against the new antiterrorism legislation, which demonstrators said allowed the government to justify unwarranted surveillance and restrict civil liberties as part of counterterrorism efforts.

E2. Is there freedom for nongovernmental organizations, particularly those that are engaged in human rights– and governance-related work? 4 / 4

Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), referred to as nonprofit organizations (NPOs) in Japan, are unrestricted and remained diverse and active in 2017.

E3. Is there freedom for trade unions and similar professional or labor organizations? 4 / 4

Labor unions are active and exert political influence through the Japanese Trade Union Confederation and other groupings.

F. RULE OF LAW: 15 / 16
F1. Is there an independent judiciary? 4 / 4

Japan’s judiciary is independent. For serious criminal cases, a judicial panel composed of professional judges and saiban-in (lay judges), selected from the general public, rule on defendants.

F2. Does due process prevail in civil and criminal matters? 4 / 4

Constitutional guarantees of due process are generally upheld. However observers have argued that trials often favor the prosecution. There are reports that people are often detained on flimsy evidence, arrested multiple times for the same alleged crime, or subjected to lengthy interrogations leading to forced confessions. Police can detain suspects up to 23 days without charge. Access to those in pretrial detention is sometimes limited.

In July 2017, nearly 300 categories of conspiracy offenses were added to criminal law in order to help identify terror plots and organized crime networks. Critics, including the UN, raised concerns that the changes gave the government too much power to restrict civil liberties.

F3. Is there protection from the illegitimate use of physical force and freedom from war and insurgencies? 4 / 4

People in Japan are generally protected from the illegitimate use of physical force and the threat of war and insurgencies. Violent crime rates are generally low. However, organized crime is fairly prominent, particularly in the construction and nightlife sectors; crime groups also run drug trafficking and loansharking operations.

There are frequent reports of substandard medical care in Japanese prisons. Prisoners facing death sentences or accused of crimes that could carry the death penalty are held in solitary confinement, sometimes for years at a time.

F4. Do laws, policies, and practices guarantee equal treatment of various segments of the population? 3 / 4

Although declining, societal discrimination affecting Japan’s estimated three million burakumin—descendants of feudal-era outcasts—and the indigenous Ainu minority can prevent their access to housing and employment. Japan-born descendants of colonial subjects (particularly ethnic Koreans and Chinese) continue to suffer similar disadvantages. A 2016 hate speech law nominally criminalizes discriminatory speech against non-Japanese citizens, but the law is considered weak and difficult to invoke.

LGBT people face social stigma and in some cases harassment. In late 2016, sexual harassment regulations for national government members were modified to prohibit harassment on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Employment discrimination and sexual harassment against women are common.

Very few refugees are granted asylum in Japan, with only 20 refugees accepted out of almost 20,000 asylum applications in 2017.

Overview:
Finland’s parliamentary system features free and fair elections and robust multiparty competition. Corruption is not a significant problem, and freedoms of speech, religion, and association are respected. The judiciary is independent under the constitution and in practice. Women and ethnic minority groups enjoy equal rights, though harassment and hate speech aimed at minority groups does occur.

Key Developments in 2017:
An assailant killed two women and injured eight other people in a knife attack in Turku, which was considered the country’s first-ever terrorist attack. Security measures increased in response to the events.
Finland’s coalition government reconstituted after the controversial, anti-immigration Finns Party split into two separate parties. The split was precipitated by the Finns’ election of a hardline right-wing party leader. His faction was left out of the new government.
Same-sex marriage became legal in March.
In May, the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) called on Finland to repeal laws requiring that transgender people undergo sterilization in order to change their legal gender.
Political Rights and Civil Liberties:
POLITICAL RIGHTS: 40 / 40

>US that high
Top kek.
Then again, The Spectator is neocon trash so it's about right for the par.

A. ELECTORAL PROCESS: 12 / 12
A1. Was the current head of government or other chief national authority elected through free and fair elections? 4 / 4

The president, whose role is mainly ceremonial, is directly elected for up to two six-year terms. Former finance minister Sauli Niinistö of the National Coalition Party (KOK) handily won the presidency in 2012 elections considered broadly free and fair. The prime minister is head of government, and is selected by Finland’s freely elected parliament.

A2. Were the current national legislative representatives elected through free and fair elections? 4 / 4

Representatives in the 200-seat, unicameral parliament, the Eduskunta, are elected to four-year terms. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) deployed a preliminary elections assessment mission ahead of the 2015 parliamentary polls; its findings cited “a high level of confidence in all the aspects of the electoral process” and the OSCE consequently declined to monitor the polls. The Center Party (KESK) took the greatest number of seats, with 49, and formed a government with the KOK and the Finns Party; KESK leader Juha Sipilä became prime minister.

A3. Are the electoral laws and framework fair, and are they implemented impartially by the relevant election management bodies? 4 / 4

The OSCE, ahead of the 2015 polls, expressed concern about limits on election-related appeals processes, and the timely adjudication of such complaints. However, Finland’s electoral laws are robust and generally well implemented by the relevant authorities.

These freedom indexes are always stupid. Too many factors and too much bias to draw anything meaningful from them.

B. POLITICAL PLURALISM AND PARTICIPATION: 16 / 16
B1. Do the people have the right to organize in different political parties or other competitive political groupings of their choice, and is the system free of undue obstacles to the rise and fall of these competing parties or groupings? 4 / 4

Political parties are generally free to organize and operate, and rise and fall freely according to popular support and political developments. In June 2017, the anti-immigration Finns Party split into two separate parties following the controversial election of a hardline right-wing party leader. The former party leader and all of the Finns’ government ministers formed a new party called New Alternative. The Finns Party was subsequently ejected from the government, after KESK and KOK formed a coalition with the New Alternative; together they hold 106 out of 200 seats.

B2. Is there a realistic opportunity for the opposition to increase its support or gain power through elections? 4 / 4

Finland boasts a robust multiparty system with strong opposition parties.

B3. Are the people’s political choices free from domination by the military, foreign powers, religious hierarchies, economic oligarchies, or any other powerful group that is not democratically accountable? 4 / 4

People’s political choices are generally free from domination by actors that are not democratically accountable.

B4. Do various segments of the population (including ethnic, religious, gender, LGBT, and other relevant groups) have full political rights and electoral opportunities? 4 / 4

Citizens from minority ethnic groups enjoy full political rights. The Åland Islands—an autonomous region located off the southwestern coast whose inhabitants speak Swedish—have their own 30-seat parliament, as well as one seat in the national legislature. The indigenous Sami of northern Finland have a legislature with limited powers, but they do not have guaranteed representation in the parliament. Women and women’s interests are reasonably well-represented in politics, as are LGBT (lesbian, gay bisexual, and transgender) people and their specific interests.

C. FUNCTIONING OF GOVERNMENT: 12 / 12
C1. Do the freely elected head of government and national legislative representatives determine the policies of the government? 4 / 4

Finland’s freely elected government representatives are able to effectively develop and implement policy.

C2. Are safeguards against official corruption strong and effective? 4 / 4

Corruption is not a significant problem in Finland, and is generally punished under relevant laws when discovered.

C3. Does the government operate with openness and transparency? 4 / 4

Laws permitting access to public information are generally well enforced, though there are some limits on the disclosure of information related to national security, foreign affairs, and criminal investigations. All citizens including government officials are required by law to make public asset declarations, though there are no penalties for noncompliance.

>The Japanese government generally operates with >openness and transparency.
what a joke?
Japanese government don't tell truth of Fukushima and radiation pollution
This writer was bribed

CIVIL LIBERTIES: 60 / 60
D. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND BELIEF: 16 / 16
D1. Are there free and independent media? 4 / 4

Freedom of expression is protected by Article 12 of the constitution and the 2003 Act on the Exercise of Freedom of Expression in Mass Media. Media outlets in Finland are typically independent and free from political pressure or censorship. Decreasing advertising spending continues to pose a challenge for the media sector, especially for print publications.

D2. Are individuals free to practice and express their religious faith or nonbelief in public and private? 4 / 4

Religious freedom is guaranteed in the constitution and generally respected in practice. However, Jewish communities in Finland have reported a rise in anti-Semitic hate speech online in recent years. Some actors, including municipal-level public officials, have characterized a planned mosque complex in Helsinki as a security threat.

D3. Is there academic freedom, and is the educational system free from extensive political indoctrination? 4 / 4

Academic freedom is generally respected.

D4. Are individuals free to express their personal views on political or other sensitive topics without fear of surveillance or retribution? 4 / 4

There are no impediments to open and free private discussion.

E. ASSOCIATIONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL RIGHTS: 12 / 12
E1. Is there freedom of assembly? 4 / 4

Freedom of assembly is protected by law and upheld in practice.

E2. Is there freedom for nongovernmental organizations, particularly those that are engaged in human rights– and governance-related work? 4 / 4

Nongovernmental organizations operate without restriction.

E3. Is there freedom for trade unions and similar professional or labor organizations? 4 / 4

Workers have the right to organize and bargain collectively, though public-sector workers who provide services deemed essential may not strike. Approximately 70 percent of workers belong to trade unions.

F. RULE OF LAW: 16 / 16
F1. Is there an independent judiciary? 4 / 4

The constitution provides for an independent judiciary, and the courts operate without political interference in practice.

F2. Does due process prevail in civil and criminal matters? 4 / 4

Due process is generally respected in Finland.

F3. Is there protection from the illegitimate use of physical force and freedom from war and insurgencies? 4 / 4

People in Finland generally enjoy freedom from violent attacks by state and nonstate actors. However, in August 2017, a Moroccan man who had arrived in Finland as an asylum seeker the previous year killed two women and injured eight additional people in a knife attack. The attacker appeared to target women, and the incident was being investigated as Finland’s first terrorist attack. Police had previously flagged the man, who was arrested in the attack’s wake, as an extremist risk, and Finland raised its emergency readiness across the country. Security at airports and train stations was increased and more police officers were put on the streets.

F4. Do laws, policies, and practices guarantee equal treatment of various segments of the population? 4 / 4

The constitution guarantees the Sami people cultural autonomy and the right to pursue their traditional livelihoods, which include fishing and reindeer herding. However, representatives of the community have said that they cannot exercise their rights in practice and that they do not have the right to self-determination with respect to land use. While Roma also make up a very small percentage of the Finnish population, they are more significantly disadvantaged and marginalized.

Women enjoy equal rights, but despite a law stipulating equal pay for equal work, women earn only about 85 percent as much as men with the same qualifications.

In 2016, Finland amended its asylum law to limit the aid available to asylum seekers. The amendments prompted concern from the UN refugee agency, which suggested that Finland abandoned good practices and sought to align its policies with the minimum required by international treaties governing the treatment of refugees.

G. PERSONAL AUTONOMY AND INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS: 16 / 16
G1. Do individuals enjoy freedom of movement, including the ability to change their place of residence, employment, or education? 4 / 4

Individuals in Finland may move about freely. The country has one of the most expansive “freedom to roam” policies in the world, allowing people to use any public or private land for recreational purposes as long as the privacy of a private residence is not violated and no environmental damage is incurred.

G2. Are individuals able to exercise the right to own property and establish private businesses without undue interference from state or nonstate actors? 4 / 4

Intellectual and physical property rights are upheld in Finland. There are no major obstacles to establishing a business, and the country boasts a well-regulated, transparent, and open economy.

It is pretty fucking sickening how little people care about basic civil liberties in leftist leaning countries.
Kinda strange that the people who benefited the most from it are now the people clamoring to destroy it.

G3. Do individuals enjoy personal social freedoms, including choice of marriage partner and size of family, protection from domestic violence, and control over appearance? 4 / 4

People’s social choices are for the most part unrestricted. However, legislation requires that transgender people be sterilized and have a mental health diagnosis in order to obtain legal recognition of their gender. In May, the UNHRC called for Finland to eliminate these impediments to legal gender recognition. The UNHRC has also recommended that Finland amend its criminal code to no longer define rape according to the degree of violence used by the perpetrator. Domestic violence is an ongoing concern.

A law allowing same-sex marriage took effect in March 2017.

G4. Do individuals enjoy equality of opportunity and freedom from economic exploitation? 4 / 4

Finland remains a destination and a transit country for men, women, and children who are subjected to sex trafficking and labor exploitation in various industries. According to the U.S. State Department, the government actively prosecutes trafficking offenses, and victims have access to protection and assistance, though victim identification remained a challenge, particularly child victims.

Separately, in January 2017, Finland launched a two-year trial of basic income for the unemployed aimed at reducing poverty and boosting employment.

Overview:
Political rights and civil liberties in Syria are severely compromised by one of the world’s most repressive regimes and by other belligerent forces in an ongoing civil war. The regime prohibits genuine political opposition and harshly suppresses freedoms of speech and assembly. Corruption, enforced disappearances, military trials, and torture are rampant in government-controlled areas, while residents of contested regions or territory held by nonstate actors are subject to additional abuses including intense and indiscriminate combat, sieges and interruptions of humanitarian aid, and mass displacement.

Key Developments in 2017:
In April, government forces used banned chemical weapons in an attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun in rebel-held Idlib Province, killing more than 70 civilians. The United States retaliated with missile strikes on the air base allegedly used to carry out the attack.
In May, regime forces captured the Damascus suburb of Barzeh from opposition forces, compelling hundreds of people to relocate to Idlib Province, where extremist militant groups played an increasingly dominant role.
In October, U.S. troops and allied fighters from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) liberated the city of Raqqa from the Islamic State (IS) militant group. Meanwhile, government forces made parallel gains against IS in Deir ez-Zor Province to the southeast, leaving the militants with no major towns under their control at year’s end.
Political Rights and Civil Liberties:
POLITICAL RIGHTS: −3 / 40

A. ELECTORAL PROCESS: 0 / 12
A1. Was the current head of government or other chief national authority elected through free and fair elections? 0 / 4

President Bashar al-Assad was elected for a third term in 2014 with what the government claimed was 88.7 percent of the vote. The balloting was conducted only in government-controlled areas amid war and severe repression. Major democratic states denounced the election as illegitimate.

A2. Were the current national legislative representatives elected through free and fair elections? 0 / 4

The most recent elections for the 250-seat People’s Council were held in April 2016, but only in government-controlled territory. Several opposition groups that were traditionally tolerated by the authorities boycotted the polls, and state workers reportedly faced pressure to vote. Members of the military were permitted to participate in the elections for the first time. The ruling Baath Party and its declared allies took 200 of the 250 seats; the remainder went to nominal independents.

A3. Are the electoral laws and framework fair, and are they implemented impartially by the relevant election management bodies? 0 / 4

There is no transparency or accountability surrounding the official electoral process. The executive authorities, acting through the military-security apparatus, effectively grant or withhold permission to participate in elections in government-held areas. Although some provisional local councils in rebel-held areas have organized rudimentary elections in recent years, ongoing attacks by progovernment forces and Islamist militants have largely made such processes untenable. Kurdish-held areas in the north have a provisional constitution that allows local elections, but the Democratic Union Party (PYD) exercises ultimate control.

B. POLITICAL PLURALISM AND PARTICIPATION: 0 / 16
B1. Do the people have the right to organize in different political parties or other competitive political groupings of their choice, and is the system free of undue obstacles to the rise and fall of these competing parties or groupings? 0 / 4

A 2011 decree allowed the registration of new political parties, but it also imposed significant obstacles to party formation and prohibited parties based on religion, regional affiliation, and other criteria. In practice, all legal political groups and independents are either part of, allied with, or heavily vetted by the regime.

The local councils active in some opposition areas are often sponsored or appointed by prominent families or armed groups. In Kurdish areas, decentralized governance theoretically allows for open political participation, but in practice political affairs are dominated by the most powerful group, the PYD, which engages in arbitrary detentions of its political opponents.

B2. Is there a realistic opportunity for the opposition to increase its support or gain power through elections? 0 / 4

The Baath Party has governed Syria without interruption since the 1960s, led by Assad or his late father for nearly all of that time. The 2011 decree and 2012 constitutional reforms formally relaxed rules regarding the participation of non-Baathist parties, but in practice the government maintains a powerful intelligence and security apparatus to monitor and punish opposition movements that could emerge as serious challengers to Assad’s rule.

B3. Are the people’s political choices free from domination by the military, foreign powers, religious hierarchies, economic oligarchies, or any other powerful group that is not democratically accountable? 0 / 4

In its territory, the regime’s security and intelligence forces, militias, and business allies are a serious obstacle to the autonomy of voters and politicians. Foreign actors including Russia, Iran, and the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah also exert heavy influence over politics in regime-held areas due to their involvement in the war and material support for the government. In opposition areas, civilian politics are often subordinated to armed groups and external funders, while the PYD and its affiliated militias exercise control over the political choices of residents in Kurdish regions.

B4. Do various segments of the population (including ethnic, religious, gender, LGBT, and other relevant groups) have full political rights and electoral opportunities? 0 / 4

Although the government is often described as an Alawite regime and a protector of other religious minorities, it is not an authentic vehicle for these groups’ political interests. Political access is a function not primarily of sect, but of proximity and loyalty to Assad and his associates. The political elite is not exclusively Alawite and includes members of the majority Sunni sect, which also makes up most of the rebel movement. Meanwhile, Alawites, Christians, and Druze outside Assad’s inner circle are just as politically disenfranchised as the broader Sunni population.

The opposition’s dwindling territory is divided among moderate, Islamist, and radical jihadist rebels, with varying implications for ethnic and religious minorities. The PYD nominally ensures representation for minorities, but it has been accused of mistreating non-Kurdish residents, particularly those suspected of IS sympathies.

Women have equal political rights; they hold 13 percent of the seats in the legislature, and some have been appointed to senior positions in recent years. However, women are typically excluded from political decision-making in practice and have little ability to organize independently given state repression and the presence of hostile armed groups. All leadership positions in Kurdish areas are reportedly shared between a man and a woman, and women are well represented in political life, though they have limited autonomy outside PYD-led structures.

C. FUNCTIONING OF GOVERNMENT: 0 / 12
C1. Do the freely elected head of government and national legislative representatives determine the policies of the government? 0 / 4

De facto authority in government-controlled Syria lies with the president—who is not freely elected—and his political, security, and business allies rather than in formal institutions such as the cabinet and parliament. Foreign powers like Iran and Russia also wield considerable influence over state policy, and both opposition forces and Kurdish-led fighters hold large swaths of territory with the help of countries including Turkey and the United States, respectively.

C2. Are safeguards against official corruption strong and effective? 0 / 4

Members and allies of the ruling family are said to own or control much of the Syrian economy. The civil war has created new opportunities for corruption among the government, loyalist armed forces, and the private sector. The regime has regularly distributed patronage in the form of public resources, and implemented policies to benefit favored industries and companies, to secure its support base. Government contracts and trade deals have also been awarded to allies like Iran, possibly as compensation for political and military aid. Even basic state services are extended or withheld based on a community’s demonstrated political loyalty to the Assad regime, providing additional leverage for bribe-seeking officials. Similar manipulation has been alleged in the distribution of humanitarian aid.

Corruption is also widespread in rebel-held areas. Some rebel commanders, including from brigades nominally aligned with democratic powers and their allies, have been accused of looting, extortion, and theft. Local administrators and activists complain that little of the international aid reportedly given to opposition representatives abroad seems to reach them, raising suspicions of graft.

C3. Does the government operate with openness and transparency? 0 / 4

The government has long operated with minimal transparency and public accountability, and conditions have worsened during the civil war amid the rise of militias that are nominally loyal to the regime but largely autonomous and free to exploit the population in areas they control. Officials have broad discretion to withhold government information, and they are not obliged to make public disclosures of their assets. Independent civil society groups and media outlets are harshly suppressed and cannot influence or shed light on state policies.

desu you can advocate separatism in India without getting jailed or killed. Not many 3rd world countries protect freedom of speech to that extend.

Most third world countries violently put down any hint of ethnic or religious separatism.

ADDITIONAL DISCRETIONARY POLITICAL RIGHTS QUESTION
Is the government or occupying power deliberately changing the ethnic composition of a country or territory so as to destroy a culture or tip the political balance in favor of another group? −3 / 0

Sunni Arab civilians bear the brunt of attacks by the Alawite-led government and loyalist militias. The regime has forcibly transferred thousands of civilians from captured opposition areas, and it continued to bomb and besiege others during 2017. Sunni Islamist and jihadist groups often persecute religious minorities and Muslims they deem impious. Kurdish militias have been accused of displacing Arab and Turkmen communities in the context of their fight against IS. In the face of these threats, civilians of all backgrounds have sought safety among their respective religious or ethnic groups, contributing to the demographic changes wrought by the war.

CIVIL LIBERTIES: 2 / 60
D. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND BELIEF: 2 / 16
D1. Are there free and independent media? 0 / 4

The constitution nominally guarantees freedom of speech and the press, but in practice freedom of expression is heavily restricted in government-held areas, and journalists or ordinary citizens who criticize the state face censorship, detention, torture, and death in custody. All media must obtain permission to operate from the Interior Ministry. Private media in government areas are generally owned by figures associated with the regime. Media freedom varies in territory held by other groups, but local outlets are generally under heavy pressure to support the dominant militant faction in the area. Journalists face physical danger throughout Syria, especially from regime forces and extremist groups. At least eight were killed in 2017, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, bringing the death toll to 115 since the war began in 2011.

>meme ranking jacking off the nordics again

Attached: wojak-numale.png (644x800, 15K)

D2. Are individuals free to practice and express their religious faith or nonbelief in public and private? 1 / 4

While the constitution mandates that the president be a Muslim, there is no state religion, and the regime has generally allowed different confessional groups to practice their faiths as long as their religious activities are not politically subversive. The government monitors mosques and controls the appointment of Muslim religious leaders. The growing dominance of extremist groups in opposition-held areas of western Syria has threatened freedom of worship for local residents and displaced people, though IS’s military defeats in the east during 2017 effectively reduced its ability to persecute religious activity that does not conform to its version of Sunni Islam.

D3. Is there academic freedom, and is the educational system free from extensive political indoctrination? 0 / 4

Academic freedom is heavily restricted. University professors in government-held areas have been dismissed or imprisoned for expressing dissent, and some have been killed for supporting regime opponents. Combatants on all sides of the war have regularly attacked or commandeered schools. Groups including IS and the PYD have set up education systems in their territories, but they are infused with political indoctrination.

D4. Are individuals free to express their personal views on political or other sensitive topics without fear of surveillance or retribution? 1 / 4

The government engages in heavy surveillance of private and online discussion and harshly punishes dissent in areas it controls. The environment is somewhat more open in areas where neither the government nor an extremist group has a dominant presence, though the PYD and some opposition factions have allegedly suppressed freedom of speech.

i thought america is the country of freedom, why are they not the number one on this list?

Sweden and Norway scores 100 so this list goes right in the bin.

E. ASSOCIATIONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL RIGHTS: 0 / 12
E1. Is there freedom of assembly? 0 / 4

Freedom of assembly is severely restricted across Syria. Opposition protests in government-held areas are usually met with gunfire, mass arrests, and torture of those detained. IS, the PYD, and some rebel factions have also used force to quash civilian dissent and demonstrations.

E2. Is there freedom for nongovernmental organizations, particularly those that are engaged in human rights– and governance-related work? 0 / 4

The regime generally denies registration to nongovernmental organizations with reformist or human rights missions, and regularly conducts raids and searches to detain civic and political activists. A variety of new grassroots civil society networks emerged in many parts of Syria following the 2011 uprising, monitoring human rights abuses by all sides and attempting to provide humanitarian and other services in opposition areas. However, such activists face violence, intimidation, and detention by armed groups, and must operate secretly in some cases.

E3. Is there freedom for trade unions and similar professional or labor organizations? 0 / 4

Professional syndicates in state-held areas are controlled by the Baath Party, and all labor unions must belong to the General Federation of Trade Unions, a nominally independent grouping that the government uses to control union activity. The war’s economic and political pressures have made functioning labor relations virtually impossible across the country.

Society
Finland is the most stable country in the world.
The Fund for Peace, Fragile States Index 2018

Finland is the freest country in the world together with Sweden and Norway.
Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2018

Finland is the safest country in the world.
World Economic Forum, The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2017

Finland is the fourth best country in the world.
The Good Country Index, Results

Finland has the best governance in the world.
Legatum Institute, The Legatum Prosperity Index 2018: Finland

Finland’s police and internal security as a whole are the second best in the world.
The International Police Science Association, World Internal Security and Police Index

Finland has the least organised crime in the world.
World Economic Forum, The Global Competitiveness Report 2018: Organized crime

Next to Norwegians and Icelanders, Finns feel the second least insecure in the world.
Gallup, Law and Order Index 2018

Finland’s judicial system is the most independent in the world.
World Economic Forum, The Global Competitiveness Report 2018: Judicial independence

After Danes, Finns vote in the freest and most reliable elections.
Pippa Norris, Thomas Wynter and Sarah Cameron, Electoral Integrity & Campaign Media: The Electoral Integrity Project 2018 mid-year update (The Electoral Integrity Project, University of Sydney & Harvard University)

Finland has the third least corruption in the world.
Transparency International, Corruption Perceptions Index 2017

Finland is the third most prosperous country in the world.
Legatum Institute, The Legatum Prosperity Index 2018: Finland

Protection of property rights in Finland is the best in the world.
World Economic Forum (WEF), The Global Competitiveness Report 2018: Property Rights

Availability of official information in Finland is the best in the EU.
Center for data innovation, The State of data innovation in the EU: Freedom of information

Someone tell that retarded finn to post a pastebin or something

F. RULE OF LAW: 0 / 16
F1. Is there an independent judiciary? 0 / 4

The constitution forbids government interference in the civil judiciary, but all judges and prosecutors must belong to the Baath Party and are in practice beholden to the political leadership.

F2. Does due process prevail in civil and criminal matters? 0 / 4

Military officers can try civilians in both conventional military courts and field courts, which lack due process guarantees. While civilians may appeal military court decisions with the military chamber of the Court of Cassation, military judges are neither independent nor impartial, as they are subordinate to the military command. Extremist groups have set up religious courts in their territories, imposing harsh punishments for perceived offenses by civilians under their interpretation of religious law. The general breakdown of state authority and the proliferation of militias in much of the country has led to arbitrary detentions, summary justice, and extrajudicial penalties by all sides in the civil war.

F3. Is there protection from the illegitimate use of physical force and freedom from war and insurgencies? 0 / 4

More than 400,000 people have been killed in the civil war since 2011. Both the regime and insurgent groups frequently engage in extreme violence against civilians, including indiscriminate bombardment, extrajudicial killings, and torture of detainees. However, abuses by the government are the largest in scale. Regime forces have detained and tortured tens of thousands of people since the uprising began, and many have died in custody, though detention conditions that amount to enforced disappearance mean the fate of most detainees is unknown.

Sperglord crashing this thread

Finnish banks are the soundest in the world.
World Economic Forum, The Global Competitiveness Report 2018: Soundness of banks

Finland’s pension system is the third best in the world. (34 countries in the comparison).
Mercer, Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index 2018

Finland has the third most personal freedom and choice in the world.
The Social Progress Imperative, 2018 Social Progress Index: Finland

Finland has the fourth best press freedom in the world.
Reporters Without Borders, 2018 World Press Freedom Index: Ranking

After Denmark and Sweden, Finland is the most socially just EU country.
D. Schraad-Tischler & C. Schiller: Social Justice in the EU – Index Report 2017 (Bertelsmann Stiftung 2017)

Among the world’s richest countries, Finland is the third most dedicated to policies that benefit people living in poorer nations.
Centre for Global Development, The Commitment to Development Index 2018 (CDI)

Finland is the best country in the world in a comparison of human wellbeing.
Sustainable Society Index, Main results 2016

Finland is the third best country in adhering to the rule of law in the world.
The World Justice Project, Rule of Law Index 2017–2018

Finland is the best country in protecting fundamental human rights in the world.
The World Justice Project, Rule of Law Index 2017–2018

Satisfaction and trust
Finland is the happiest country in the world.
Sustainable Development Solutions Network, World Happiness Report 2018

Finns are the second most satisfied with their life among Europeans.
Eurostat, Percentage of the population rating their satisfaction as high, medium or low

Finns are the most satisfied with their accommodation in the EU.
Eurostat, Percentage of the population rating their satisfaction as high, medium or low

Among EU citizens, Finns are the second most common to have someone to rely on in case of need.
Eurostat, Persons having someone to rely on in case of need.

F4. Do laws, policies, and practices guarantee equal treatment of various segments of the population? 0 / 4

Women are subject to legal and societal inequities, including gender-based disadvantages in social benefits and a severe gender gap in labor force participation. Official mechanisms meant to safeguard women’s rights are reportedly not functional, and the general deterioration of law and order has left women exposed to a range of abuses, particularly at the hands of extremist groups that impose their own interpretations of religious law.

The Kurdish minority has faced decades of state discrimination, including restrictions on the Kurdish language and persecution of Kurdish activists, though conditions have improved dramatically in areas controlled by Kurdish militias since 2011.

Syrian law discriminates against LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) people. According to the 1949 penal code, “unnatural sexual intercourse” is punishable with up to three years in prison. Individuals suspected of same-sex sexual activity are at risk of execution in areas held by extremist groups.

G. PERSONAL AUTONOMY AND INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS: 0 / 16
G1. Do individuals enjoy freedom of movement, including the ability to change their place of residence, employment, or education? 0 / 4

The proliferation of regime and militia checkpoints and ongoing combat have severely restricted freedom of movement. Nearly 2.9 million people were displaced by the conflict during 2017, for a total of more than 6 million internally displaced since 2011. Another 5 million have sought refuge abroad.

You expect an actual aspie to get these kinds of things when they excited and going?

The government and other forces have systematically blockaded regions controlled by their opponents. The number of people living under siege declined somewhat during 2017 as the government captured territory from rebels and IS, leaving about 700,000 people trapped at year’s end, according to the Syria Institute, a U.S.-based think tank. In May, regime forces captured the Damascus suburb of Barzeh from opposition forces, compelling hundreds of people to relocate to Idlib Province. In October, U.S. troops and SDF fighters defeated IS in the city of Raqqa, and government forces made parallel gains against the militant group in Deir ez-Zor, part of which had long been under siege by IS. The besieged rebel-held district of Eastern Ghouta, outside Damascus, came under increasing pressure from the regime late in the year.

G2. Are individuals able to exercise the right to own property and establish private businesses without undue interference from state or non-state actors? 0 / 4

Property rights have been routinely disregarded throughout the civil war. Businesses are frequently required to bribe officials to continue operating and to complete bureaucratic procedures. Access to markets dominated by regime members or allies is restricted. Militias also extort businesses and confiscate private property to varying degrees.

Personal status laws based on Sharia (Islamic law) discriminate against women on inheritance matters, and societal practices further discourage land ownership by women.

Finns' trust in the police is the highest and in the political system and in the legal system the second highest in Europe.
Eurostat, Average rating of trust

Finns trust news the most in the world. (37 countries in the comparison).
Reuters Institute, Digital News Report 2018

Finns' trust in other people is the highest in Europe.
European Commission, Fairness, inequality and inter-generational mobility: Social Capital: Trust in people

In Finland, consumers' confidence in the economy is second strongest in Europe.
European Commission, Business and consumer surveys

Equality
Finland is the third most gender equal country in the world.
World Economic Forum, Global Gender Gap Index 2017

Participation of genders in working life in Finland is the second most equal in the EU.
European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), Gender Equality Index 2017: Work / Participation

Finnish women's gender equality in working life is the fourth best in the world.
The Economist, The Glass-Ceiling Index 2018

In Finland, power is divided between genders the third most equally in the EU.
European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), Gender Equality Index 2017: Power

Finland has the third most female MPs in European countries.
Inter-Parliamentatary Union (IPU), Women in Politics 2017

Finland has the second lowest poverty rate in OECD countries.
OECD, Poverty rate

Finland has the fifth lowest income differences in OECD countries.
OECD, Income inequality

Environment and energy
The air in Finland is the cleanest in the world.
Finnish Meteorological Institute, Finland tops WHO air quality statistics

Finland is the water richest country in the world.
Keele University, The Water Poverty Index: an International Comparison

The risk to be exposed to natural disasters is lowest in the world in Finland together with Bahrain, São Tomé and Príncipe and Singapore.
Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) and the European Commission, INFORM Global Risk Index Results 2018

holy shit please stop

G3. Do individuals enjoy personal social freedoms, including choice of marriage partner and size of family, protection from domestic violence, and control over appearance? 0 / 4

Perpetrators of “honor crimes” can receive reduced sentences under the penal code, and rapists can avoid punishment by marrying their victims. Women cannot pass citizenship on to their children. Personal status laws for Muslims put women at a disadvantage regarding marriage, divorce, and child custody. Church law governs personal status issues for Christians, in some cases barring divorce. Early and forced marriages are a problem, with displaced families in particular marrying off young daughters as a perceived safeguard against endemic sexual violence or due to economic pressure. Conditions for women are uneven in areas outside government control, ranging from sexual slavery and onerous dress codes in extremist-held areas to formal equality under the PYD in Kurdish areas.

G4. Do individuals enjoy equality of opportunity and freedom from economic exploitation? 0 / 4

Many armed groups engage in forced conscription or the use of child soldiers. Displaced people are especially vulnerable to labor exploitation and human trafficking, and there is little equality of opportunity even in relatively stable government-controlled areas, as access to employment and investment is often dependent on personal, political, or communal affiliations.

Overview:
Sweden is a parliamentary monarchy with free and fair elections and a strong multiparty system. Civil liberties and political rights are legally guaranteed and respected in practice, and the rule of law prevails.

Key Developments in 2017:
In April, an attacker drove a truck through central Stockholm and into a department store, killing 5 people and wounding 10 others.
In June, the government and opposition agreed on new antiterrorism measures, which focused on tighter security in public places, greater information sharing between government agencies, and tighter controls on individuals deemed to pose a security threat.
In May, an appeals court ruled that the Swedish state must pay 164 million krona ($18.6 million) in compensation to roughly 4,700 Roma people who had been improperly added to a police registry on the basis of their ethnicity.
Several anti-Semitic incidents took place in late 2017, including a Molotov cocktail attack on a synagogue in Gothenburg.
Political Rights and Civil Liberties:
POLITICAL RIGHTS: 40 / 40

A. ELECTORAL PROCESS: 12 / 12
A1. Was the current head of government or other chief national authority elected through free and fair elections? 4 / 4

The prime minister is the head of government, and is appointed by the speaker of the freely elected parliament, or Riksdag, and confirmed by the body as a whole. King Carl XVI Gustaf, crowned in 1973, is the ceremonial head of state.

A2. Were the current national legislative representatives elected through free and fair elections? 4 / 4

The unicameral Riksdag is comprised of 349 members who are elected every four years by proportional representation. A party must receive at least 4 percent of the vote nationwide or 12 percent in an electoral district to win representation. Swedish elections are broadly free and fair.

In the 2014 parliamentary elections, the Social Democratic Party (SAP) won 113 seats, and SAP leader Stefan Löfven became prime minister in a minority government with the Green Party, which won 25 seats.

A3. Are the electoral laws and framework fair, and are they implemented impartially by the relevant election management bodies? 4 / 4

Elections are regulated by the Swedish Election Authority, which effectively upholds its mandates. Monitors from the Swedish International Liberal Center observing the 2014 polls called on the Swedish Election Authority provide more information about elections to election observers.

autism

Finland has the most forests in Europe.
FAO, Global Forest Resources Assessment

Finland has the third most wetlands in Europe.
Eurostat, Wetlands cover 2% of the EU's land

The share of renewable energy of total energy consumption is the second biggest in Finland of EU countries.
Eurostat, Share of energy from renewable sources in the EU Member States

Education and human capital
Finland has the most human capital in the world.
The Lancet, Measuring human capital: a systematic analysis of 195 countries and territories, 1990–2016

Finland ranks as one of the top OECD country in education.
OECD, Better Life Index: Education

Education in Finland answers to future needs the third best in the world.
Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) & Yidan Prize, Worldwide Educating for the Future Index

Finland is placed third in a comparison of lifelong learning in EU countries.
European Commission, European Innovation Scoreboard 2018: Lifelong learning

Finnish adults are the third best in literacy and numeracy of OECD countries.
OECD, How's Life? 2017: Measuring Well-being, Education and skills: adult skills

Finland is the most literate country in the world.
J. W. Miller and M. C. McKenna, World's Most Literate Nations: Rank Breakdown

Finns are the second biggest library users in Europe.
The European Bureau of Library, Public Libraries – Statistics

Information society and competitiveness
Finland is the second best in the world in using information and communication technologies to boost competitiveness and well-being.
World Economic Forum (WEF), Global Information Technology Report 2016: Networked Readiness Index

Finland has EU's best digital public services.
European Commission, The Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) 2018: Finland

Finland has the strongest digital knowledge capital in Europe.

B. POLITICAL PLURALISM AND PARTICIPATION: 16 / 16
B1. Do the people have the right to organize in different political parties or other competitive political groupings of their choice, and is the system free of undue obstacles to the rise and fall of these competing parties or groupings? 4 / 4

Political parties may form and operate without restriction. Eight political parties gained representation in the Riksdag in 2014, with the SAP, the Moderates, and the Sweden Democrats holding the most seats.

B2. Is there a realistic opportunity for the opposition to increase its support or gain power through elections? 4 / 4

Sweden has a strong multiparty system with a robust opposition.

B3. Are the people’s political choices free from domination by the military, foreign powers, religious hierarchies, economic oligarchies, or any other powerful group that is not democratically accountable? 4 / 4

People’s political choices are generally free from domination by actors that are not democratically accountable.

B4. Do various segments of the population (including ethnic, religious, gender, LGBT, and other relevant groups) have full political rights and electoral opportunities? 4 / 4

The country’s principal religious, ethnic, and immigrant groups are represented in the parliament, as are many women. Since 1993, the indigenous Sami community has elected its own legislature, which has significant powers over community education and culture, and serves as an advisory body to the government.

>USA: 86

C. FUNCTIONING OF GOVERNMENT: 12 / 12
C1. Do the freely elected head of government and national legislative representatives determine the policies of the government? 4 / 4

Sweden’s freely elected representatives are able to effectively develop and implement policy.

C2. Are safeguards against official corruption strong and effective? 4 / 4

Corruption is relatively low in Sweden. Anticorruption mechanisms are generally effective. The country’s lively free press also works to expose corrupt officials. However, Sweden has faced some criticism for insufficient enforcement of foreign bribery laws.

C3. Does the government operate with openness and transparency? 4 / 4

The country has one of the most robust freedom of information statutes in the world, and state authorities generally respect the right of both citizens and noncitizens to access public information.

Finns use most mobile data per subscription.
OECD, Digital Economy Outlook 2017

Finland has the second most wireless mobile broadband subscriptions per inhabitant in OECD countries.
OECD, Wireless mobile broadband subscriptions

Finnish enterprises are most likely to have their own website of OECD countries.
OECD, Digital Economy Outlook 2017

Finland is the third best country for business in Europe.
European Chamber, Best European countries for business 2018

Finland has the third best economic environment for business growth.
Grant Thornton, Global Dynamism Index 2015

Corporate ethics in Finland is the second best in the world.
World Economic Forum (WEF), The Global Competitiveness Report 2017–2018: Corporate Ethics

Finland is the second best country in the field of clean technology. (40 countries in the comparison.)
WWF & Cleantech Group, The Global Cleantech Innovation Index 2017

Finland's sustainable competitiveness is the fourth best in the world.
SolAbility, The Global Sustainable Competitiveness Index 2017

Children's well-being and school attendance
Finland has the second lowest inequality among children in the world.
UNICEF, Fairness for Children: A league table of inequality in child well-being in rich countries

Finland is the second best country to be a girl in the world.
Save the Children, Every last girl: Girl’s opportunity index

Finnish children have the fifth most secure childhood in the world.
Save the Children, The Many Faces of Exclusion: End of Childhood, Report 2018

Young people (aged 11 to 15) in Finland are the fourth satisfied with their life among young people in welfare countries.
UNICEF, Child Well-being in Rich Countries: A comparative overview

Finns aged 15 are the third most satisfied with their lives among same-age young people in OECD countries.
OECD, PISA 2015 Results, Students’ Well-Being

D. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND BELIEF: 16 / 16
D1. Are there free and independent media? 4 / 4

Sweden’s media are independent. Most newspapers and periodicals are privately owned, and the government subsidizes daily newspapers regardless of their political affiliation. Public broadcasters air weekly radio and television programs in several minority languages.

In December 2017, Utgivarna, an interest group representing the major Swedish media publishers, reported that threats against journalists had increased from the previous year. The group noted that threats typically come from parties dissatisfied with a story, followed by apparent members of extremist or criminal groups. Utgivarna asserted that threats against journalists tend not to result in compromised independence or self-censorship.

D2. Are individuals free to practice and express their religious faith or nonbelief in public and private? 4 / 4

Religious freedom is constitutionally guaranteed and generally respected. State authorities document religion-based hate crimes, investigate and prosecute cases, and provide adequate resources for victims. The police force includes a permanent unit trained to handle hate crimes.

Data released in December 2017 by the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention showed that hate crimes had decreased in 2016 compared to the previous year. Most hate crimes that were reported, though, were related to religion. Several anti-Semitic incidents took place in late 2017, including a Molotov cocktail attack on a synagogue in Gothenburg. Three people were arrested in connection with the incident.

D3. Is there academic freedom, and is the educational system free from extensive political indoctrination? 4 / 4

Academic freedom is generally respected.

D4. Are individuals free to express their personal views on political or other sensitive topics without fear of surveillance or retribution? 4 / 4

Private discussion is open and vibrant.

finnish autism at its finest

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Finnish fourth graders' knowledge of science is the second best in OECD countries.
M. O. Mullis, I. V. S. Mullis, P. Foy and M. Hooper, TIMSS 2015 International Results in Science

Finns aged 15 are among OECD countries the second best in literacy and the third best in science.
Ministry of Education and Culture, PISA 2015: Finnish youth still at the top despite the drop

Health
Finland is among the world’s top 25 countries in life expectancy at birth. Differences at the top are small.
WHO, Life expectancy

Finland has the least underweight (under 2,500 g) children born of OECD countries.
OECD, Low birth weight

Mothers' and children's well-being in Finland is the second best in the world.
Save the Children, State of the World´s Mothers 2015, 16th annual report

Finland has the world's third lowest infant mortality rate (deaths at the age of under one year).
UN, SDG Indicators, Infant mortality rate

Maternal mortality is the lowest in the world in Finland together with Greece, Iceland and Poland.
WHO, World Health Statistics 2018: Monitoring health for the SDGs

The second lowest number of children weighing under 2.5 kg are born in Finland in OECD countries.
OECD, Health at a Glance 2015. Infant health: Low birth weight

Finland has the second lowest total mortality from cancer in EU countries.
OECD, Health at a Glance: Europe 2018: Mortality from cancer

Finnish adults are the second least likely to smoke of EU countries.
OECD, Health at a Glance: Europe 2018: Adults smoking daily

Finland's share of actively exercising people is bigger than in any other EU country.
Eurostat, How much do Europeans exercise?

Capital city
Helsinki is the third best city to live in. (65 cities in the comparison).
Metropolis, The Best Cities to Live in (2016)

People living in Helsinki have the highest satisfaction with the place where they live, alongside with people living in Stockholm.
European Commission, Quality of Life in European Cities 2015

E. ASSOCIATIONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL RIGHTS: 12 / 12
E1. Is there freedom of assembly? 4 / 4

Freedom of assembly is generally respected in law and in practice. However, violence has erupted between far-right demonstrators and counterprotesters.

E2. Is there freedom for nongovernmental organizations, particularly those that are engaged in human rights– and governance-related work? 4 / 4

Nongovernmental organizations of all kinds function freely.

E3. Is there freedom for trade unions and similar professional or labor organizations? 4 / 4

The rights to strike and organize in labor unions are guaranteed. Trade union federations, which represent approximately 70 percent of the workforce, are strong and well organized.

F. RULE OF LAW: 16 / 16
F1. Is there an independent judiciary? 4 / 4

The judiciary is independent.

F2. Does due process prevail in civil and criminal matters? 4 / 4

The rule of law prevails in civil and criminal matters. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty, and the state must provide legal counsel to people accused of criminal offenses.

F3. Is there protection from the illegitimate use of physical force and freedom from war and insurgencies? 4 / 4

In April 2017, an attacker drove a truck through central Stockholm and into a department store, killing 5 people and wounding 10 others. The suspect, an Uzbek citizen whom Swedish officials had once flagged as posing a possible security threat, had seen his residency application rejected in 2016, and had subsequently gone underground in order to avoid deportation. Uzbek officials claimed that he had links to the Islamic State (IS) militant group.

The attack sparked debate in Sweden over intelligence gathering and migration policy. In June, the government and opposition agreed on new antiterrorism measures, which focused on tighter security in public places, greater information sharing between government agencies, and tighter controls on individuals deemed to pose a security threat.

Conditions in prisons and temporary detention facilities are adequate, but concerns have been raised against excessive use of long detention periods. Changes to the law regarding detention have been proposed in the Swedish parliament. Swedish courts have jurisdiction to try suspects for genocide committed abroad.

F4. Do laws, policies, and practices guarantee equal treatment of various segments of the population? 4 / 4

The Swedish state works to ensure equal protection and rights for all members of the population. An equality ombudsman oversees efforts to prevent discrimination on the basis of gender, ethnicity, disability, and sexual orientation. However, the UN has called for the ombudsman’s powers to be strengthening, and has noted problems with discrimination by police and correctional personnel.

In June 2016 the Swedish state was found guilty of ethnic discrimination against 11 Roma people who appeared in a police registry only because of their ethnic identity. The state’s appeal of the case failed and in May 2017, it was ordered to pay 164 million krona ($18.6 million) in compensation to the roughly 4,700 people on the registry.

In May 2017, in the wake of growing right-wing sentiment and increasing immigration from abroad, the Swedish government voted to place limits on parental leave benefits for immigrants.

G. PERSONAL AUTONOMY AND INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS: 16 / 16
G1. Do individuals enjoy freedom of movement, including the ability to change their place of residence, employment, or education? 4 / 4

Freedom of movement is legally guaranteed and generally respected in practice. However, asylum seekers may be assigned to a place of residence, and at times may be forced to change locations. In September 2017, the European Union (EU) ordered Sweden to eliminate checkpoints on its external borders that were instituted during the 2015 refugee crisis.

Helsinki is the second most appealing city in the world for startups.
Nestpick, Startup Cities Index

Helsinki is the most equal city in Europe. (33 cities in the comparison).
Spotahome, Equality in Europe

Helsinki is fifth best in the ability to compete for talented workforce.
INSEAD, Global Cities Talent Competitiveness Index 2018 Rankings

Helsinki is the third best city in terms of technology, innovation and entrepreneurship. (40 cities in the comparison).
J. Gibson, M. Robinson & S. Cain, CITIE – City Initiatives for Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Nesta, Accenture & Catapult 2015)

Among European cities, Helsinki is the fourth best in supporting digital enterprises and entrepreneurs.
Nesta, European Digital City Index 2016

Of European big cities, Helsinki is the easiest and most pleasant to get around in. (20 cities in the comparison).
Politico, Urban Mobility Index

People living in Helsinki are the second most satisfied with cultural facilities among inhabitants of EU capital cities.
Eurostat, Satisfaction with cultural facilities in EU capital cities

Helsinki is the most honest city in the world.
Readers Digest, Most Honest Cities

The Helsinki-Vantaa airport is the best in the world.
Lonely Planet, Helsinki takes the world’s best airport award for 2016

G2. Are individuals able to exercise the right to own property and establish private businesses without undue interference from state or nonstate actors? 4 / 4

The government respects the rights of individuals to own property and establish private businesses. A 2011 Supreme Court ruling granted Sami reindeer herders common-law rights to disputed lands.

G3. Do individuals enjoy personal social freedoms, including choice of marriage partner and size of family, protection from domestic violence, and control over appearance? 4 / 4

Same-sex couples are legally allowed to marry and adopt; lesbian couples have the same rights to artificial insemination and in-vitro fertilization as heterosexual couples. The Lutheran Church allows same-sex marriage ceremonies.

The United Nations has criticized Sweden for not doing enough to prevent domestic violence against women and children.

G4. Do individuals enjoy equality of opportunity and freedom from economic exploitation? 4 / 4

People in Sweden generally enjoy equality of opportunity. Women earn the equivalent of 95.5 percent of men’s wages when differences in age, sector, and experience are taken into account. However, unemployment is higher among immigrants than it is among people who were born in Sweden.

Sweden is a destination and, to a lesser extent, a transit point for women and children trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation, but the Swedish government is proactive in combatting the problem. Nevertheless, the United Nations has pointed out that Sweden lacks robust methods to prevent individuals, especially unaccompanied immigrant children, from falling victim to human trafficking.

And in these we are also at the top of the world
Finland has the third most space per person in Europe.
Eurostat, Population density, persons per km2

Finns drink most coffee per person in the world.
International Coffee Organization, Coffee Trade Statistics

Finns drink the most milk per person in the world.
Dairy Nutrition Council, Maidon kulutus maailmalla 2015 (Milk consumption in the world in 2015)

Finland has the most Summer Olympics medals per capita.
Medals per Capita, Total Medals per Capita: All Time (Summer)

Finnish adults' English skills are the sixth best in a comparison of 80 countries.
Education First (EF), EF English Proficiency Index

The Finnish passport has the third most influence in the world.
Passport Index, Global Passport Power Rank 2018

Finland has the second most islands in the world.
WorldAtlas, Which Country Has the Most Islands?

Finland has the most heavy metal bands per inhabitant in the world.
Big Think, A World Map of Heavy Metal Density

Last updated 5 Dec 2018

Overview:
The United States is arguably the world’s oldest existing democracy. Its people benefit from a vibrant political system, a strong rule-of-law tradition, robust freedoms of expression and religious belief, and a wide array of other civil liberties. However, in recent years its democratic institutions have suffered erosion, as reflected in partisan manipulation of the electoral process, bias and dysfunction in the criminal justice system, and growing disparities in wealth, economic opportunity, and political influence.

Ratings Change:
The United States’ political rights rating declined from 1 to 2 due to growing evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 elections, violations of basic ethical standards by the new administration, and a reduction in government transparency.

Key Developments in 2017:
Newly elected president Donald Trump, who took office in January, defied ethical standards observed by his recent predecessors, for instance by retaining and promoting his private business empire while in office, naming his daughter and son-in-law as presidential advisers, and refusing to divulge his tax records.
The president repeatedly made major policy decisions with little prior consultation or transparency even within the executive branch—including a January executive order restricting travel to the United States from a group of Muslim-majority countries and a July directive that sought to ban transgender people from serving in the military—prompting legal challenges, revisions, and reversals.
Investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election gathered force under the leadership of a special counsel, former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director Robert Mueller. Mueller was appointed in May after Trump fired FBI director James Comey, who had been overseeing the probe.

Executive Summary:
Donald Trump entered the presidency pledging a wholesale transformation of Washington’s priorities and approach to government. His administration set forth new policies on immigration, law enforcement, foreign policy, and international trade. He also deviated from established norms of ethics and transparency, verbally attacked crucial democratic institutions such as the news media and the judiciary, and made inflammatory and often inaccurate statements on a wide range of issues.

The result was a series of angry controversies pitting Trump against the Democratic opposition, the mainstream press, ethics watchdogs, representatives of minority groups, and leaders of his own Republican Party. One of the most serious centered on investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Trump repeatedly denied any collusion between his campaign and Russian representatives, denouncing a Justice Department probe as a “witch hunt” or a “hoax,” and at times appeared to deny that any Russian interference had taken place. In May, Trump fired James Comey, the director of the FBI and the lead official in the Russia investigation, raising concerns that he was attempting to quash the probe. However, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein then appointed a former FBI chief, Robert Mueller, to oversee the case as a special counsel. Attorney General Jeff Sessions had recused himself from any decisions about the investigation due to his own role in the Trump presidential campaign. Mueller’s investigation was ongoing at year’s end.

Despite his 2016 victory, Trump also continued to question the legitimacy of the American electoral process, asserting that between three and five million votes had been cast illegally in the previous year’s balloting. On the basis of these assertions, he established a Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity to investigate the risk of fraud in the election system and recommend remedies. The commission was led by a Kansas official who had repeatedly promoted claims of large-scale voter fraud, which experts insist have no grounding in fact.

Political Rights and Civil Liberties:
POLITICAL RIGHTS: 33 / 40 (−3)
A. ELECTORAL PROCESS: 10 / 12 (−1)
A1. Was the current head of government or other chief national authority elected through free and fair elections? 3 / 4 (−1)

The United States is a presidential republic, with the president serving as both head of state and head of government. Cabinet secretaries and other key officials are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, the upper house of the bicameral Congress. Presidential elections are decided by an Electoral College, with electors apportioned to each state based on the size of its congressional representation. In most cases, all of the electors in a particular state cast their ballots for the candidate who won the statewide popular vote, regardless of the margin. Two states, Maine and Nebraska, have chosen to divide their electoral votes between the candidates based on their popular-vote performance in each congressional district. The Electoral College makes it possible for a candidate to win the presidency while losing the national popular vote, an outcome that took place in the most recent presidential election. In 2016, Trump won the Electoral College vote, 304 to 227, while finishing nearly three million votes behind Democratic Party nominee Hillary Clinton in the popular ballot.

Unlike previous presidential elections, the 2016 contest featured a significant amount of interference from a foreign power. The U.S. intelligence community concluded in October of that year that the Russian government was responsible for stealing and leaking internal documents from the Clinton campaign and the Democratic Party. In early January 2017, top U.S. intelligence agencies issued a more comprehensive assessment, finding that the Russian leadership had carried out a broad campaign to undermine public faith in the democratic process, denigrate Clinton, and aid Trump’s election chances. It included hacking of multiple targets, such as both major political parties and some electoral boards, as well as propaganda disseminated by Russian state media. Revelations later in 2017 centered on Russian agents’ alleged exploitation of leading social media platforms to spread divisive and misleading messages among U.S. voters. Facebook alone reported in October that tens of thousands of such Russian-linked posts may have reached 126 million Americans during the election cycle.

While there was no clear evidence that these tactics altered the outcome of the presidential election, they did alter the campaign environment and the content of the political debate, and harmed public confidence in the integrity of the election process.

Throughout 2017, the Justice Department investigated the possibility that the Trump campaign had colluded or coordinated with the Russian government’s efforts. The probe was overseen by FBI director James Comey until May, when Trump fired him. It was then taken up by Mueller, the special counsel appointed by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

As Mueller’s investigation—and parallel investigations by congressional committees—continued, the White House denied that any collusion took place and sometimes cast doubt on whether the Russian government had interfered in the election at all. The new administration took no major steps during 2017 to prevent such interference in future elections.

Score Change: The score declined from 4 to 3 due to growing evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 election campaign and a lack of action by the Trump administration to prevent a reoccurrence of such meddling.
A2. Were the current national legislative representatives elected through free and fair elections? 4 / 4

The Senate consists of 100 members—two from each of the 50 states regardless of population—serving six-year terms, with one-third coming up for election every two years. The lower chamber, the House of Representatives, consists of 435 members serving two-year terms. All national legislators are elected directly by voters in the districts or states that they represent.

The capital district, Puerto Rico, and four overseas U.S. territories are each represented by an elected delegate in the House who can perform most legislative functions but cannot participate in floor votes.

Congressional elections are generally free and competitive, though partisan gerrymandering of House districts is a growing concern. In the 2016 elections, the Republican Party retained control of the Senate with 52 seats. Democrats hold 46 seats, and there are two independent senators who generally vote with the Democrats. Republicans also retained their majority in the House, taking 241 seats, versus 194 for the Democrats. At the state level, Republicans maintained control over the majority of legislatures and governors’ posts. Turnout for the 2016 general elections was approximately 56 percent of voting-age citizens, roughly in line with past elections.

Matti Ensio Nykänen (About this soundpronunciation (help·info)) (born 17 July 1963) is a Finnish former ski jumper who competed from 1981 to 1991. Widely considered to be the greatest male ski jumper of all time,[1][2][3][4][5][6] he won five Winter Olympic medals (four gold), nine World Championship medals (five gold), and 22 Finnish Championship medals (13 gold). Most notably, he won three gold medals at the 1988 Winter Olympics, becoming, along with Yvonne van Gennip of the Netherlands, the most successful athlete at that event.

While Russian interference may have had an indirect effect on congressional campaigns, its impact was most apparent in the presidential contest.

A3. Are the electoral laws and framework fair, and are they implemented impartially by the relevant election management bodies? 3 / 4

Critics have argued that the Electoral College system for presidential elections is undemocratic, as it violates the principle that each citizen’s vote should carry equal weight. Similar complaints have been made regarding the Senate, which grants each state two seats regardless of population. Defenders of these systems argue that they are fundamental to the United States’ federal structure, in which the states enjoy a substantial degree of autonomy, and that they ensure due political attention to all parts of the country’s territory.

While state borders are permanent, the borders of House districts are redrawn regularly—typically after each decennial census. In a practice known as gerrymandering, House districts, and those for state legislatures, are often crafted to maximize the advantage of the party in power in a given state. The redistricting system varies by state, but in most cases it is overseen by elected officials, and observers have expressed alarm at the growing strategic and technical sophistication of partisan efforts to capture state legislatures, control redistricting processes, and apply the latest data analysis to redraw maps.

In May 2017, President Trump issued an executive order creating a Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, with a mission to study and report on the registration and voting processes used in federal elections—particularly those that could lead to improper or fraudulent voting.

>Have played numerous games of Dota with Syrian people from Damascus, they were always cheerful and free to state their opinion (that X teammate sucks because Y)
>Never have played one (1) game with a North Korean

Really makes you think about this Index

The commission, which was not tasked with examining issues such as foreign interference or gerrymandering, was widely seen as an effort to follow up on Trump’s unsubstantiated assertion that between three and five million votes were cast illegally in the 2016 elections, costing him the popular vote. The commission, chaired by the vice president, included several prominent advocates of greater voting restrictions; its Republican vice chair and de facto leader, Kansas secretary of state Kris Kobach, has repeatedly asserted that voter fraud is a major problem in the United States. That claim is disputed by academic research and bipartisan state-level reports finding that fraud is extremely rare. Democratic members of the commission criticized its leadership for operating in secrecy and denying them basic information about its activities, in apparent violation of federal law.

B. POLITICAL PLURALISM AND PARTICIPATION: 14 / 16
B1. Do the people have the right to organize in different political parties or other competitive political groupings of their choice, and is the system free of undue obstacles to the rise and fall of these competing parties or groupings? 4 / 4

The intensely competitive U.S. political environment is dominated by two major parties, the right-leaning Republicans and the left-leaning Democrats. The country’s “first past the post” or majoritarian electoral system discourages the emergence of additional parties, as do a number of specific legal and other hurdles. However, the two parties’ primary elections allow for an array of views and candidates to enter the political system. In the 2016 primaries, Trump, himself an unorthodox Republican with no experience in government, defeated not only mainstream politicians but also opponents whose positions ranged from libertarian to Christian conservative.

Clinton won her party’s nomination after a powerful challenge by Senator Bernard Sanders, a socialist who subsequently secured changes to the party platform.

A number of independent or third-party candidates have significantly influenced presidential races or won statewide office, and small parties—such as the Libertarian Party and the Green Party—have also modestly affected state and local politics in recent years.

B2. Is there a realistic opportunity for the opposition to increase its support or gain power through elections? 4 / 4

Despite the domination of political affairs by the two major parties, the United States has one of the world’s most dynamic political systems. Power changes hands regularly at the federal level, and while certain states and localities are seen as partisan strongholds, even they are subject to stiff competition and power transfers over time. As of 2017, the Democrats held 15 state governorships, while Republicans held 34, and the balance in state legislatures was similar. The Republicans’ slim majority in the U.S. Senate was set to shrink to a single seat in early 2018, after Democrat Doug Jones defeated Republican Roy Moore in a December 2017 special election to fill the seat vacated by Jeff Sessions of Alabama when he became attorney general. The seat was last held by a Democrat in 1997.

B3. Are the people’s political choices free from domination by the military, foreign powers, religious hierarchies, economic oligarchies, or any other powerful group that is not democratically accountable? 3 / 4

The influence of traditional party leadership bodies has steadily declined in recent decades, while various interest groups have come to play a potent role in the nominating process for president and members of Congress. This is partly because the expense and length of political campaigns places a premium on candidates’ ability to raise large amounts of funds from major donors, especially at the early stages of a race. While there have been a number of attempts to restrict the role of money in political campaigning, most have been thwarted or watered down as a result of political opposition, lobbying by interest groups, and court decisions that protect political donations as a form of free speech.

During the full two-year cycle ahead of the 2016 election, Clinton’s presidential campaign raised more than $600 million, compared with Trump’s $400 million, according to the Campaign Finance Institute. However, their fundraising efforts were more closely matched during the general election period. While Trump was able to raise more than half of his campaign contributions in the form of donations of $200 or less, outperforming Clinton in that respect, major donors provide an enormous share of U.S. campaign contributions that has grown over time. Fewer than 25,000 individuals reportedly supplied some 40 percent of all contributions in 2016, and a far smaller number of extremely wealthy and prolific donors are especially sought after by candidates, raising concerns about undue influence.

In an unusual move, President Trump filed the initial documents for a 2020 reelection bid on the day of his inauguration in January 2017, and proceeded to raise funds and hold campaign events throughout the year.

B4. Do various segments of the population (including ethnic, religious, gender, LGBT, and other relevant groups) have full political rights and electoral opportunities? 3 / 4

A number of important laws are designed to ensure the political rights of racial and ethnic minorities. However, in 2013 the Supreme Court invalidated portions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, a measure adopted to deal with racial discrimination in voting procedures. As a result, certain states that previously had to submit legal changes for preclearance by federal authorities were able to adopt election laws without prior review. A number of states, including some that were never subject to the preclearance rule, have enacted laws that require voters to present specific forms of identification, rolled back innovations like early voting that contributed to higher rates of minority participation, or altered polling locations in ways that could disproportionately harm minority voters. Some of these state laws have been struck down by federal courts, but 14 states had new restrictive voting laws in place for the 2016 elections—the first presidential vote since the 2013 Supreme Court ruling.