India's democracy: Slip-slidin' away

India is indicted as a "backslider" since the quality of democracy has noticeably declined over the past ten years and especially sharply declined since 2014

The Varieties of Democracy Report  for 2018 (V-Dem) provides the most sweeping global examination of democracy. It covers 178 countries, crunches a large number of indicators, and adds a deep historical perspective. This monumental study from the University of Gothenburg is rigorous, with a global team of 3,000 researchers ensuring deep local knowledge. It's also backed by the  European Union and funded by a multitude of different (government and non-government) institutions and think tanks, so access to data is solid. 

The methodology involves classifying nations on a combination of variables and then checking for changes in overall democratic status, or