December 18, 2012
Molly McPup

Introduction to Research Methods in Political Science:
The POWERMUTT* Project
(SPSS Version)

*Politically-Oriented Web-Enhanced Research Methods for Undergraduates — Topics and Tools
Resources for introductory research methods courses in political science and related disciplines

TABLE
OF
CONTENTS

CODEBOOK: Countries Data (countries.sav)

Source (including variable descriptions): Except as noted, the CIA World Factbook (Washington D.C.: U.S. Central Intellligence Agency) https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html. The online version of this publication is updated weekly, and was accessed on August 5-9, 2010. This file includes data for all 194 entities listed as independent states in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index 2009.” http://www.transparency.org/.  ( Accessed August 9, 2010.)

Missing Data: sysmis (all variables)

Note: Some variables are defined differently by different countries and data for a given variable may be from different years.

Variable
Name


Variable
Label

name
region
population
urban
poverty
migration
lifeexp
fertility
education
military
gdpcapita
unemployment
inequality
inflation
exports
imports
internet
corruption
polrights
civillib


Country name
Region of world
Population
Percent urban
Percent below poverty line
Net migration
Life expectancy at birth
Total fertility rate
Public expenditure on education as a percent of GDP
Military expenditure as percent of GDP
Gross Domestic Product per capita
Unemployment rate
Inequality of income distribution
Inflation rate
Exports
Imports
Inrternet users
Corruption Perception Index
Political rights
Civil liberties


name


Country name


region










Region of World. Based on categories in Yahoo at http://dir.yahoo.com/Regional/Regions/. Accessed October 7, 2003.

1  Africa (excluding Middle East)
2  Asia (excluding Middle East)
3  Caribbean
4  Central America
5  Europe
6  Middle East
7  North America
8  Oceania
9  South America


population


Population


urban


Percent urban. The percentage of the total population living in urban areas, as defined by the country.


poverty


Percent below povertry line. National estimates of the percentage of the population falling below the poverty line are based on surveys of sub-groups, with the results weighted by the number of people in each group. Definitions of poverty vary considerably among nations. For example, rich nations generally employ more generous standards of poverty than poor nations.


migration





Net Migration Rate.
The difference between the number of persons entering and leaving a country during the year per 1,000 persons (based on midyear population). An excess of persons entering the country is referred to as net immigration (e.g., 3.56 migrants/1,000 population); an excess of persons leaving the country as net emigration (e.g., -9.26 migrants/1,000 population). The net migration rate indicates the contribution of migration to the overall level of population change. The net migration rate does not distinguish between economic migrants, refugees, and other types of migrants nor does it distinguish between lawful migrants and undocumented migrants.


lifeexp


Life expectancy at birth. The average number of years to be lived by a group of people born in the same year, if mortality at each age remains constant in the future. The entry includes total population as well as the male and female components. Life expectancy at birth is also a measure of overall quality of life in a country and summarizes the mortality at all ages.


fertility



Total fertility rate. The average number of children that would be born per woman if all women lived to the end of their childbearing years and bore children according to a given fertility rate at each age. The total fertility rate (TFR) is a more direct measure of the level of fertility than the crude birth rate, since it refers to births per woman. This indicator shows the potential for population change in the country. A rate of two children per woman is considered the replacement rate for a population, resulting in relative stability in terms of total numbers.


education


Public expenditure on education as a percent of GDP.


military


Military expenditure as percent of GDP.


gdpcapita


Gross Domestic Product per capita. GDP on a purchasing power parity basis divided by population as of 1 July for the same year.


unemployment


Unemployment rate. The percent of the labor force that is without jobs.


inequality






Inequality of income distribution. The degree of inequality in the distribution of family income in a country. The index is calculated from the Lorenz curve, in which cumulative family income is plotted against the number of families arranged from the poorest to the richest. The index is the ratio of (a) the area between a country's Lorenz curve and the 45 degree helping line to (b) the entire triangular area under the 45 degree line. The more nearly equal a country's income distribution, the closer its Lorenz curve to the 45 degree line and the lower its Gini index. The more unequal a country's income distribution, the farther its Lorenz curve from the 45 degree line and the higher its Gini index. If income were distributed with perfect equality, the Lorenz curve would coincide with the 45 degree line and the index would be zero; if income were distributed with perfect inequality, the Lorenz curve would coincide with the horizontal axis and the right vertical axis and the index would be 100.


inflation


Inflation rate. The annual percent change in consumer prices compared with the previous year's consumer prices


exports


Exports. The total US dollar amount of merchandise exports on an f.o.b. (free on board) basis. These figures are calculated on an exchange rate basis, i.e., not in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms.


imports


Imports. the total US dollar amount of merchandise imports on a c.i.f. (cost, insurance, and freight) or f.o.b. (free on board) basis. These figures are calculated on an exchange rate basis, i.e., not in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms.


internet


Internet users. The number of users within a country that access the Internet. Statistics vary from country to country and may include users who access the Internet at least several times a week to those who access it only once within a period of several months.


corruption



Corruption Perceptions Index, 2009. A measure of the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials and politicians.
(0 = most corrupt; 10 = least corrupt).
Source: “Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index 2009.” http://www.transparency.org/. Accessed August 9, 2010.


polrights


Political Rights Index, 2010 (1 = highest; 7 = lowest)
Source: “Freedom House Country Rankings,” http://www.freedomhouse.org/. Accessed August 9, 1010.


civillib


Civil Liberty Index, 2010 (1 = highest; 7 = lowest)
Source: “Freedom House Country Rankings,” http://www.freedomhouse.org/. Accessed August 9, 1010.


Except where indicated, © 2003-2012  John L. Korey

Last Updated: December 18, 2012