Scoring worse than its close ally US, United Kingdom notches up a score of 8.15, barely managing to hold on to the category of 'full democracies', comprising nations that have scored 8 and above. It is ranked at no. 21.
"In the UK there has also been some erosion of civil liberties, but there the main feature is a decline in political participation that has been of shocking proportions. According to our index, the UK political participation score is the lowest in the developed West and is reflected across all dimensions -- voting turnout, membership of political parties, willingness to engage in and attitudes to political activity," states the Economist Intelligence Unit.
Image: Pedestrians in front of Buckingham Palace in London.
Photograph: Stephen Hird/Reuters
Also see: PM meets Obama in London
Advertisement
