INTERMEDIARY ORGANIZATIONS
Key findings
Do intermediary organizations provide both advice and a check on government actions?
Intermediary organizations' scores are weighted composites. The first three indicators [ 
] account for one-third of the total score, the following three indicators [ ] account for an additional one-third, and the final two [ ] comprise the final one-third.
Scores and methodology
] account for one-third of the total score, the following three indicators [ ] account for an additional one-third, and the final two [ ] comprise the final one-third. Scores and methodology
Intermediary organizationsKey findings: Intermediary organizations' participatory competence
Each 
represents an individual country and is positioned on a scale from 1 (lowest) to 10 (best). Position cursor over to see scores for individual countries.
Click country name in list or text for details.
represents an individual country and is positioned on a scale from 1 (lowest) to 10 (best). Position cursor over to see scores for individual countries.Click country name in list or text for details.
Score distribution
9.3
1
8.1
2
8.1
7.3
4
7.1
5
7.1
7.0
7
6.8
8
6.8
6.8
In this top group, high-quality media reporting is common, and political organizations are typically responsible and influential.
In virtually all these nations, the media provides substantial information on political issues. Public media is particularly relevant in Sweden and Austria, while Iceland’s private media has greater independence than does do public broadcasters.
The major parties offer coherent agendas in most of these nations (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Canada). No extremist parties exist in Norway, Sweden, Finland or Iceland.
Major interest groups are reasonable and influential in most countries in this group (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Canada, Germany, Austria).
Major interest groups are reasonable and influential in most countries in this group (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Canada, Germany, Austria).
In virtually all these nations, the media provides substantial information on political issues. Public media is particularly relevant in Sweden and Austria, while Iceland’s private media has greater independence than does do public broadcasters.
The major parties offer coherent agendas in most of these nations (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Canada). No extremist parties exist in Norway, Sweden, Finland or Iceland.
Major interest groups are reasonable and influential in most countries in this group (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Canada, Germany, Austria).
Major interest groups are reasonable and influential in most countries in this group (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Canada, Germany, Austria).
In this middle group, patterns of influence and professionalism among social groups vary, with some weak areas evident.
The quality of media varies substantially in the United States and Australia, but is generally good in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic.
Major parties produce coherent agendas in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic and Australia, but rarely in the United States.
Major interest groups are typically influential and reasonable in the United States and the Netherlands, and less so in the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic.
The quality of media varies substantially in the United States and Australia, but is generally good in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic.
Major parties produce coherent agendas in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic and Australia, but rarely in the United States.
Major interest groups are typically influential and reasonable in the United States and the Netherlands, and less so in the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic.
5.4
17
5.3
18
5.2
19
5.1
20
5.0
21
4.9
22
4.7
23
4.6
24
4.5
25
4.3
26
4.1
27
4.0
28
4.0
3.6
30
In this lower group, countries show varied patterns of social group influence, with persistent or broad-ranging weaknesses.
Media reporting is often superficial or biased in a number of countries (Spain, New Zealand, Belgium (Wallonia), Italy, Greece, France). Portugal and Japan generally display more high quality reporting on government affairs.
Parties produce coherent agendas in Spain and New Zealand, but much less so in Hungary, Poland and Turkey. Elections focus heavily on personalities, at the expense of platforms, in South Korea and France.
Interest groups are weak in many countries (Spain, Portugal, New Zealand, Japan, Hungary, Greece, France). Persistent conflict lessens their impact in Italy.
Right-wing or populist parties are influential in Slovakia, Belgium and Poland. Civil society in Mexico is strengthening, but from a relatively low base.
Media reporting is often superficial or biased in a number of countries (Spain, New Zealand, Belgium (Wallonia), Italy, Greece, France). Portugal and Japan generally display more high quality reporting on government affairs.
Parties produce coherent agendas in Spain and New Zealand, but much less so in Hungary, Poland and Turkey. Elections focus heavily on personalities, at the expense of platforms, in South Korea and France.
Interest groups are weak in many countries (Spain, Portugal, New Zealand, Japan, Hungary, Greece, France). Persistent conflict lessens their impact in Italy.
Right-wing or populist parties are influential in Slovakia, Belgium and Poland. Civil society in Mexico is strengthening, but from a relatively low base.
Rationale
Political parties, media organizations and interest associations collectively constitute a social infrastructure, acting as intermediary organizations between government and society.
By aggregating and articulating social interests, they exert a major influence on governments' interactions with society at large.
This criterion analyzes the extent to which each of these three types of actors in fact represents social interests, and whether they evaluate or inform government actions in a professional, policy-oriented way.
Performance comparison
Use drop-down menus for selections. In all cases, higher scores reflect better performance.
