Pro-Choice Values Exist — But Not in How We Measure Democracy

Questioning Key Political Science Explanatory Tool

The Index of Emancipative Values is widely used but often flawed. This article reveals its measurement model has significant misspecifications.

Inconsistent Scale Across Cultural Zones and Countries

Analysis shows the IEV scale isn't invariant across cultural zones or countries within the World Values Survey data.

Mixing Different Value Dimensions

The index mixes various value dimensions, which distorts their true associations with political outcomes like effective democracy.

Novel Bayesian Approach Reveals Pro-Choice Subdimension

Using a new approximate Bayesian method,

• Researchers identify that 'pro-choice' values likely form a distinct subdimension measurable cross-nationally.

Conceptual Debate Contribution

The study also advances the discussion on whether emancipative values are reflective or formative constructs by offering empirical evidence and thought experiments.