ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the conceptualization of repression and the coding scheme used for purposes of the Political Terror Scale (PTS). It reviews core findings of analysis of the PTS data, in relation to contexts of civil conflict, differences in regime types, and differences in levels of development. The PTS is not intended to capture the full range of political repression, including those other aspects that may not necessarily involve violence, such as restrictions on individuals and groups, threats of coercion, and suppression of dissent. Since 1989, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has also published an annual report on human rights practices in individual countries. By contrast, liberal democratic regimes, which are premised on human dignity and respect for individual rights and freedoms, typically display the lowest levels of physical violations. Economic development often correlates with high levels of bureaucratic and institutional capacity. Democratic institutions became increasingly institutionalized in states such as Bulgaria, Czech Republic, and Poland.
