Measuring Israeli Democracy (2011): Epistemological, Methodological, and Ethical Dilemmas

This paper aims at presenting, from a reflective perspective, the various dilemmas facing the team conducting the Israeli Democracy Index annual research project in general and its 2011 edition in particular. After dealing generally with the issue of measuring democracy and contextualizing this project in the "universe" of similar measurements/indices/barometers, the article will focus on the epistemological, methodological, and ethical dilemmas to be dealt with when assessing—by surveying public opinion—the democratic qualities of the Israeli regime, which are closely linked, it will be maintained here, to its unique political system and complex political situation. This will be done with a number of illustrations and through references to findings of the latest, as well as previous, Israeli Democracy annual reports.