Survey Says ... Study measures adherence to rule of law by U.S. and other nations

February 23, 2010

[SOURCE - Stephen Ravenscraft]

[SOURCE - James Podgers - ABA Journal] When it comes to following the rule of law, the United States has room for improvement, according to data presented in the first formal version of a study that seeks to measure adherence to fundamental legal principles by nations around the world.

Study findings suggest government, the courts and other legal institutions in the U.S. generally meet a high standard in most of 15 key measures of adherence to the rule of law. But when compared to the collective performance of 10 other highly developed countries, the U.S. scores below the aggregate in 13 areas, and above the aggregate in only two.

The findings indicate that, at least in the view of respondents surveyed during 2009, the U.S. lags behind its peer nations primarily in its adherence to international rule of law principles, according to the Rule of Law Index (PDF) released Nov. 11 by the World Justice Project.

The study puts U.S. compliance with international law at 0.39 on a scale that tops out at 1. The U.S. score is only 59 percent of the..read more..