<p>The choice of variables will depend on what, exactly, you try to model. Social policies, economic policies, etc?</p>
<p>A key resource are the world bank's <a href="https://databank.worldbank.org/source/world-development-indicators" rel="nofollow noreferrer">world development indicators</a>. You find indices there regarding the regulatory environment, human capital, social protection, etc.</p>
<p>One of the better known indicators is the &quot;Ease of doing business&quot; <a href="https://www.doingbusiness.org/en/rankings" rel="nofollow noreferrer">one</a>, also from the world bank.</p>
<p>The world bank has also indicators dedicated specifically to the <strong>rule of law/governance</strong> <a href="https://databank.worldbank.org/source/worldwide-governance-indicators" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a>, such as &quot;rule of law&quot; &amp; &quot;government effectiveness&quot;.</p>
<p>Regarding Covid-Restrictions: check out the <a href="https://www.bsg.ox.ac.uk/research/research-projects/covid-19-government-response-tracker" rel="nofollow noreferrer">government response tracker</a> (also called stringency index) by the Blavatnik School of Governance.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-29T14:51:35.767Z
Thanks, BrsG, but it seems that your indicator is not really relevant to the geopolitical variables as mentioned. I am examining how effective the different governments are in implementing the laws. Therefore, my concern is not the economic side, but the political effective side.
Phil Nguyen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-29T15:02:10.077Z
@BeautifulMindset: by implementing to you mean applying/executing? Any law in particular, or "law" in general.
BrsG
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-29T15:04:26.217Z
for example, the state capacity (ability of a government to accomplish policy goal) of the governments
Phil Nguyen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-29T15:05:15.383Z
In specific, for example, governments ask people to stay at home during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Phil Nguyen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-29T15:11:07.367Z
Added further sources on governance & covid restrictions.
BrsG
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-29T15:14:34.537Z
Thanks, @BrsG, it is a really big help, actually, I got the data from WGI and Blavatnik school already. Now I am looking for something relating to **geopolitical variables**. I am wondering if you can provide any suggestions about such a type of variable.
Phil Nguyen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-29T15:23:33.703Z
@BeautifulMindset: I think all the most of the indicators carried by the sources I mentioned would typically be qualified as geopolitical. They are geopolitical in particular because they allow variables related to policies across geographies. For example you can rank all countries by their "rule of law" index.  So not sure what more do you want :).
BrsG
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-29T15:30:21.237Z
Hi @BrsG, thank you for your dedicated answer, but I am wondering "Geopolitics traditionally indicates the links and causal relationships between political power and geographic space", so I mean, any of these indices above not really relating to the "relation between political power and geographic space". Hope that I did not misunderstand you
Phil Nguyen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-29T15:30:49.883Z
For example: the variable "government effectiveness" captures, among others: "..the quality of *policy formulation and implementation*, and the credibility of the government's commitment to such policies.."
BrsG
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-29T15:36:15.720Z
Sorry if my explanation confused you. Geopolitics is how geographical factor affects the national behaviors. More specific, geopolitic examines some factors as: geography, natural resources, population,... affects a country's foreign policy and the position of this country in international system
Phil Nguyen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-29T15:45:02.970Z
Alright, I think I understand. You could consider: spending on the military, trade agreements, research agreements and size of trade relationships, voting power in international bodies, closeness of government systems, to which countries does a given country provide aid, etc. I don't know of any particular sources in that regard, and you might need to collect/construct such measures individually. Btw, the quote you refer to seems more a motivation for the analysis of the underlying paper rather than a strict one.
BrsG
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-29T15:49:30.973Z
Thanks a heap, I learnt a lot from the discussion with you, @BrsG :D
Phil Nguyen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-29T14:40:25.573Z
2021-07-29T15:06:34.417Z
2021-07-29T15:06:34.417Z
BrsG
<p>Normally, we control for geography variables in some economic studies. However, in the study examining how well the government implements the laws and orders, my advisor told me that we can think of the &quot;geopolitical variables&quot;.</p>
<p>From <a href="https://www.ecb.europa.eu/pub/pdf/scpwps/ecbwp965.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Reynaud(2008)</a>, geopolitic is</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Geopolitics traditionally indicates the links and causal relationships
between political power and geographic space; in concrete terms it is
often seen as a body of thought assaying specific strategic
prescriptions based on the relative importance of land power</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In another word, &quot;<strong>Geopolitics</strong>&quot; is how geographical factor affects the national behaviors. More specific, geopolitic examines some factors as: geography, natural resources, population,... affects a country's foreign policy and the position of this country in international system</p>
<p>I am wondering if there is any popular geopolitical variable in published resource?</p>

<international-economics><political>
Asking for some geopolitical variables suggestion
Phil Nguyen
# Asking for some geopolitical variables suggestion

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-07-29)

Normally, we control for geography variables in some economic studies. However, in the study examining how well the government implements the laws and orders, my advisor told me that we can think of the "geopolitical variables".

From [Reynaud(2008)](https://www.ecb.europa.eu/pub/pdf/scpwps/ecbwp965.pdf), geopolitic is

> Geopolitics traditionally indicates the links and causal relationships
> between political power and geographic space; in concrete terms it is
> often seen as a body of thought assaying specific strategic
> prescriptions based on the relative importance of land power

In another word, "**Geopolitics**" is how geographical factor affects the national behaviors. More specific, geopolitic examines some factors as: geography, natural resources, population,... affects a country's foreign policy and the position of this country in international system

I am wondering if there is any popular geopolitical variable in published resource?

**Tags:** international-economics, political

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-07-29. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

The choice of variables will depend on what, exactly, you try to model. Social policies, economic policies, etc?

A key resource are the world bank's [world development indicators](https://databank.worldbank.org/source/world-development-indicators). You find indices there regarding the regulatory environment, human capital, social protection, etc.

One of the better known indicators is the "Ease of doing business" [one](https://www.doingbusiness.org/en/rankings), also from the world bank.

The world bank has also indicators dedicated specifically to the **rule of law/governance** [here](https://databank.worldbank.org/source/worldwide-governance-indicators), such as "rule of law" & "government effectiveness".

Regarding Covid-Restrictions: check out the [government response tracker](https://www.bsg.ox.ac.uk/research/research-projects/covid-19-government-response-tracker) (also called stringency index) by the Blavatnik School of Governance.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks, BrsG, but it seems that your indicator is not really relevant to the geopolitical variables as mentioned. I am examining how effective the different governments are in implementing the laws. Therefore, my concern is not the economic side, but the political effective side.  
> **username_1**: @BeautifulMindset: by implementing to you mean applying/executing? Any law in particular, or "law" in general.  
> **username_0**: for example, the state capacity (ability of a government to accomplish policy goal) of the governments  
> **username_0**: In specific, for example, governments ask people to stay at home during the Covid-19 pandemic.  
> **username_1**: Added further sources on governance & covid restrictions.  
> **username_0**: Thanks, @BrsG, it is a really big help, actually, I got the data from WGI and Blavatnik school already. Now I am looking for something relating to **geopolitical variables**. I am wondering if you can provide any suggestions about such a type of variable.  
> **username_1**: @BeautifulMindset: I think all the most of the indicators carried by the sources I mentioned would typically be qualified as geopolitical. They are geopolitical in particular because they allow variables related to policies across geographies. For example you can rank all countries by their "rule of law" index.  So not sure what more do you want :).  
> **username_0**: Hi @BrsG, thank you for your dedicated answer, but I am wondering "Geopolitics traditionally indicates the links and causal relationships between political power and geographic space", so I mean, any of these indices above not really relating to the "relation between political power and geographic space". Hope that I did not misunderstand you  
> **username_1**: For example: the variable "government effectiveness" captures, among others: "..the quality of *policy formulation and implementation*, and the credibility of the government's commitment to such policies.."  
> **username_0**: Sorry if my explanation confused you. Geopolitics is how geographical factor affects the national behaviors. More specific, geopolitic examines some factors as: geography, natural resources, population,... affects a country's foreign policy and the position of this country in international system  
> **username_1**: Alright, I think I understand. You could consider: spending on the military, trade agreements, research agreements and size of trade relationships, voting power in international bodies, closeness of government systems, to which countries does a given country provide aid, etc. I don't know of any particular sources in that regard, and you might need to collect/construct such measures individually. Btw, the quote you refer to seems more a motivation for the analysis of the underlying paper rather than a strict one.  
> **username_0**: Thanks a heap, I learnt a lot from the discussion with you, @BrsG :D  

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