NationStates Jolt Archive

This is a question regarding rating your nation according to in-game data on freedom based on nation type (authoritarianism vs libertarianism), economy (frightening versus imploded), population, and size of government (tax rate).

As some of you may know, I'm doing studies on nations here (still 15 slots left), and aside from merely tracking data, I'm hoping to add "scorings" on economy, freedom, and overall. In working with preliminary data, so far I've discovered several different ways based on the factors involved (and also based on how these factors are combined), and to decide which one I will be using in general, I'm asking you, NS.

Please take this easy and hopefully not confusing questionnaire, everybody.

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1. What are, in your opinion, factors that should be taken into account when scoring the ECONOMY. (The Economy rating given in the game, i.e Powerhouse, etc, is a given. This is asking about other factors to be included to give a more refined, numerical score.)

A. Population (more pop = higher score)
B. Economic freedom
C. Tax rate (with taxes subtracting from the score)
D. Tax rate (with taxes adding to score)
E. Total freedom (personal, political, and economic)
F. A and B
G. A and E
H. A, B, and C
I. A, B, and D
J. A, E, and C
K. A, E, and D
L. B and C
M. B and D
N. E and C
O. E and D
P. Other, please explain

2. What are, in your opinion, factors that should be taken into account when scoring FREEDOM (the base freedom you get from your nation type, i.e psychotic dictatorships have low and anarchies have high freedom, is a given. This is asking about the other factors to include.)

A. Population (more pop = higher score)
B. Tax rate, subtracting much from score
C. Tax rate, subtracting a little from score
D. A and B
E. A and C

3. How would you most like to have your "overall" score based on the above?

A. No overall score, just independent economy and freedom scores
B. Economy and freedom scores combined (multiplied or added)
C. Economy and freedom scores, but one or more calculated differently from how I answered the first two questions, and combined
D. Other, explain.

Personally, I'd do it this way.

1. H, or maybe L. H would be like GDP kinda, and L would be like GDP per capita.

2. D. I choose pop because in a sense, having MORE people who are QUITE free is better than having FEW people who are TOTALLY free, in a cosmic sense. And I chose tax rate subtracting much from score, because a high tax rate in this game correlates to a huge government, and if government is taking everything people earn it's not leaving them much room to do anything on their own, economically, personally, politically.

3. C. I'd combine them differently so as to be independent of population, whereas the first two scores would be "raw" and dependent on pop, because high population really only indicates you've been playing this game far too long, like me, and shouldn't be rewarded. Then again maybe it should be B....

1. What are, in your opinion, factors that should be taken into account when scoring the ECONOMY. (The Economy rating given in the game, i.e Powerhouse, etc, is a given. This is asking about other factors to be included to give a more refined, numerical score.)

I. A, B, and D

2. What are, in your opinion, factors that should be taken into account when scoring FREEDOM (the base freedom you get from your nation type, i.e psychotic dictatorships have low and anarchies have high freedom, is a given. This is asking about the other factors to include.)

D. A and B

3. How would you most like to have your "overall" score based on the above?

B. Economy and freedom scores combined (multiplied or added)

Bump

Bump

Bump

1. G
2. E
3. A

1) I

2) E

3) B

1. I
2. C
3. A

1. H
2. C
3. A

1) G. A and E (Total freedom (personal, political, and economic), and population)

2) E. A and C (Population, tax rate subtracting a LITTLE from the score)

3) A. No overall score, just seperate Economic and Freedom scores.

1. What are, in your opinion, factors that should be taken into account when scoring the ECONOMY. (The Economy rating given in the game, i.e Powerhouse, etc, is a given. This is asking about other factors to be included to give a more refined, numerical score.)

P. Other,

There should be two ratings here.
1: Mean (Average) or medan income (based on economy listing, NS "fastest growing economy" score, and NS "distribution of wealth" score). This is the wealth of individuals of a nation compared to individuals of other nations.
2: Overall national income, either GDP or GNP...just AverageIncome * Population as we see in the real world. The average/mean income should come from the first score above (using the two NS scores).

Tax rates should NOT be included for four reasons.
1: In the real world, we HAVE seen the USSR (communist) as an industrial superpower. So even 100% tax rates don't mean a truely broke nation.
2: In NS, we DO see communist (100% tax rate) nations with great economies (SeOCC)...even if they have to "cheat" the system to do it.
3: NS has a larger variety of economic models then the real world, and we can't take all their subtitles into account.
4: Tax rates in NS often vary as much as 10% a day.




2. What are, in your opinion, factors that should be taken into account when scoring FREEDOM (the base freedom you get from your nation type, i.e psychotic dictatorships have low and anarchies have high freedom, is a given. This is asking about the other factors to include.)

A. Population (more pop = higher score)
B. Tax rate, subtracting much from score
C. Tax rate, subtracting a little from score
D. A and B
E. A and C


None of the above. Capitalists would see capitalism as more economically free (people can spend or invest money as they choose). Communists/Socialists would see their system as more free (no one controlling the working class).

Maybe two seperate scores are in order. A capitalist view (B or C) and a communist view (opposite of B or C, add freedoms for higher tax rates).


3. How would you most like to have your "overall" score based on the above?

A. No overall score, just independent economy and freedom scores
B. Economy and freedom scores combined (multiplied or added)
C. Economy and freedom scores, but one or more calculated differently from how I answered the first two questions, and combined
D. Other, explain.

A.

1. P. A and D. Because I just think this way. No real reason besides me thinking that a higher economy plus a higher population equals a stronger economy

2. E.

3. A.

TAG, for the purpose of a closer look later on.

1. J
2. C
3. B

1. H
2. E
3. C

1. A, B, and D.

2. C.

3. C.

1) I

2) C

3) A

1. N.

2. C.

3. B.

There should be two ratings here.
1: Mean (Average) or medan income (based on economy listing, NS "fastest growing economy" score, and NS "distribution of wealth" score). This is the wealth of individuals of a nation compared to individuals of other nations.
2: Overall national income, either GDP or GNP...just AverageIncome * Population as we see in the real world. The average/mean income should come from the first score above (using the two NS scores).


Hmm, well I was hoping to avoid hard numbers like GDP and such-- I wanted only a comparitive used to rank nations according to their economic strength in game terms. The problem with GDP is, well, it's pretty hard to calculate. I know 4 ways to do it in economics, and they all use numbers that NS doesn't offer.

I like the idea of a mean and overall. Simple, tells a story.

Problem with using the fastest growing economy score is, you can (in NS and RL) have a fast growing economy and low levels of wealth. In fact, rapid growth can be a detriment to the economy. In NS, we often see that the fastest growing economies are not the strongest in the other economic rankings.

However, distribution of wealth scores would be good for that regard, but then I'm not sure how many UN rankings I want to have to [wait for] and keep track of. Sunset's UN ranking page will not help here, since it has to be on the same day the study is done, and many nations being studied are not on that ranking page anyway.


Tax rates should NOT be included for four reasons.
1: In the real world, we HAVE seen the USSR (communist) as an industrial superpower. So even 100% tax rates don't mean a truely broke nation.
2: In NS, we DO see communist (100% tax rate) nations with great economies (SeOCC)...even if they have to "cheat" the system to do it.
3: NS has a larger variety of economic models then the real world, and we can't take all their subtitles into account.
4: Tax rates in NS often vary as much as 10% a day.


Hmm, well I'd have to disagree on 1. Industrial superpower, well yes, but I wouldn't say an economic one. Despite massive population and natural resources they still couldn't compete with the cappies in the long run, and due primarily to economic troubles (caused by political ones, of course). In my preliminary models, though, tax rates subtract from the economy, not render them truly broke. Perhaps it would work if I used this scoring to measure personal spending money, since obviously if the government takes anything that is money that person will not be able to spend.

I mean can you think of anyone who'll say, "Yes, I love paying taxes to the government, I wish I paid even more!"? Most people everywhere, communist or capitalist, complain about taxes.

In any case, the other 3 reasons are valid. But I do want a ranking that rightfully penalizes countries that rob every one of their citizens blind...


None of the above. Capitalists would see capitalism as more economically free (people can spend or invest money as they choose). Communists/Socialists would see their system as more free (no one controlling the working class).

Maybe two seperate scores are in order. A capitalist view (B or C) and a communist view (opposite of B or C, add freedoms for higher tax rates).


The "Biggest cappie" and the "Biggest comrade" rankings? Hmm, could work.

I mean can you think of anyone who'll say, "Yes, I love paying taxes to the government, I wish I paid even more!"? Most people everywhere, communist or capitalist, complain about taxes.

OOC: My father, but he's an economics professor. So, its not unheard of :D

1. J
2. C
3. A

1. F. A and B

2. C. Tax rate, subtracting a little from score

3. B. Economy and freedom scores combined (multiplied or added)