normblog: " This week, Freedom House released its survey for 2005. The survey grades each country (from a best of 1 to a worst of 7) and then simplifies these scores into a broader categorization of 'free,' 'partly free' or 'not free.' (For example, the U.S. and Australia are 'free'; Burma and Cuba are 'not free'; Turkey and Nigeria are 'partly free.') Because countries usually evolve gradually, not many of the numeric scores change in any one year, and even a rise or fall in a country's score is usually insufficient to move it from one of the three broad categories to another.

This year eight countries moved up and only four moved down in the Freedom House rankings. The report gives some credit to George Bush, would you believe it? Read the rest. (Via Kevin Drum and Tim Blair.)"

Ratings are great.