Constraints on the Executive Score in United States
United States: Constraints on the Executive Score was 4 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Constraints on the Executive Score in United States, 1789–2020
Source: Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
United States recorded 4 for constraints on the executive score in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 227 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 33.3% on the previous year and down 42.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, constraints on the executive score in United States peaked at 7 in 1801 and was at its lowest, 4, in 2020.
United States ranks 113th of 166 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 227 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1780s | 5 | 5 | 5 | 1 |
| 1790s | 5.3 | 5 | 6 | 10 |
| 1800s | 6.9 | 6 | 7 | 10 |
| 1810s | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 |
| 1820s | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 |
| 1830s | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 |
| 1840s | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 |
| 1850s | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 |
| 1860s | 7 | 7 | 7 | 5 |
| 1870s | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 |
| 1880s | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 |
| 1890s | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 |
| 1900s | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 |
| 1910s | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 |
| 1920s | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 |
| 1930s | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 |
| 1940s | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 |
| 1950s | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 |
| 1960s | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 |
| 1970s | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 |
| 1980s | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 |
| 1990s | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 |
| 2000s | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.9 | 6 | 7 | 10 |
| 2020s | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 |
Countries ranked near United States
More reference data data for United States
- Spring temperature anomalies 2.51 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.5014 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.0594 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.8696 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.9189 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 143.86 2010 = 100 (2024)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is constraints on the executive score in United States?
- Constraints on the executive score in United States was 4 in 2020, according to Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest constraints on the executive score recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 7 in 1801.
- What is the lowest constraints on the executive score recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 4 in 2020.
- How does United States rank for constraints on the executive score?
- United States ranks 113th out of 166 countries with data for 2020.
- Is constraints on the executive score rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 42.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Constraints on the Executive Score. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 227 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Indicates the extent to which the executive is constrained. It ranges from unconstrained executives (score of 1), over slight or moderate constraints (score of 3), and substantial constraints (score of 5), to an executive that is subordinated to or on par with other authorities (score of 7). The remaining categories are intermediate ones.