SIGLA : states and institutions of governance in Latin America

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SIGLA (States and Institutions of Governance in Latin America) is an online multilingual database that provides comprehensive information on legal and political institutions in Latin America. Free to use, SIGLA democratizes access to systematic and comprehensive data about governance in the region. The SIGLA database is hosted by Georgetown University. The beta version of SIGLA was launched in April 2022 with current information in English on the Constitution, Codes, the Legislature, the Executive, and Elections in Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico, as well as on a range of International Institutions. For each institution included in the database, SIGLA provides general information; data about the institution’s functions and powers; data that facilitate the measurement of key institutional characteristics such as accessibility, independence, and authority; and information on membership and leadership. In addition, SIGLA identifies the key laws, decrees, and other elements of the legal framework governing the actions and procedures of each institution. Ultimately, SIGLA will provide cross-nationally comparable, current and historical, qualitative and quantitative data on dozens of institutions of governance. Eventually, the database will include information on 20 Latin American countries in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Over time, SIGLA will identify institutional partners in Latin America with which to collaborate on data collection and interpretation.