Diplometrics

Original datasets for studying diplomacy, power, influence, and geopolitical relationships

Diplometrics is Pardee’s data-building program for measuring international relationships that are often discussed qualitatively but difficult to compare systematically.

Managed by Pardee’s geopolitical analysis team, the program builds datasets, tools, and analyses that help users study diplomatic ties, leader travel, national power, bilateral influence, atrocity risk, international organizations, and related forms of engagement across countries and over time.

Find the right dataset to answer your geopolitical research questions:

Studying visits and diplomatic attention?

Start with COLT

Studying formal diplomacy?

Start with Diplomatic Representation

Studying country-to-country influence?

Start with FBIC

Comparing national capability?

Start with National Power

Studying atrocity risk?

Start with PMAD

Studying non-state service delivery networks?

Start with INGOs

About Diplometrics

What Diplometrics helps users study

Diplometrics helps users translate international relationships into comparable evidence. Researchers can use the datasets to study patterns in diplomacy, power, influence, cooperation, international organization activity, and risk. Policy and practitioner audiences can use them to compare relationships across countries, test assumptions, and ground analysis in documented measures. Students use the program to learn how international relations data are collected, coded, cleaned, and interpreted.

How Diplometrics datasets connect to Pardee's broader analysis

Some Diplometrics datasets stand alone as open research resources. Others support Pardee’s IFs-based geopolitical modeling, including bilateral analysis of trade, aid, diplomacy, and influence. In both cases, the purpose is the same: make assumptions, relationships, and evidence easier to examine.

The genesis of Diplometrics

Diplometrics began in 2011 as a data-building and analysis effort focused on the Global Power Index, diplomatic representation, international organization membership, and multilateral treaty activity. The Global Power Index was later featured in the National Intelligence Council’s Global Trends 2030 report. Since then, the program has expanded to include datasets on military capabilities, non-state actors, leader travel, diplomatic capacity, cultural affinity, power projection, perceived mass atrocities, and bilateral influence.

The complete Diplometrics timeline

Phase 1: The First Iteration of Diplometrics

Diplometrics began as a data building and analysis project in 2011, focusing initially on developing and forecasting the first iteration of the Global Power Index and measures of diplomatic representation, membership in international organizations, and signing and ratification of multilateral treaties. The Global Power Index is a measure of national power featured in the National Intelligence Council’s Global Trends 2030 report.

Phase 2: Expanding Data Sets & Analysis

Since 2011, the Diplometrics Program has expanded significantly to include data on military capabilities, non-state actors, foreign travel by heads of government and state, diplomatic capacity, cultural affinity, power projection, and other data initiatives. With the completion of the Global Indicators of Dyadic Engagement dataset in 2020, the Frederick S. Pardee Institute for International Futures has begun to use the combined data to analyze and forecast bilateral and networked influence across the international system. Additionally, the Institute has utilized its Formal Bilateral Influence Capacity Index, which is built in part from core Diplometrics data series, to launch a report in association with the Atlantic Council focusing on China-U.S. competition in Southeast Asia and implications for U.S. foreign policy.

Phase 3: Sharing Our Research

Having built a robust portfolio of data on international power and influence, diplomatic interactions, political violence, and other issues, the Diplometrics team has enhanced its efforts to share our data with academics, analysts, policymakers, and the public. Through academic publications, commentaries, media interviews, and other public engagements, we seek to share our data and analysis with the world.

Support for Diplometrics

Over the years, the Diplometrics Program has been funded by: the U.S. Army Future Studies Group; the U.S.Army Research Office; the U.S. Department of Defense Minerva Research Initiative; and other partners. Along the way, hundreds of students have contributed to the Diplometrics Program in meaningful ways. As work on Diplometrics moves forward, their continued support will ensure our institute continues to develop original analyses and advance conversations in the international relations space among policymakers, academics, and the public.