Freedom House

Freedom House is an independent think tank and interest group, founded in 1941, for democracy promotion against dictatorships in any part of the ideological spectrum. Its first honorary chairs were Eleanor Roosevelt and Wendell Willkie.

In its research and analysis role, it produces several reports rating freedom around the world. While freedom is obviously hard to quantify, their indices are widely used in political science:
 * Freedom in the World
 * Freedom of the Press
 * Nations in Transit
 * Countries at the Crossroads

The group also publicizes its ideas, and runs training centers around the world.