Research Guides: PEST Analysis for International Markets: Political Environment

A key factor to assess in the political environment is the stability of the local government. You should also examine the country's policies toward business including such factors as trade and tariff policy, tax structure, anti-trust and competition regulations, union power, and consumer protection laws.

Political Conditions

Worldwide Governance Indicators
The World Bank country reports on governance measure political stability, government effectiveness, corruption and rule of law for 215 economies for the period 1996 to 2014. Click on "Interactive Data Access" for the latest country reports.
Index of Economic Freedom
Does the government allow labor, capital and goods to move freely? The Wall Street Journal and The Heritage Foundation measure ten variables and rank over 180 countries.
Transparency International
TI publishes an annual Global Corruption Report, a Bribe Payers Index, and a Corruption Perceptions Index, ranking countries by the degree to which corruption exists among public officials.

Business Law and Policy

Annual Reports by Competition Agencies
Countries submit reports to the OECD that review the latest developments in competition law and policy.
Doing Business Law Library
An online collection of business laws and regulations. Links to official government sources of laws regarding labor, taxes, trade, property, banking, companies, civil procedure and bankruptcy. Part of the Doing Business project of the World Bank.

Country Trade Policy

National Trade Estimate Reports
Reports from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative outline foreign trade barriers in countries around the world. Reports cover a country's import policies, accounting, legal and other service barriers, investment barriers, and factors such as corruption that impede trade.
WTO. Trade Policy Reviews
World Trade Organization reviews of the the trade policies and practices of its member countries. Find a report by the WTO Secretariat and a policy statement from the country's government.
Global Enabling Trade Report 2016
A report from the World Economic Forum evaluates 136 economies based on their capacity to facilitate the flow of goods over borders.

Trade with the United States

Trade Facts: Countries and Regions
The Office of the U.S Trade Representative offers Trade Facts: data on exports, imports, the trade balance, and investment.
U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets
Assessment of the current state of U.S. diplomatic relations with foreign countries. From the U.S. Department of State.
U.S. Free Trade Agreements and Negotiations
U.S. free trade agreements plus studies and data prepared by the Office of of the U.S Trade Representative.

Tax Policy

Worldwide Tax Summaries
Basic information about corporate taxes and corporate tax laws in 120 countries. Published by PricewaterhouseCoopers. (New users must register for the PWC portal.)