Democratic Tendency Index (DTI): A Normative Framework for Signaling Democratic Decline through the Education–Internal Security Balance

This paper introduces the Democratic Tendency Index (DTI), a novel indicator based on the ratio of public spending on education to internal security. Grounded in democratic theory and critical political thought, the DTI is designed as an early warning signal of democratic decline. Unlike existing indices, which focus on institutional symptoms, the DTI foregrounds the fiscal choices that shape citizen agency or control. This paper lays out the normative rationale and dual-method design of the DTI, paving the way for future empirical validation.