Blacklist indices weaponize apparently technical thresholds for normative shaming

Evidence

The global index industry is full of quite clear normative evaluations. When establishing a “blacklist” one is clearly making a normative claim. These reports are full of language about “offenders” and the like. A core use of these indices is to change policy and shame governments (see the Kelley and Simmons–edited International Organization special issue 2019, as well as Kelley 2017; Kelley and Simmons 2015). Thus the choice of threshold is highly charged and normative. — Gary Goertz, Social Science Concepts and Measurement, 670

Categorization

• ADDENDUM: Directly extends the ‘Grafting & Growth’ and immodesty pieces’ theme of classification doing political work—here the global index industry’s thresholds function as moral sorting devices that shame states.
• SHARE: Worth sending to someone tracking the ranking/rating industry—the point that ‘offender’ language hides a normative choice inside a spreadsheet.