Why PRS?

Based in the vicinity of Syracuse, New York, since its founding in 1979, PRS has consistently focused on political risk analysis, offering two unique and independent approaches to monitor countries, Political Risk Services and International Country Risk Guide.  Our two methodologies are publicly available on our website. You can choose the one that suits your needs. Each one allows you to customize it to fit your risk models, or use our data in your own research to compare countries in many ways.

Our reputation is impeccable…

“A big problem with the events data is that they tend to be higher for large countries than for small
     countries and that it is very difficult to control for country size. Your internal conflict risk data do not
     suffer from this problem. I am happy to report that, when I looked at the relationship between internal
     conflict risk and type of democracy, my hypothesis that consensus democracies perform much better
     than majoritarian democracies was amply confirmed.” Arend Lijphart, Research Professor Emeritus
     of Political Science Department of Political Science, University of California San Diego

“The PRS (Political Risk Services) Group, a leading organization in investment risk analysis, has
     ranked China as….” Rogers, Jim (2007). A Bull in China

“Devalued currencies, coups, failed economic plans and other financial and political shocks are
     difficult to predict and can have disastrous consequences for portfolios invested abroad. But
     there's good news, at least for equity investors…International Country Risk Guide…provides
     information that has great predictive value with respect to future equity returns around the world.”
     Barron’s, “Risk Measures Prove To Be Excellent Forecasters Of the Rise and Fall of Markets
     Abroad”

“Your organization provides the only reliable, consistent, and valid measure of property rights
     protection…many researchers will be able to utilize it in order to understand the complex role of
     property rights protection in affecting changes in the polity. Thank you for the excellent work and
     service you provide for researchers.” Tusalem, Rollin F., Ph.D., Asst. Professor of Political
     Science Author of “Determinants of Coup d”Etat Events” Arkansas State University

"…analysis of PRS (then Frost & Sullivan) projections from 1980 indicated high reliability for the
     PRS model. This now is confirmed...” Howell, Llewellyn D. and Chaddick, Brad. Columbia
     Journal of World Business. “Models of Political Risk for Foreign Investment and Trade: An
     Assessment of Three Approaches.”

“The ICRG ratings are preferred in this study because there is a pure political risk component in the
     composite scores.” Simpson, John L. “Area of Research Excellence in Oil & Gas Management,”
     Curtin Business School, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, WA, Australia

Academic Researchers frequently use PRS data
Some examples…

Arend Lijphart, Patterns of Democracy: Government Forms and Performance
     in Thirty-Six Countries, 2nd ed., New Haven, Yale University Press, forthcoming, 2012.

Gstoettner, M. J. and Jenson, Anders (2010, June). “Aid and Public Finance: A Misssing Link?”
     The Atlantic Economic Journal. Link: Abstract

Tusalem, R.F. (2010, June). "Determinants of Coup d”Etat Events 1970-1990: The Role of Property
     Rights Protection," International Political Science Review. Link: Abstract

Rios-Figueroa, Julio; Staton, Jeffrey K. "Unpacking the Rule of Law: A Review of Judicial
     Independence Measures". The Committee on Concepts and Methods, International
     Political Science Association IPSA, Working Paper # 21, September 2008. Link to the PDF

Cohen, G.; Joutz, F. and Loungani, P. (2011, February). "Measuring Energy Security: Trends in the
     Diversification of Oil and Natural Gas Supplies". IMF Working Paper 11/39. Washington, DC:
     IMF. Retrieved June 20, 2011, from http://www.imf.org/external/pubs

Akitoby, Bernardin and Stratmann, Thomas (2009). "The Value of Institutions for Financial Markets:
     Evidence from Emerging Markets". IMF Working Paper 09/27.
     Retrieved August 17, 2011, from http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2009/wp0927.pdf

Aisen, Ari and Hauner, David (2008). “Budget Deficits and Interest Rates: A Fresh Perspective”. IMF
     Working Paper 08/42. Retrieved August 22, 2011, from
     http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2008/wp0842.pdf

Amo Yartey, Charles (2008). “The Determinants of Stock Market Development in Emerging
     Economies: Is South Africa Different?”. IMF Working Paper 08/32.
     Retrieved August 25, 2011, from http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2008/wp0832.pdf

Yehoue, E. B. (2007, September). "Ethnic Diversity, Democracy, and Corruption". IMF Working
     Paper 07/218. Washington, DC: IMF. Retrieved June 17, 2011, from
     http://www.imf.org/external/pubs

Gupta, A. S. (2007, July). "Determinants of Tax Revenue Efforts in Developing Countries". IMF
     Working Paper 07/184. Washington, DC: IMF. Retrieved June 17, 2011, from
     http://www.imf.org/external/pubs

Jaramillo, L. and Sancak, C. (2007, March). "Growth in the Dominican Republic and Haiti: Why has
     the grass been greener on one side of Hispaniola?". IMF Working Paper 07/63. Washington, DC:
     IMF. Retrieved June 20, 2011, from http://www.imf.org/external/pubs

Elo, Kinga Z. (2007). “The Effect of Capital Controls and Foreign Direct Investment Decisions Under
     Country Risk with Intangible Assets”. IMF Working Paper 07/79.
     Retrieved August 17, 2011, from http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2007/wp0779.pdf

Schmidt-Hebbel, K. (2006, July 10-11). "Macroeconomic Management in Emerging-Market
     Economies with Open Capital Accounts". Paper presented at the IMF-Singapore Training Institute
     Seminar on “Crisis Prevention in Emerging Markets”. Retrieved June 21, 2011, from
     http://www.imf.org/external/np/seminars

Coviello, Decio and Islam, Roumeen (2006). "Does aid help improve economic institutions?."
     The World Bank, Data & Research. Retrieved August 26, 2011, from the Web

Hammami, Mona; Ruhashyankiko, Jean-François; Yehoue, Etienne B. (2006). “Determinants of
     Public-Private Partnerships in Infrastructure”. IMF Working Paper 06/99.
     Retrieved August 25, 2011, from http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2006/wp0699.pdf

Knack, Stephen (2006). "The Effects of Donor Fragmentation on Bureaucratic Quality in Aid-
     Recipient Countries." Research at The World Bank. Retrieved August 26, 2011, from
     The World Bank, Research Brief

Ruhasyankiko, Jean-Francoi and Yehoue, Etienne B. (2006). “Corruption and Technology-Induced
     Private Sector Development”. IMF Working Paper 06/198.
     Retrieved August 22, 2011, from http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2006/wp06198.pdf

Zalduendo, J. (2005, June). "Pace and Sequencing of Economic Policies". IMF Working Paper
     05/118. Washington, DC: IMF. Retrieved June 17, 2011, from http://www.imf.org/external/pubs

Masud, N. and Yontcheva, B. (2005, May). "Does Foreign Aid Reduce Poverty? Empirical Evidence
     from Nongovernmental and Bilateral Aid". IMF Working Paper 05/100. Washington, DC: IMF.
     Retrieved June 17, 2011, from http://www.imf.org/external/pubs

IMF Staff Team (2005). “Sri Lanka: Selected Issues and Statistical Appendix”. Retrieved August 25,
     2011, from http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/scr/2005/cr05337.pdf

Batista, Catia and Zalduendo, Juan (2004). “Can the IMF’s Medium Term Growth Projections be
     Improved?”. IMF Working Paper 04/203.
     Retrieved August 17, 2011, from http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2004/wp04203.pdf

Burnside, Craig and Dollar, David (2004). "Aid, policies, and growth : revisiting the evidence."
     The World Bank, Data & Research. Retrieved August 26, 2011, from the Web

Nsouli, Saleh M.; Atoian, Rouben; and Mourmouras, Alex (2004). "Institutions, Program
     Implementation, and Macroeconomic Performance". IMF Working Paper 04/184. Retrieved August
     15, 2011, from http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2004/wp04184.pdf

Gupta, S.; Clements, B.; Bhattacharya, R.; & Chakravarti, S. (2002, December). "The Elusive Peace
     Dividend". Finance & Development, 39(4). Retrieved June 18, 2011, from http://www.imf.org/external/pubs

Roumeen, Islam and Montenegro, Claudio E. (2002). "What determines the quality of institutions?".
     Volume 1." The World Bank, Data & Research. Retrieved August 26, 2011, from the Web

In the Media...

Goldsmith, Stephen and Wagner, Daniel. "Geopolitics With Chinese Characters." Huffington Post,
     25 May, 2010. Retrieved September 2, 2011, from .../geopolitics-with-chinese_b_588611.html

Magnowski, Daniel. "Analysis: Arab shocks demand risk rating rethink." Reuters, 26 Apr 2011,
     US Ed. Retrieved April 26, 2011, from http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/26/businesspro-us-risk-ratings...

To find many other references in a wide range of other IMF working papers:
      Go to: www.imf.org Search on: ICRG and “Political Risk Services”

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