convert wide-form Freedom House Good Governance data to long-form

reshape_freedom-house_data.R

# convert wide-form Freedom House Good Governance data to long-form

# Read the data
wide <- read.csv("freedom_house_good_governance.csv")

# Get the columns corresponding to each wide-form variable that will be converted to long form. 
PRvars <- names(wide)[(1:40)*3-1] 
CLvars <- names(wide)[(1:40)*3]
Statusvars <- names(wide)[(1:40)*3+1]
# Get the times associated with the wide-form variables
Years <- substr(PRvars,2,5)
# Reshape to long form
long <- reshape(wide,direction="long",varying=list(PRvars,CLvars,Statusvars),idvar="Country",timevar="Year",v.names=c("PR","CL","Status"),times=Years)
# Save the long-form data as a .csv file
write.csv(long,file="freedom_house_good_governance_long.csv",row.names=FALSE,quote=FALSE)