New Report Says Democracy 'In Trouble' Across The World

Politico.eu: Democracy in decline worldwide, new report says  

Orbán, Trump and Erdoğan contribute to continuing downturn around the globe. 

The bedrock of democracy is trembling amid a surge of authoritarianism around the world, according to a report published Thursday. 

Hard-line rule by current and former leaders, including Viktor Orbán in Hungary, Donald Trump in the U.S. and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Turkey, has contributed to the downturn observed in the past few years, the Global State of Democracy 2023 report by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) has said. 

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WNU Editor: According to this report, civil liberties and judicial independence are under threat in 85 democratic countries. The report is here .... Bedrocks of democracy under threat across the globe (IDEA). 

New Report Says Democracy 'In Trouble' Across The World  

Democracy under threat around the world -intergovernmental watchdog -- Reuters  

World Democracy In Decline Says International Report -- AFP  

Democracy 'in trouble' across the world: report -- DW  

Study: State of democracy declines worldwide amid tainted elections, eroding freedoms -- UPI

Freedom House Report Says Global Freedom Declined For 17th Year

 

RFE: Rights Watchdog Says Global Freedom Declined For 17th Year  

Global freedoms declined for a 17th consecutive year in 2022 as the struggle for democracy approaches a turning point amid a curtailment of freedom of expression in countries such as Russia and Iran. 

Human rights watchdog Freedom House said in its annual report on freedoms around the world, released on March 9, that the number of countries to score zero for freedom of expression rose on the year to 33 from 14, with media freedom coming under pressure in at least 157 countries and territories during 2022.  

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WNU Editor: The Freedom House report is here .... Freedom in the World 2023: Marking 50 Years in the Struggle for Democracy (Freedom House). 

Freedom House Report Says Global Freedom Declined For 17th Year  

Report: Global Freedoms Declined in 2022, but in Fewer Countries -- Reuters  

Democracy's global decline hits "possible turning point," report finds -- Axios 

Freedom House downgrades Peru, Burkina Faso but sees bright spots -- AFP  

Freedom House: Global Freedom Declines for 17th Year -- GIJN  

The Global Democratic Recession May Finally Be Ending, a New Report Finds -- Time

The State of Democracy In The World

Statista: The State of Democracy  

The Economist Democracy Index rates countries on the state of their governing system each year. In the latest published edition, corresponding to the year 2022, only 24 countries in the world have been rated as 'full democracies', representing 8% of the world's population. This category includes all Scandinavian countries, several Western European nations, as well as Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Mauritius, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Latin American countries Uruguay, Costa Rica and Chile.  

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WNU Editor: According to the above, the U.S. is a "flawed" democracy.

Half Of The World's Democracies Are In Decline

 

France 24: Half of world's democracies in decline: report 

Half the world's democratic countries are experiencing an erosion of democracy, intensified by war in Ukraine and economic crisis, an international think tank said in a report on Wednesday. 

"We're seeing extraordinarily severe headwinds for democracy now, intensified by the political fallout from the economic crisis that started with the pandemic and the economic consequences of the war in Ukraine", International IDEA secretary-general Kevin Casas-Zamora told AFP. 

"It might be that the credibility of elections is challenged. It might be that the rule of law is under assault. It might be that civic space is being constrained", he explained. 

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WNU Editor: The report is here .... Global Democracy Weakens in 2022 (IDEA). 

Half Of The World's Democracies Are In Decline  

Report: Authoritarianism on the rise as democracy weakens -- AP  

More countries are moving towards authoritarianism - report -- Euronews  

International democracies are weakening as authoritarianisms deepen their shortcomings. -- News 360  

Half of world's democracies are currently in decline, claims report -- WION

Economist Intelligence Unit Has Released Its Global Democracy Index For 2021

 

Daily Mail: US and Britain slip down global democracy rankings as Covid restrictions curtail our freedoms, according to new report 

* The Economist Intelligence Unit released its global Democracy Index for 2021 

* 167 countries have their state of democracy ranked on a scale of one to 10 * Nations are judged across five different categories to obtain their overall score 

* The US and UK have slipped one and two places respectively vs. 2020 

* Afghanistan beat Myanmar and North Korea to become least democratic 

* A key factor in the global decline has been Covid-19 restrictions, the report said 

Both the US and UK have slipped down the rankings of the world's most democratic countries as Covid-19 restrictions continue to curtail citizen's freedoms two years into the pandemic, according to an annual democracy index. 

After a year which saw the global state of democracy slip from 5.37 in 2020 to 5.28 out of 10 in 2021, the United Kingdom fell two places, from 16 to 18, while the US dropped one place, from 25 to 26, in the Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) Democracy Index. 

Afghanistan meanwhile was officially declared as the most undemocratic country by the Index, beating Myanmar and North Korea to the bottom spot, after the swift rise of the Taliban following the chaotic US withdrawal last summer.  

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Update: These Are the World’s Most — and Least — Democratic Places (Bloomberg)  

WNU Editor: Why Taiwan deserves international political support .... Taiwan rated No. 1 'full democracy' in Asia, 8th in world (Taiwan News).

Reaction From Countries Not Invited To President Biden's Virtual 'Democracy Summit'

ABC News: Who was snubbed, who snuck through: Here's the list of invitees to Biden's democracy summit  

Like any big party, the guest list is already sparking controversy. 

With democracy in recession around the world, President Joe Biden made a campaign pledge to convene a summit of democracies in his first year in office to promote human rights, counter corruption and discuss ways to strengthen democracies against authoritarian models that have gained strength in recent years. 

His first "Summit of Democracy" will convene virtually on Dec. 9-10, and now the administration is revealing who is invited -- 110 participants in total, from every corner of the globe. 

Like any big party, there are some controversial invitees and notable exclusions, and the guest list has already sparked some anger.  

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More News On President Biden's Virtual 'Democracy Summit"  

Joe Biden's Summit for Democracy Is Missing Some Surprising Countries -- Newsweek  

Biden invites Taiwan to its democracy summit, sparking China rebuke -- France 24  

Beijing Furious After Biden Invites Taiwan To Global Democracy Summit, While China Left Off List -- Zero Hedge  

Kremlin Blasts ‘Divisive’ U.S. Democracy Summit Snub -- Moscow Times  

Biden invites Israel to global democracy summit, snubbing Egypt, Jordan, Turkey -- Times of Israel

U.S. unveils invitation list for Biden's "Summit for Democracy" -- Axios

Report Says Democracy Is Deteriorating Across The World Due To Actions To Contain The Covid Pandemic

Today, @Int_IDEA launched its #GlobalStateofDemocracy 2⃣0⃣2⃣1⃣ Report. Key findings show that the #pandemic has been a key driver behind democratic regression globally. There is an urgent need to strengthen democratic resilience! Find out more here➡️ https://t.co/NxvkeME5Wu pic.twitter.com/H0x8TO8ozw

— International IDEA @ the UN (@IIDEA_UN) November 22, 2021

Daily Mail: 'Unnecessary' actions taken to contain coronavirus are causing democracies around the world - including US - to 'backslide', report warns 

* The US is among countries which has imposed non-democratic measures 

* Think tanksaid number of backsliding democracies has doubled in past decade 

* Situation is getting worse in autocracies with regimes becoming 'even more brazen in their repression 

Democracy is deteriorating across the world, with countries including the United States taking undemocratic and 'unnecessary' actions to contain the coronavirus pandemic, an intergovernmental body said in a new report today.

'Many democratic governments are backsliding,' the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, or International IDEA, said. 

The 34-nation organization added that as of August 2021, 64 per cent of countries have taken an action to curb the pandemic that it considers 'disproportionate, unnecessary or illegal.'  

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WNU Editor: The report is here .... Global State of Democracy Report 2021 (IDEA). 

Report Says Democracy Is Deteriorating Across The World Due To Actions To Contain The Covid Pandemic  

Report: Democracy backsliding across the world amid pandemic -- AP  

US added to list of ‘backsliding’ democracies for first time -- The Guardian/AFP  

Democracy deteriorating worldwide amid pandemic: report -- The Hill  

US, Poland, Hungary land on 'backsliding democracies' list -- DW  

European thinktank adds U.S. to list of "backsliding" democracies for 1st time -- CBS/AFP

Covid-19 Lockdowns Have Resulted In Democratic Freedoms Declining Across The Globe

Daily Mail: Covid lockdowns have seen democratic freedoms decline across the globe: Norway is ranked No1 for freedom, UK 16th, while France and US are labelled 'flawed democracies' 

 * Norway, Iceland and Sweden, ranked top of the Democracy Index by Economist 

 * Central African Republic, the Congo and North Korea ranked bottom again 

 * But across the board there was a decline in democracy wrought by lockdowns 

 * Portugal and France were most affected by tough rules from their governments 

 * In the US, Trump's voter fraud claims and Big Tech interference battered trust 

Coronavirus lockdowns have stripped the world of democratic freedoms, with 2020 returning the worst scores in the 15-year history of an annual democracy index. 

The United Kingdom slipped two places, while France and Portugal joined the US in the 'flawed democracies' categories compiled in the Economist's Democracy Index. 

Norway, Iceland and Sweden were unchanged at the top, the Central African Republic, the Congo and North Korea, stayed bottom. 

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WNU Editor: It is interesting to see Canada is ranked number five after Norway, Iceland, Sweden, and New Zealand. I live in Montreal, and we are now currently under curfew from 8:00 PM to 5:00 AM.

Democracy Continues Its Disturbing Decline

Democracy continues its disturbing retreat https://t.co/tn5Eqor1L1

— The Economist (@TheEconomist) May 18, 2018

WNU editor: This trend has unfortunately been happening for a very long time.

Corruption Is Destroying Latin America's Democratic Insitutions

RTE

Edward Lynch, The Hill: Latin American democracy is crumbling under corruption

Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski recently resigned on the eve of an impeachment vote over his administration’s corruption. In Brazil, there are seemingly endless scandals involving purchased government favoritism for Petrobras and Odebrecht. Eight former Mexican governors face charges for corruption. Transparency International rates the region as one of the worst in the world for dealing with government officials. Even more than Latin America’s swing to the left 10 years ago, corruption threatens to bring misery and insecurity to the region. Corrupt nations do not attract the foreign investment the region desperately needs.

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WNU Editor: When one looks at the high hopes that the entire region had at the end of the 1980s .... it is a shame to see how much the entire region has fallen into despair, poverty, and violence. And while the U.S. was always blamed in the past .... in today's world the people of Central and South America  have no one to blame but themselves.

Here Are The Most Authoritarian Regimes In The World

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.KCNA via Reuters

Business Insider: RANKED: The most authoritarian regimes in the world

The Economist Intelligence Unit has released its latest Democracy Index this week, which ranks 167 countries according to political and civic freedom.

Countries are given a score out of 10 based on five criteria. Above eight is a "full democracy," while below four is an "authoritarian regime."

The study has five criteria: Whether elections are free and fair ("electoral process and pluralism"), whether governments have checks and balances ("functioning of government"), whether citizens are included in politics ("political participation"), the level of support for the government ("political culture"), and whether people have freedom of expression ("civil liberties").

Below are the world's most authoritarian regimes:

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WNU Editor: I could rearrange the order of the list .... but these countries definitely belong on the list.

The Economist: The U.S. Is No Longer A 'Full Democracy'

© Stephanie Keith / Reuters

Washington Post: The U.S. is no longer a ‘full democracy,’ a new study warns

The government of the United States got a downgrade this week: We're no longer a “full democracy,” according to the Economist Intelligence Unit's latest Democracy Index. For the first time, we were bumped down to “flawed,” thanks to an “erosion of public trust in political institutions.”

According to the report's authors, a flawed democracy has free elections but “weak governance, an underdeveloped political culture and low levels of political participation.” Other countries that share this dubious honor include Italy, Japan, France and India. Rankings are based on a country's electoral process, civil liberties, the functioning of government, political participation and political culture.

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WNU Editor: The Economist report is here.

More News On The Economist Declaring That The U.S. Is No Longer A "Full Democracy"

US no longer considered 'full democracy,' group says -- The Hill
U.S. demoted by analyst group from 'full democracy' to 'flawed democracy' -- UPI
The Economist Group: 'The U.S. is No Longer a Full Democracy' -- US News and World Report
US no longer a 'full democracy,' report claims -- FOX News
The US has been downgraded to a 'flawed democracy' -- Business Insider
US no longer ‘full democracy’ – Economist Group report -- RT
‘The Economist’ Just Downgraded the US From a ‘Full Democracy -- John Nichols, The Nation
US no longer a 'full democracy' in 2016 Democracy Index: Where do we go from here? -- Gretel Kauffman, CSM
A new study shows American democracy is getting weaker. And not because of Trump. -- Zack Beauchamp, VOX News

Hat tip to Jay for this link.

Why Is America Failing At Promoting Democracy In Other Countries?

Street protest calling for Sharia in Maldives. Wikimedia

Stephen Walt, Foreign Policy: Why Is America So Bad at Promoting Democracy in Other Countries?

There’s no quick, cheap, or military-based way to bring peace to places like Afghanistan, Yemen, and Iraq. It’s time we changed our approach, and we can start at home.

If you’re a dedicated Wilsonian, the past quarter-century must have been pretty discouraging. Convinced liberal democracy was the only viable political formula for a globalizing world, the last three U.S. administrations embraced Wilsonian ideals and made democracy promotion a key element of U.S. foreign policy. For Bill Clinton, it was the “National Security Strategy of Engagement and Enlargement.” For George W. Bush, it was the “Freedom Agenda” set forth in his second inaugural address and echoed by top officials like Condoleezza Rice. Barack Obama has been a less fervent Wilsonian than his predecessors, but he appointed plenty of ardent liberal internationalists to his administration, declaring, “There is no right more fundamental than the ability to choose your leaders.” And he has openly backed democratic transitions in Egypt, Libya, Yemen, and several other countries.

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WNU Editor: Democracy cannot be imposed .... it has to come from within the people themselves. Take Russia as an example. In the early 1990s I asked a senior Russian diplomat (my former boss) on how long did he think it would take for Russia to become a true democracy. His answer .... "it took the U.S. over two centuries to have the political system that it has today. Russia's political system (after the fall of the Soviet Union) is/was just only a few years old. Give a few more decades .... maybe a century .... and they will have the political maturity that many Western countries have".

In short ... in countries like Russia, Ukraine, etc. it will take time .... and for many other countries .... Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, etc. .... probably not in this century.

Update: Here is a post from 2013 on why Democracy has failed in the Middle East .... Why Democracy Has Failed In The Arab World

Freedom House: Democracy Declined Worldwide In 2011

Democracy Declined Worldwide In 2011 With Arab Spring At Risk, Watchdog Says -- NBC

WASHINGTON -- Democratic governance declined throughout the world in 2011, showing that gains made in the Middle East and North Africa during the Arab Spring are very fragile and in its chaotic aftermath leaders may slip back into authoritarian rule, a U.S. watchdog group said Monday.

Only Tunisia has improved markedly its overall governance score among the Middle East and North African countries that were surveyed in the latest "Countries at the Crossroads" report published by Freedom House. Bahrain slipped backward and Egypt edged up only slightly.

Across the world, declines in the quality of governance far exceeded improvements, led by a worsening of government accountability and the rule of law in civil and criminal matters, the U.S. research group said.

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WNU editor: Freedom House's website is here. How will this decline in democracy impact us .... Howard LaFranchi at the Christian Science Monitor looks at the Arab world, and how the Arab Spring has turned into protests and 'Death to America!'.

Democracy Seen Threatened By New Authoritarianism

From Reuters:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - China, Iran, Russia and Venezuela form a clique of authoritarian states that use their wealth and influence to undermine global democracy and rule of law, a study by U.S.-funded agencies said on Thursday.

The report, released on the 20th anniversary of China's suppression of the Tiananmen democracy movement, says these states' challenge to Western democratic institutions represents a far "murkier picture" than the Cold War because they are integrated into the global economy and world bodies.

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My Comment: A depressing report .... and so very true.