U.S. democracy has reached its lowest level in the past 50 years, according to a global report that examines democratic performance worldwide.
Worrying Democratic Trends
Dr. Seema Shah, who heads the Democracy Assessment Team at the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance based in Stockholm, stated that researchers at the institute have observed a global pattern of declining democracy in recent years. She said, "A severe drop in scores related to freedom of expression, press freedom, credible elections, and effective parliament" is clearly visible.
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Shah emphasized that over the past 50 years during which this survey has been conducted, similar undemocratic trends have emerged that have self-corrected. She added, "The situation is worsening, and this is truly concerning, especially because we are also seeing that people in some cases are more willing to consider undemocratic leadership or governance."
Annual Global Democracy Status Report
The Annual Global Democracy Status Report, which tracks democratic performance in 174 countries and references data from 1975, was released on Tuesday. This new report focuses on changes in democratic performance between 2020 and 2025.
Shah noted that one country, in particular, draws attention for its decline in democracy. She said, "Unfortunately, the clearest example is the United States." The report references the year 2025, in which, "President Donald Trump rapidly consolidated power in the executive branch and used it to advance a limited set of personal and retaliatory goals against alleged enemies." These results have widely impacted the rule of law both domestically and internationally, creating tests for long-standing alliances and multilateral cooperation.
Shah stressed that the United States has historically acted as a bastion of democratic governance, with strong performance in the rule of law and judicial independence and a prominent role in promoting democracy worldwide. She added, "But that is no longer the case." She stated that both domestically and internationally, the policies of this government undermine domestic democracy and severely weaken global norms, effectively feeding other undemocratic leaders.
Global Decline of Democracy
Democracy is no longer considered a central pillar of U.S. foreign policy. Democratic values are also no longer the basis for forming new alliances globally. Shah noted that the democratic aid that the U.S. used to provide to developing countries has disappeared.
President Trump himself has pointed this out. At a summit last year in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, he criticized previous U.S. administrations as "interventionist" and stated that the U.S. can no longer "lecture" other countries.
Domestically, Shah stated that the U.S. has observed declines in nearly half of the 30 indicators that this organization measures. She said these indicators have reached their lowest levels in 50 years.
This decline is not limited to the United States. The organization's survey shows that 57 percent of the countries examined have shown a decline in at least one key indicator of democratic performance, while the rule of law acts as the weakest area of democracy globally.
However, regarding countries that have witnessed a revival of democracy, such as Poland, Hungary, and Syria in recent years, research shows that in 90 percent of cases, democracy that has declined and then returned to its original state experiences another decline within five years.
Shah stated that candidates promising change often face the reality that when voters empower them, they are usually unable to fulfill these promises, as remnants of the old governance hinder those changes.
She added, "And unless you want to break your democratic laws to eliminate them, what can you do?"
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Source: npr.org
