Democratic Backsliding Reaches Western Democracies, U.S. Decline "Unprecedented"

4 hours ago

Democratic backsliding is occurring in well-established democracies, including the USA, UK, and Italy.
Nearly a quarter of the world's nations are experiencing autocratization, with significant declines in freedom of expression and liberal democratic norms.
The USA's democracy is deteriorating rapidly, with a 24% decline in its Liberal Democracy index score and a drop in global ranking from 20th to 51st.
Three major trends in democratic backsliding: decline in stable democracies, reversals in newer democracies, and deepening autocracy in already autocratic states.
Freedom of expression and liberal aspects like rule of law and checks and balances are the most common targets of autocratizing leaders.
The 2026 U.S. midterm elections will be a critical test for the quality of democracy in the USA.
On a positive note, 18 nations are democratizing, including Brazil and Poland, with improvements in media freedom.

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