Is the world becoming more or less democratic?
Data Scavenger Hunt
Find answers to the following questions using the visual above:
What portion (more or less) of the world is currently democratic?
Describe one long term trend (since about 1800) that you see in the data.
Describe one short term trend (since about 2000) that you see in the data.
Identify two decades when democracy slipped backwards.
Predict the state of global democracy in 50 years.
Big Brain Questions
Answer these questions by yourself using your brain and the links below:
List one thing the chart makes you wonder:
The word Democracy comes from Greek for “rule by the people,” which means that ultimate political power belongs to the people. Michael Mandelbaum, the democracy scholar and author of Democracy’s Good Name, argues that a country is only truly democratic if everyone is guaranteed free and fair elections (everyone’s vote is roughly equal) and civil rights (the right to vote or have a fair trial, for example) and civil liberties (think freedom of speech) for all. Define Democracy in your own words.
200 years ago, almost every person on the planet lacked democratic rights. Now, billions of people have them. Speculate about the causes of the expansion of democracy, and list one reason for the change in global democracy you identified in the visual above.
Billions of people live in undemocratic countries. What would you tell them about the best and worst thing about democracy.
As we have discovered, democracies all have free and fair elections and protect individuals’ civil rights and civil liberties. According to democracy experts, in recent years, American democracy has been under strain. What do you think the government could do to strengthen and increase American democracy.
Write and Discuss
Take ten minutes to write about the question at the top of the page and then discuss with your classmates.
Act on your Learning
Contact President Joseph Biden and suggest one thing he could do to strengthen American democracy.
Get Creative
Breaking news: 2032 - America votes to no longer be democratic. Create an imaginary advertisement for the anti-democracy side in the election. You can just write out the script for your ad or you can make the actual video for the ad.
