Has American democracy increased or declined this century?
Critical Analysis
Find answers to the following questions using the visual above, any links below, your big brain, and your knowledge of American government and politics:
In the visual above, The Economist, Freedom House, and V-Dem have measured democracy in America since 2008. According to which of the three measures has democracy declined the most?
Which of the three measures shown above label the United States a “flawed democracy”?
Describe the overall trend from the data above.
Globally, it is increasingly rare for an authoritarian (dictator) to come to power via a coup. Instead, democracies in decline usually experience a slow but steady erosion. The process is often slow. In the words of political scientists Daniel Ziblatt and Steven Levitsky: “The electoral road to breakdown is dangerously deceptive… People still vote. Elected autocrats maintain a veneer of democracy while eviscerating its substance. Many government efforts to subvert democracy are ‘legal,’ in the sense that they are approved by the legislature or accepted by the courts.” If the trend from the visual above continues over the next twelve years, what will the level of American democracy look like by the 2030s?
According to Brookings, The United States is experiencing two major forms of democratic erosion in its governing institutions (within the government itself): election manipulation and executive overreach. Election Manipulation has become increasingly common and increasingly extreme. Examples include election procedures that make it harder to vote (like inadequate polling facilities) or that reduce the opposing party’s representation (like gerrymandering). Describe any real world examples of election manipulation in the U.S. and in your own life.
Executive aggrandizement means that even a legitimately elected leader can undermine democracy if they eliminate governmental “checks and balances” or consolidate power in unaccountable institutions. The United States has seen substantial expansions of executive power and serious efforts to erode the independence of the bureaucracy. Translate executive aggrandizement into English that could be understood by a classmate and list any examples of it.
Political scientists use a variety of terms to describe the phenomenon from the visual above, including “democratic erosion,” “democratic backsliding,” “democratic regression,” and “autocratization.” Today’s America is very different from the more democratic 1970s America. The U.S. has undergone dramatic changes in technology, economics, society and demography. What can you point to in the United States that explains why we are moving in an anti-democratic direction?
How do you think the outcome of the 2024 election will impact the level of democracy in America?
Democratic decline has ramifications throughout society. It is associated with certain changes in public attitudes, including vilification of members of the opposing party and widespread misinformation. There tends to be a decline in non-governmental institutions critical to a healthy public sphere, such as an independent media, a vibrant education system, and an engaged civil society. Identify any of these symptoms of decline that are present in the United States.
Historically, American democracy has marched forward towards the promise of democracy made in the Declaration of Independence, which proposed equality for all. The United States only achieved nearly universal suffrage after 1965, when the federal government finally protected the voting rights of Black Americans in the South. But since the turn of the 21st century we have seen a retreat from democracy. What Americans does our retreat from democracy damage the most and who does it advantage the most?
Write and Discuss
Take ten minutes to write about the question at the top of the page and then discuss with your classmates.
Learn More
Read this fascinating and chilling Brookings article about democratic backsliding.
Act on your Learning
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Get Creative
What will American democracy look like when you are 30?