{"id":848331,"date":"2026-09-15T06:32:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T06:32:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/848331\/"},"modified":"2026-09-15T06:32:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T06:32:11","slug":"global-democracy-report-rule-of-law-weakens-as-the-united-states-hits-50-year-lows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/848331\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Democracy Report: Rule of Law Weakens as the United States Hits 50-Year Lows"},"content":{"rendered":"

Read in Arabic<\/a>, French<\/a>, German<\/a>, Portuguese<\/a> and Swedish.<\/a><\/p>\n

BRUSSELS\/STOCKHOLM\u202f\u2013 \u00a0Global deterioration in the\u202fRule of Law\u202fand\u202frecord declines\u202fin\u202fthe United States\u202fare\u202fworsening prospects for\u202fdemocracy\u202faround the world, according to a report by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA). \u00a0<\/p>\n

Major indicators of\u202fUS\u202fdemocracy\u202ffrom press freedom\u202fto judicial independence\u202fhit\u202ftheir lowest\u202flevels\u202fin\u202f50 years,\u202fand\u202fthis\u202fis reverberating worldwide. Washington\u2019s retreat from the rules-based international order has weakened\u202fconfidence in multilateralism and emboldened authoritarian leaders and populists. \u00a0<\/p>\n

The report,\u202f\u201cThe Global State of Democracy 2026:\u202fDemocracy in an Age of\u202fConflict<\/a>,\u201d\u202fwarns that democratic\u202fregression\u202fis\u202fexpanding the\u202fconditions\u202ffor\u202fdomestic and international\u202fconflict.\u202fPolitically fragile countries that face further declines are especially vulnerable to\u202fthis risk. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cFor\u202fdecades, the rule of law both\u202fdomestically\u202fand in the international order has\u202funderpinned\u202fthe resilience of\u202fdemocracies,\u201d\u202fInternational IDEA\u2019s\u202fSecretary-General Kevin Casas-Zamora\u202fsaid.\u202f\u201cNow, the rapid\u202fdecline\u202fof democracy in the\u202fUSA\u202fis\u202fweakening\u202fjudicial independence and\u202ffragmenting the\u202finternational system\u2014threatening\u202fdemocracy around the world.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n

Stagnating\u202fdemocratic\u202fperformance was the most common trend\u202fin 2025. When change occurred, it was\u202fmostly negative.\u202fAround\u202f57\u202fpercent of countries\u202fdeclined\u202fin\u202fat least one key indicator of democratic performance\u202fbetween 2020\u202fand 2025.\u202fRule of Law,\u202fRepresentation, and\u202fRights\u202fall\u202fsuffered broad deterioration. \u00a0<\/p>\n

This global democratic decline was concentrated in many fundamental building blocks of democracy: Judicial independence hit a 36-year low. Credible elections fell to a 30-year low. Freedom of expression, freedom of the press, and access to justice were also at their worst in over three decades.<\/p>\n

The year 2025 was the\u202f11th\u202fconsecutive year with more countries showing a net decline rather than improvement in overall democratic performance, the longest\u202fconsecutive fall since International IDEA\u2019s records\u202fbegan in 1975, according to the report. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Nearly half of\u202fthe\u202f30\u202findicators\u202fInternational\u202fIDEA uses to measure\u202fUS\u202fdemocracy\u202ffell to their lowest levels\u202fsince\u202fthe\u202fGlobal State of Democracy (GSoD)\u202fdataset\u202fbegan\u202fin 1975,\u202fincluding\u202fAccess to Justice, Economic\u202fEquality, Effective Parliament, Freedom of Expression, Freedom of\u202fthe\u202fPress,\u202fand Judicial Independence. \u00a0<\/p>\n

The report warns\u202fthat\u202fthis erosion\u2014driven partly\u202fby\u202fconcentration of executive power\u2014is weakening checks and balances\u202fin\u202fthe US\u202fwhile damaging\u202fconfidence\u202fin multilateralism\u202fand international rule of law\u202fglobally. \u00a0<\/p>\n

In a special section on\u202fviolent\u202fconflict, the report finds\u202fthat\u202fa\u202frecent\u202fdecline in\u202fthe\u202fnumber and quality of democracies\u202fthreatens\u202fthe \u201cdemocratic peace\u201d produced by\u202fdecades of democratization.\u202fWeakening\u202fdemocratic\u202fperformance has\u202fincreased the\u202fnumber of\u202fcountries that\u202fhave some democratic procedures but lack real political competition or enforceable rights, and the data show that these countries\u202fare\u202fat\u202fespecially\u202fhigh\u202frisk\u202fof\u202fconflict. \u00a0<\/p>\n

The\u202freport\u202fsays\u202fgovernments should treat democracy support abroad as a national security priority because stronger democratic systems can help reduce\u202fconditions leading\u202fto\u202fconflict.\u202fEven\u202fsmall\u202finvestments in democracy support can deliver significant peace and governance gains,\u202fat\u202fa\u202flower cost than military responses. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cDemocracy\u2019s\u202fdecline is no longer\u202fjust\u202fabout our\u202fnational\u202fpolitical rights; it is reshaping the\u202fconditions for peace\u202fand security\u202faround the world,\u201d\u202fCasas-Zamora\u202fsaid.\u202f\u201cInvesting in democracy is also investing in peace.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n

The report also highlights positive developments, especially in countries in political transitions, such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Poland, Sri Lanka, and Syria. Although improvements remain fragile, public mobilization and civil society have helped democratic renewal. \u00a0<\/p>\n

In Syria,\u202fwhich\u202fsaw\u202fimprovements\u202fin Rights, Rule of Law and Participation, gains in indicators\u202ffor civil\u202fsociety were especially large.\u202fWhile there are still serious challenges\u202fregarding\u202fsecurity,\u202frights,\u202fand centralization of power, stronger respect for freedoms of association and expression helped widen space for these groups to operate. \u00a0Even in\u202fmore stable\u202fcontexts,\u202fsuch as\u202fAustralia, indicators of civil society\u2019s participation\u202fimproved. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u202fSource: Uppsala Conflict Data Program for data in left panel and GSoDI v10 data in right panel.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Key findings \u00a0<\/p>\n

Rule of Law was the weakest-performing category overall,\u202fwith 71 countries, or 41 percent of those assessed\u202f(out of a total of 173),\u202fin the low-performance band. It also recorded more declines than any other democratic performance category, with 29 countries, or 17 percent, registering downturns.\u202fJudicial independence\u202fwas among the worst\u202fhit.<\/p>\n

Under the category of Rights,\u202fFreedom of Expression saw the most widespread decline, falling in 42 countries, or 24 percent of all countries assessed.\u202fFreedom of the Press also deteriorated sharply, declining in 23 percent of countries.\u202fAccess to Justice fell in 18 percent of countries, underscoring pressure on core democratic rights and protections. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Representation\u202fremains\u202fdemocracy\u2019s\u202fstrongest-performing\u202fcategory globally,\u202fbut\u202fits overall trend is\u202fstill\u202fnegative,\u202frecording\u202f17 declines and only\u202ffour\u202fadvances between 2020 and 2025\u2014reflecting deterioration in both electoral integrity and legislative oversight.\u202fCredible Elections deteriorated in\u202fnearly one\u202fin five countries worldwide\u202f(32 countries or 18 percent),\u202fwhile Effective Parliament deteriorated in 33 countries (19 percent).\u202f\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n

African and European countries accounted for the largest shares of deterioration (33 and 27 percent of all declines respectively), while Asia and the Pacific led on improvements.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Background \u00a0<\/p>\n

The\u202fGSoD\u202f2026\u202fReport\u202franks countries in four major categories of democratic\u202fperformance rather than one overall classification. These four categories are: \u00a0<\/p>\n

Representation\u2014such as\u202fcredible\u202felections and effective parliamentary\u202foversight. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Rule of Law\u2014such as judicial independence and the degree to which people are free from political\u202fviolence. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Rights\u2014such as\u202ffreedom of expression, freedom of press,\u202fand freedom of assembly. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Participation\u2014such as\u202fhow involved citizens are in democratic expression during and between elections. \u00a0<\/p>\n

These four categories are\u202fdivided\u202finto 17 factors, such as credible elections\u202for\u202fjudicial\u202findependence.\u202fView the details on the research\u202fmethodology.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

REGIONS
\nAfrica and West Asia \u00a0<\/p>\n

Africa and West Asia experienced more democratic declines than advances between 2020 and 2025, with setbacks\u202fconcentrated in Credible Elections, Effective Parliament, Access to Justice,\u202fand Civil Liberties. West Africa\u202fremained\u202fa particular\u202fconcern, with military-led governments in Burkina Faso and Niger further\u202fconsolidating\u202fpower and restricting political freedoms. However, there were signs of progress elsewhere:\u202fSyria\u2019s\u202fpolitical transition drove improvements in several democratic measures, while Gabon and The Gambia also recorded advances. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Europe \u00a0<\/p>\n

Europe\u202fremained\u202fthe\u202fworld\u2019s\u202fstrongest-performing democratic region overall, but signs of strain deepened. Civil Liberties, Access to Justice,\u202fand Credible Elections recorded the most setbacks, while Freedom of Expression and Freedom of the Press deteriorated in several long-standing democracies. Declines were\u202fconcentrated in countries such as Georgia, Russia,\u202fand Slovakia, even as countries including Poland and Czechia recorded improvements in democratic governance and institutional accountability. \u00a0<\/p>\n

The Americas \u00a0<\/p>\n

Outside the United States, democratic\u202fperformance in the Americas remained broadly stable, with most countries\u202fcontinuing to perform in the mid-range across all democratic categories. However, political polarization, disinformation,\u202fand declining public trust in institutions\u202fcontinued to shape the regional landscape. Democratic advances were recorded in countries including Brazil, Guatemala,\u202fand Honduras, while\u202fconcerns persisted over democratic backsliding, organized crime,\u202fand governance challenges in several countries. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Asia and the Pacific \u00a0<\/p>\n

While overall declines slightly outnumbered advances, much of the deterioration was\u202fconcentrated in Afghanistan and Myanmar. Excluding those two countries, the region recorded more advances than setbacks. Democratic improvements were particularly\u202fevident\u202fin Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, while\u202fconcerns remained over declining electoral integrity, judicial independence,\u202fand executive\u202fconcentration of power in several countries across the region. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

LAUNCH QUICK LINKS \u00a0<\/p>\n

Event page<\/a><\/p>\n

Registration form<\/a> \u00a0<\/p>\n

Event livestream on YouTube<\/a> \u00a0<\/p>\n

Key hashtag to follow on social media: #GSoD2026\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0
\nMEDIA ENQUIRIES \u00a0<\/p>\n

International IDEA Secretary-General,\u202fKevin Casas-Zamora,\u202fis available for text and visual interviews.\u202fOur\u202fregional\u202fexperts\u202fare also available to talk to media. \u00a0<\/p>\n

For media enquiries, please\u202fcontact: \u00a0Alistair Scrutton, Head of Communications and\u202fPublications,\u202fat\u202fa.scrutton@idea.int\u202f,\u202fTel:\u202f0046 707 21\u202f10\u202f98 \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

International IDEA \u00a0<\/p>\n

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) is an intergovernmental organization\u202fof\u202f35\u202fMember States with the sole mandate to\u202fsupport and advance democracy worldwide. International IDEA\u202fcontributes to the public debate on democracy and\u202fassists\u202fin strengthening processes, reforms, institutions,\u202fand actors that build, advance and safeguard democracy, with a focus on electoral processes,\u202fconstitution-building, democracy assessment and political\u202fparticipation and representation. Mainstreamed across\u202fall of\u202four work\u202fare\u202fgender and inclusion,\u202fconflict\u202fsensitivity,\u202fand sustainable development. \u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n

International IDEA is one of the most trusted global sources of data\u202fand analysis\u202fon the\u202fhealth of\u202fdemocracy\u202faround the world. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Read in Arabic, French, German, Portuguese and Swedish. BRUSSELS\/STOCKHOLM\u202f\u2013 \u00a0Global deterioration in the\u202fRule of Law\u202fand\u202frecord declines\u202fin\u202fthe United States\u202fare\u202fworsening…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":848332,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[23,3,21,19,22,20,25,24],"class_list":["post-848331","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-united-states","tag-america","tag-news","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-usa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/848331","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=848331"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/848331\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/848332"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=848331"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=848331"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=848331"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}