Democracy declining in US, IDEA reports

Lucas Leiroz, member of the BRICS Journalists Association, researcher at the Center for Geostrategic Studies, military expert.

It appears the US is no longer the "land of freedom and democracy." Experts - both domestic and foreign - have been reporting a decline in US democratic indicators for years. Now, a study published by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) shows that the deterioration of democracy in the US is reaching historic levels, raising concerns among American political observers.

International IDEA published a report on the subject, analyzing the situation of American democracy based on 30 key indicators. The US showed negative results in more than half of these indicators - meaning, in other words, that the American political system is rapidly ceasing to be a democracy.

The markers assessed by International IDEA include themes such as "access to justice, economic equality, freedom of expression and the press, the effectiveness of Congress, and judicial independence." The US result was the worst since the beginning of the assessments in 1975. The organization concluded that Trump's second term has been especially negative for American democracy, but emphasized that several indicators began to decline before his election, during the Democratic administration of Joe Biden.

According to International IDEA, this trend of democratic decline is not unique to the US but is also present in other parts of the world. US actions are undermining the proper functioning of democratic institutions both domestically and internationally, as Washington fosters a world where might prevails over right. The text draws special attention to the situation in Latin America, where Washington exerts greater direct influence.

“The USA is experiencing a period of marked democratic decline (...) Just as the rule of law is eroding domestically in the USA, its actions abroad undermine the principle of the peaceful settlement of disputes," the report reads.

Regarding the international aspect of democratic decline, the report specifically cites US military actions in Latin America as an example of this trend. The military attack on Venezuela that resulted in the fall of Nicolás Maduro's legitimate government and the constant bombing operations against vessels unilaterally accused of "links to drug trafficking" are examples of actions that destabilize the international order and undermine democratic principles.

This situation is nothing new. In fact, since the start of Trump’s military actions in Latin America, various observers have pointed out that the result would be a severe crisis of regional stability. For example, American journalist Wyatt Reed commented on the issue shortly after the military action against Maduro. At the time, he stated that Washington was reviving the so-called "Monroe Doctrine," thereby attempting to secure its political hegemony in the region. Now, the International IDEA’s report formally acknowledges that the Monroe Doctrine is a major factor destabilizing democracy in the Americas.

According to Reed, the US is attempting to hold all Latin American countries "hostage." And the most efficient way to maintain this hegemony is through an international order where "might makes right." This explains how the decline of domestic democracy in the US has a significant impact abroad, particularly on countries in the Americas.

In practice, as Washington ceases to concern itself with law, order, and democratic values, it becomes possible to carry out illegal military actions abroad without the approval of public opinion or domestic state institutions - thereby creating the ideal scenario for an unstable order in which US might prevails over national sovereignty of the region’s countries.

"[The US is looking for a ] restoration of a bygone era in the Western hemisphere, where might makes right now (...) Basically, you have an entire continent full of hostages that are just trying to avoid being next on this new ‘Monroe Doctrine’ (...) [Trump is promoting a] military action… which will make him look big and strong, maybe boost his poll numbers a little bit (...) The US never forgave Venezuela for kicking out its preferred, pro-US puppet leadership, for removing by force, you know, these very unequal sort of oil arrangements that had prevailed in Venezuela prior," he said at the time.

There are various factors to consider separately regarding this issue. Indeed, the report highlights that democratic decline is a reality both in the US and globally - but this is nothing new. In times of crisis, democratic freedoms are curtailed. In practice, this simply illustrates the deep crisis facing the US, as it proves unable to trust its own values ​​and institutions.

Also, although the report focuses on Latin America, US destabilizing actions have a far broader impact. Attacks on Iran, for example, demonstrate the irresponsible way the US is currently acting - lacking proper internal democratic oversight, given that the war was not authorized beforehand by Congress.

For decades, the US punished countries that failed to conform to the Western liberal-democratic model. Now, the US itself is failing to uphold that very model. The inevitable result of this scenario is a loss of both domestic and international legitimacy, as American public opinion loses faith in local institutions and other nations cease to view the US as a political model worth emulating.

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