The values democracy embodies—the right to choose leaders in free and fair elections, freedom of the press, and respect for the rule of law—are in crisis worldwide. In the United States, President Trump’s first and second terms have accelerated the erosion of democratic norms and institutions. He has squelched the free flow of information, encouraged political violence, and used the presidency as a platform to promote his personal brand of leadership. His policies have undermined confidence in elections and weakened the checks and balances that bind the executive branch.
In many countries, autocratic regimes have also seized the opportunity to step up internal repression and to export their malign influence abroad. Russia and China have single-mindedly identified democracy as a threat to their own power, and they are working relentlessly—and with increasing sophistication—to undermine its institutions and cripple its principal advocates.
In addition, populist leaders are ratcheting up pressure to restrict civic space. In Cambodia, for example, the government shut down the independent Cambodia Daily, pushed independent radio stations off the air, and made it a crime to share political criticism on social media. In Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe’s replacement Emmerson Mnangagwa has used military muscle to stifle dissent and promote his own version of leadership.