Perspective 147. U.S. Democracy: Part of Global Decline?

Researchers who track democratic practice in the world have recorded a general decline in democracy over the last decade or two.  It is not difficult to name nations that stand out in this regard. But is the United States one of them?

Yes.  The Economist Intelligence Unit, which tracks democracy n 167 nations, has since 2016 rated the United States as a “flawed democracy”, ranked 29^th in the world, just ahead of Israel, ranked 30^th, and below the 24 nations rated as “full democracies”).

In perspective, the general decline in democracy is attributed to growth of economic inequality, reaction to threatened societal changes, and populism based on nationalist or racist appeals.  Specific factors in the U.S. case include the influence of money in politics, a relatively low rate of participation, and a growing polarization that has made compromise – once a strength of American democracy – more difficult to achieve.

The influence of money has grown enormously since the Supreme Court’s ruling, in the 2010 Citizens United case. removing most limits on campaign finance and allowing corporations to contribute unlimited funds to candidates.

State after state has enacted laws designed to reduce voting, among certain groups, to even lower levels.  This is added to shameless gerrymandering in which representation of different parties stands in wild disproportion to actual political support.

Also, in state after state election officials who certified legitimate election returns have been intimidated or forced from office, while legislatures look for ways to gain better partisan leverage over the certification process.

Unbelievably, this follows from the attempt to prevent, by violent intimidation, the certification of legitimate 2020 election results.  And equally unbelievably, the Supreme Court has even opened to door to giving the guilty candidate immunity from prosecution for this attack on democracy.

The same candidate is on record as urging others to break laws, suggesting the shooting of migrants crossing the Rio Grande, and proposing invasion of Mexico to suppress drug cartels. 

He also threatens to employ special prosecutors, IRS audits, and revocation of security clearance against his critics, while eliminating the independence of the Department of Justice.  There is talk of using the military for mass deportations and (under the supposed authority of the 1807 Insurrection Act) arresting protesters.

At the same time this former president refuses to renounce his anti-democratic goon squad followers on the far right, and has dined with Holocaust deniers.  If returned to the presidency, he promises to pardon Jan. 6 insurrectionists.

The Heritage Foundation has designed a plan to replace the upper level of civil servants with political appointees,; in other words, presidential loyalists.  The structure for such a scheme (“Schedule F”) was already attempted by the last president, and a search is underway to identity tens of thousands of future flunkies to fill these positions.  Apparently the litmus test for prospective appointees is that they must believe that the 2020 election was stolen.

Unfortunately it will not be difficult to find perpetrators of this fraud.  Surveys show that about two-thirds of Republicans are going along with the gag, and that fully one-quarter of the total electorate agree that “true American patriots may have to resort to violence in order to save our country.”

The president of Heritage asserts that “we are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.”

Democracy is an achievement requiring constant reinforcement; it is not a natural state of affairs.  Most democracies, historically, have declined over time.  The United States, it seems, may not be an exception.