US Democracy Metrics Hit Half-Century Low, International Institute Warns

According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, data released by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) has indicated that democratic indicators in the United States have plummeted to their lowest level in the last half-century. The institute issued a warning regarding the global consequences of this declining trend, stating that key democratic metrics, from press freedom to judicial independence, have reached their nadir in 50 years, a development with worldwide ramifications.

The report elaborated that Washington’s retreat from a rules-based international order has undermined confidence in liberalism, emboldening authoritarian and populist leaders. IDEA explained that approximately 57 percent of the countries studied experienced a decline in at least one democratic indicator between 2020 and 2025, including judicial independence, electoral integrity, freedom of expression, and justice.

In this context, Kevin Casas-Zamora, Secretary-General of IDEA, told Agence France-Presse that current US President Donald Trump can certainly be considered the first manifestation of this ‘global epidemic.’ He noted that Donald Trump’s refusal to concede defeat to Joe Biden in the 2020 election had a global impact on legitimizing doubts about the credibility of electoral processes. Casas-Zamora believes that the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol building by Trump’s supporters accelerated this trend.