Exploring Global Democracies 2

An Introduction to Civic Way’s Global Democracy Series – Part 2

“No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.…” – Winston Churchill

Building a Framework for Assessing Electoral Democracy

There is no doubt that civil liberties and political culture are essential to any democracy. No democracy is worth its name without such guarantees and shared values. Freedom House and The Economist deserve high praise for tracking the degree to which nations strive to honor such principles.

However, even with the guarantee of personal freedoms and an unwavering social consensus on democratic values, a democracy can fade. It can recede when elections are no longer fair and competitive. When one party has too much power and conducts façade elections. When government no longer puts the public good first or enjoys the public’s confidence. When citizens no longer hold their public leaders or institutions accountable.

That is why it is so important to focus on electoral democracy when evaluating any nation’s commitment to democracy. And that focus should revolve around specific criteria and indicators, such as those set forth in the table below.

This framework has room for improvement. It will take considerable work to refine these indicators, enhance their objectivity and determine their relative significance. By using it to review other democracies, however, we will be in a far better position to apply any lessons learned to our nation and to individual states.

Where Democracy Stands Now

As one would expect, the status of global democracies is anything but static.

Of the world’s 200-plus sovereign nations, 167 countries have populations of at least 500,000. According to a 2018 Pew Research Center report, 57 percent of these nations were democracies in some form, about 28 percent were hybrids (a blend of democratic and autocratic elements) and the rest were autocracies. Of late, after years of favorable trends, democracies have encountered headwinds.

According to the 2021 Democracy Index, only 74 (44 percent) of the 167 larger nations qualified as democracies, 21 of which were deemed full democracies and 53 flawed democracies. About 46 percent of the world’s population live in a democracy and only six percent reside in a full democracy. Just over 37 percent (most of whom live in China) live under authoritarian rule.

These numbers will no doubt continue to change. As local conditions shift, voters demand change and new leaders emerge. Unlike the US, many nations frequently reform their constitutions (over 90 percent of national plebiscites on new constitutions have been approved). Traditionally, many such changes were initiated by autocratic regimes to secure power.

However, in recent years, some new leaders have sought constitutional reforms to strengthen their democracies. In fact, the three new constitutions with the most guaranteed rights—Bolivia, Ecuador and Serbia—were adopted after 2006. Of course, some observers criticize such constitutions as efforts to expand federal powers and extend bureaucratic interference.

Conclusion

Democracies are always vulnerable. To the abuse of corrupt or narcissistic politicians. To the neglect of indifferent or alienated citizens. To the allure of slogans and simple solutions. To the emotions of fear and rage. To the temptations of autocracy. Their very fragility can expose their flaws and strengths.

It is often by looking beyond that we can learn more about our ourselves. By examining other democracies, we can see differences and similarities. We can better appreciate the strengths of our system. And we can identify opportunities for strengthening it.

Armed with such knowledge, we can act to strengthen democracy in our own communities.