US democracy hits 50-year lows – report

The decline is weakening the rule of law at home and contributing to instability abroad, an intergovernmental organization has said Democracy in the US has fallen to its lowest levels in 50 years as a wider global decline weakens the rule of law and raises the risk of conflict, according to a new study.The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) said on Tuesday that nearly half of the 30 measures it uses to assess US democracy have deteriorated to levels not seen since its records began in 1975.“The USA is experiencing a period of marked democratic decline,” the organization said, describing the country as the “most prominent example and accelerator” of a broader global trend.US performance worsened significantly in seven measures between 2020 and 2025, including access to justice, economic equality, freedom of expression and the press, the effectiveness of Congress, and judicial independence. International IDEA said the deterioration has been most pronounced during President Donald Trump’s second term, although some of the trends began earlier. According to the report, Trump rapidly concentrated power in the executive branch to pursue pe...