US democratic decline threatens global rule of law, report warns

A new study from the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) finds deep and widening democratic backsliding in the United States that, the authors say, is helping to weaken the rule of law worldwide. The report states that nearly half of the indicators used to measure American democracy have reached their lowest point in 50 years, and it identifies the US as a leading example and accelerator of a broader global decline. International IDEA says the trend is not limited to the US: roughly 57 percent of countries showed deterioration in at least one key democratic performance indicator between 2020 and 2025. The report notes that judicial independence has dropped to a 36-year low and that the quality of credible elections is at its weakest in three decades. It also links some types of democratic erosion to increased risk of violent conflict, noting that 2025 saw 65 violent conflicts globally — the highest number recorded since the Uppsala Conflict Data Program began collecting data in 1946, including a record eight interstate conflicts. On domestic measures, the report records seven statistically significant declines in the US from 2020 to 2025, highlighting setbacks in access to justice, freedom of expression, press freedom and judicial independence. It cites examples such as cuts to funding for public broadcasters including NPR and PBS and the US Agency for Global Media, hostile rhetoric and lawsuits targeting major news organisations, and executive actions that have affected university funding and academic freedom, including withheld federal funds for Harvard and Columbia. The authors identify the administration's use of immigration law as a stark example of reduced access to justice, pointing to the transfer of 137 Venezuelans to El Salvador under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act and concerns that many had limited connection to the alleged gang and were denied adequate judicial review. International IDEA warns the US decline carries international repercussions. The report argues that erosion of norms in the United States has strained multilateral institutions and given authoritarian leaders examples to justify crackdowns elsewhere, citing the aftermath of Brazil’s 2022 election and actions in Serbia as instances that echoed or referenced US developments. International IDEA Secretary-General Kevin Casas-Zamora is quoted saying the rapid decline in US democracy is weakening judicial independence and fragmenting the international system, with consequences for democracies around the world.