A just-released annual report on the state of global democracy makes reading frustrating. But, what is even more frustrating is what may appear in next year’s edition.
Or rather, what might not appear in the 2026 volume: An ancient democracy, some measuring the world The oldest;For a long time, the world claims to be a superpower that spreads freedom.
“If this continues, when we release, America will not be a democracy [next year’s] Data, said Staffan Lindberg, director of the Democratic Project, the University of Gothenburg in Sweden runs out.
“If this continues, democracy [there] It won’t last for another six months. ”
His project, which includes 31 million data points in 202 counties, compiled by 4,200 scholars and other contributors, measures 600 different democratic attributes.
Lindberg happened to present this year’s report in the United States this week – including only data until the end of 2024.
This year violated some serious milestones.
For the first time in twenty years, surpassing the dictator (91) (91) on this list, nearly three-quarters of humanity now live in an autocracy – a person with unlimited power, the highest interest rate in fifty years.
The latest report finds Canada and the United States in the second-highest “electoral democracy” tier.
The report adds an important warning: This year’s release only includes details for 2024, meaning it doesn’t cover start Donald Trump’s latest presidency.
But this refers to the ongoing events in the United States that are unprecedented, mentioning Trump’s pardon 1,500 criminals Who supports him; shooting Independent institutions regulators have no process; clear non-political Police and the Army Brass; ignore law; and the federal government that he unilaterally deleted programeven The entire organizationcreated by the U.S. Congress.
Trump has beaten several new milestones in the past few days alone.
He was simply called his ex’s pardon Voids and vacancy. He gave a painful party speech At the Justice Department, it is required to prosecute the media and certain opponents. he threaten Many universities with sanctions. he Call one 227 years old The law that war measures peacetime for the first time ever – expelling alleged gang members without due process. And, most importantly, when the deportation plan ended in court, he may (although still controversial) violate the court order, cracking the order The ultimate constitutional guarantee.
Lindberg envisions something that once meaningless: removing the United States from the Democratic roster and transferring it to the second-highest level of the five, rather than the five, which is not just the scope of what Trump does. This is also speed.
Like Erdoğan, Orbán, Modi – only faster
Lindberg said Trump is doing a lot of the same things as Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Hungary’s Viktor Orbán and India’s Narendra Modi – faster.
“It’s the pace,” Lindberg said. “He’s trying to do something that will take eight to ten years to achieve in a few months. … It’s very scary.”
What will happen next? He said, watch the court. Their actions and Trump’s response are fundamental. He said the court played a key role in countries where authoritarian slides were stopped, citing Poland, Brazil, North Macedonia and Zambia.
Needless to say, many Americans may find his assessment controversial-even offensive. But some of his American counterparts can easily agree.
Less than 24 hours after being pardoned by U.S. President Donald Trump, some convicted people were released on January 6. On his first day of office, Trump pardoned about 1,600 criminals and committed more than a dozen sentences.
“This is what electoral autocracy looks like,” said Michael Miller, a professor at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Poll of expert On site.
“Electional autocracy or democracy is weak.”
Even if Trump wins the election, fair and square, it’s still right. Miller said most dictators did hold multi-party elections, with about three-quarters different from the rest of the most suffocating category being closed autocratic.
What is “electional autocracy”?
In the case of electoral autocracy, you can vote, protest, criticize the government, but at a certain price.
Miller said the price is a fear of revenge: loss of jobs, public funds or contracts. As time goes by, fear needs to be caught, people – including Strong media owner – Start self-censorship.
Miller sees an almost perfect replica here move go through other Modern Strong manjust like Erdoğan and Orbán: “The exact script,” he said.
He also sees the judiciary as key. Judges will continue to reject unconstitutional behavior, as Trump has been doing since his first day as president, starting with his attempt to rewrite Citizenship.
It is safe to expect Trump to complain, perhaps wanting to ignore the court order, but Miller said it is important whether he retreats. “Then maybe you’re back from the edge,” Miller said.
That’s why last weekend’s case as a Venezuelan gang member was a major test.
Trump once used it The Alien Enemy Law of 1798 Outside of War: He marked Venezuelan Tren de Aragua Gang as a terrorist organization, qualifying alleged members to be deported immediately without standard legal proceedings.
Relatives insist that some deportations were Being accused incorrectlywhile the White House insisted on taking reliable information and used hundreds of years of law to conduct 137 deportations last weekend.
Why does a court case attract so much attention
exist A chaotic Saturday coursea constitutional showdown unfolded in Washington Court.
First, the American Civil Liberties Union Prosecution Represented five plaintiffs. The judge issued a written order to avoid being deported, and the Trump administration agreed. But hours later, Trump invoked the Alien Enemy Act and expelled it.
During the emergency hearing, the judge ordered the suspension of deportation flights; but the Trump administration said it was too late – two flights were already in the air.
Importantly, Trump’s border tsar Tom Homan then pulled out of court in a television interview. “We keep stopping. I don’t care about the judge’s thoughts. I don’t care about the rest. We’re here,” Homan told Fox News.
The President himself called on the judge to impeachment each.
This has drawn condemnation from Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who, in a rare public statement, said it was an inappropriate use of impropriety, a violation of two centuries of understanding that judicial divisions should be addressed through appeals.
The White House is defending U.S. President Donald Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to speed up deportation with immigrants suspected of gang ties, even as the judge demands two more than 261 deported planes back to the U.S.
Federal lawyers also rejected a judge’s request for information in court. But the government is doing it: this is not a complete rebellion; it is too late to turn the planes around because they have left U.S. airspace.
“We are following the judge’s orders,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday.
This began a high-risk deadlock that could not last forever. Miller said Trump may find new ways to avoid court orders, but will sooner or later clash with the judge.
“What they said was, ‘We are following court orders’ – wink, wink.” “I don’t think they’re going to come out and say, ‘We ignore court orders.’… [But] At some point, it becomes unsustainable. ”
This is just one of the guardrails that Trump has tested in recent days.
He also took unprecedented steps to challenge his ex’s pardon: Trump said because Joe Biden used a mechanical signature for his recent pardon, so Congressional January 6 Committee This shows that Trump can still be prosecuted.
He escalated the pressure on college.
Trump has threaten Federal funding More than 50 Universities suspected of using racial diversity programs in admission criteria.
His government has Made Columbia University needs nearly a dozen Lost $400 million in federal funds is an insignificant punishment for protests related to the Gaza.
These requirements include putting Colombia’s Middle East, South Asia and Africa studies under academic takeover; and encouraging Colombia to implement definition Anti-Semitism includes derogating Israel as a racist project.
Then a great speech was delivered to the Justice Department, and Trump appears to be publicly lobbying legal agencies to sue certain opponents.
At the center of U.S. law enforcement, many people cheered him on, and Trump called certain political opponents “scum.”
He demanded responsibility for those who investigated him and called CNN and MSNBC four times accusing them of having to stop corruption.
“It was an absolutely extraordinary speech; one of the most extraordinary speeches ever made by a president,” Miller said.
It is also amazing, at Miller’s perspective: the minimal media reaction that follows.
He used this as an example to illustrate the normalization of Trump’s behavior.
It has become a cliché, Miller said, but as a thought experiment, trying to imagine another U.S. president giving a speech. Imagine Joe Biden saying these things. Then imagine the reaction.
“It will be one of the biggest stories in the last 100 years,” he said. “But it’s Trump.”
