Democracy Index 2018

You can download the free report here. The US has fallen from 21st to 25th place on the index in the last year in the flawed democracy category. The only positive is that Benedict Conald has inspired a lot of political resistance leading to mid-term changes. Here is the summary:

"The US has fallen in the global rankings over the past decade, from 18th place in the 2008 Democracy Index, to 25th in 2018. This primarily reflects a deterioration in the functioning of government category, as political polarisation has become more pronounced and public confidence in institutions has weakened. Public frustration with institutions has been brewing for years; according to Gallup polls from January to mid-November 2018, the number of Americans who approve of the way that Congress is handling its job had fallen to an average of 18%, down from 40% in 2000 and 20% in 2010. The highly partisan nature of Washington politics is contributing to this trend, as parties are increasingly seen as being focused on blocking one another’s agenda, to the detriment of policymaking. The president, Donald Trump, has not proven to be the savvy, across-the-aisle dealmaker that he promised to be. Rather, he has tapped into partisan tensions in an effort to rally his conservative political and voter base, particularly around the sensitive issues of immigration and security.

"Disappointed with many of his appointees and blocked by deep internal divisions within the Republican party, Mr Trump has taken a much more direct role in policymaking in the second year of his presidency. Most of the major policy actions in 2018—including the escalation of the trade war with China; diplomatic engagement with North Korea; and extensive deregulation of the energy, mining, and automotive industries—have not required congressional approval. Moreover, Mr Trump has repeatedly called into question the independence and competence of the US judicial system with regard to the ongoing federal investigation, led by Robert Mueller, into potential ties between Mr Trump’s presidential campaign and Russia, and various courts’ efforts to block some of his policy orders, particularly regarding immigration. Although we expect the US system of checks and balances to remain intact, this internal conflict risks further undermining public confidence in institutions. As a result, the score for political culture declined in the 2018 index.

"On a positive note, the score for political participation has improved, reflecting greater representation of women. Female candidates, particularly Democratic candidates, performed well in the 2018 mid-term elections for the House of Representatives (the lower house) and the Senate (the upper house). The percentage of representatives that will serve in the 115th Congress (2019-21) who are women has risen to 23%, up from 19% under the previous Congress (2016-18) and an all-time high for the US."