Is U.S. Democracy Eroding? Examining the Signs of Decline

In her article “Is U.S. Democracy in Decline? Here’s What the Science Says,“ Sujata Gupta examines the state of democracy in the United States, highlighting concerns about democratic erosion based on recent political developments and research from political scientists. Gupta emphasizes that Americans and international observers have grown increasingly alarmed about the health of U.S. democracy, especially in light of events like the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, which raised serious questions about the stability of democratic norms. She points to growing polarization, threats of political violence, and weakened institutional safeguards as key indicators of potential democratic backsliding. Public opinion polls cited in the article reveal that a significant portion of the American public is anxious about the future of democracy, with fears that the country may be heading toward more authoritarian tendencies.

Political scientists rely on various tools to assess democratic health, such as the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) project, which evaluates the state of democracy worldwide. While the U.S. continues to rank relatively high, its scores have shown a notable decline in recent years. This erosion, according to Gupta, is due to several factors, including an increasingly dysfunctional political process, weakening checks and balances, and opposition parties’ reduced ability to hold the government accountable. This has led scholars to argue that the U.S. may be experiencing democratic backsliding, a process by which democratic norms and institutions gradually erode without a complete collapse. Gupta explores this possibility through data from various studies, showing how democracy can wither slowly if left unchecked.

However, Gupta also presents contrasting views from experts who are less pessimistic about the future of U.S. democracy. Some argue that, while the current state of U.S. politics is troubling, the country has endured periods of intense political conflict and polarization in the past, such as during the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement, and emerged with its democratic institutions intact. These experts maintain that the U.S. still has strong democratic safeguards, including a free press and an independent judiciary, that are capable of protecting against authoritarianism. They emphasize the importance of not underestimating democratic resilience, suggesting that the U.S. is more likely to experience political turbulence than a complete democratic breakdown.

Gupta also places the U.S. within a broader global trend of democratic backsliding, noting that countries such as Hungary, India, and Brazil are experiencing similar declines in civil liberties, government transparency, and political freedoms. The global nature of this trend complicates the U.S.’s ability to serve as a model of democracy or promote democratic values abroad. The weakening of democracy in these nations, combined with internal challenges within the U.S., raises concerns about the future of democracy on a global scale.

In conclusion, while U.S. democracy remains resilient in many ways, Gupta warns that recent trends demand serious attention. The rise of political violence, authoritarian rhetoric, and weakened democratic norms, if left unaddressed, could have long-lasting consequences. The article underscores the importance of vigilance and proactive efforts to defend democratic principles, as the decline of democracy—even gradual—could ultimately undermine the nation’s democratic institutions.