Led by Demise in US Under Trump, 'Democracy Around the World Continues to Weaken'

A new report from a Swedish think tank warns that democracy is backsliding all across the world, led by the US under President Donald Trump.

The Stockholm-based International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) on Wednesday published findings from its annual Global State of Democracy report that found democracy is declining in 94 countries around the world, representing 54% of all nations the think tank analyzed.

"Democracy faces a perfect storm of autocratic resurgence and acute uncertainty, due to massive social and economic changes," Kevin Casas-Zamora, secretary-general of IDEA, told The Guardian. "To fight back, democracies need to protect key elements of democracy, like elections and the rule of law, but also profoundly reform government so that it delivers fairness, inclusion, and shared prosperity."

The US has shown itself to be in a particularly precarious position, as IDEA ranked the country well behind several other nations that are members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in the categories of rights, representation, and the rule of law.

The report includes data only from 2024, before the start of Trump's second term, but it makes note of further negative developments that have occurred since his return to power.

"The rule of law has come under intensified pressure under the second Trump administration in the USA," IDEA writes. "Since Trump took office in January 2025, his administration has issued a series of executive orders attempting to overhaul key aspects of governance, including the day-to-day functioning of the federal civil service, the country’s migration and asylum systems, and the balance of power between federal and state-level governments."

IDEA adds that the administration has at times "disregarded or circumvented" court rulings, which has led to concerns about the rule of law in the US crumbling even further.

"The degree to which the balance of powers is respected in the months and years to come will be a key determinant of whether Rule of Law indicators in the USA remain resilient or continue to deteriorate," the report stated.

In a separate interview with German publication Deutsche Welle, Casas-Zamora explained why developments in the US are dangerous not just to American citizens, but citizens in democracies around the planet.

"Some of the things that we saw during the election at the end of last year and in the first few months of 2025 are fairly disturbing," he said.

The first months of Trump's term were characterized by his attempts to seize constitutional powers from Congress by impounding federal funds, challenging the judiciary's right to rule against the administration's actions, and blatantly disobeying court orders.

"Since what happens in the US has this ability to go global," said Casas-Zamora, "this does not bode well for democracy globally."