partnerships and erode an important foundation for U.S. The rollback of democracy in a few influential states or even in a number of less consequential ones would almost certainly accelerate meaningful changes in today’s global order.ĭemocratic decline would weaken U.S. A 2015 Freedom House report stated that the “acceptance of democracy as the world’s dominant form of government-and of an international system built on democratic ideals-is under greater threat than at any point in the last 25 years.”Īlthough the number of democracies in the world is at an all-time high, there are a number of key trends that are working to undermine democracy. However, despite the steady rise of democracy since the end of the Cold War, over the last 10 years we have seen dramatic reversals in respect for democratic principles across the globe. The United States has promoted the spread of democracy to strengthen global norms and rules that constitute the foundation of our current international system. In the 70 years since the end of World War II, the United States has fostered a global order dominated by states that are liberal, capitalist, and democratic. Rising challenges to democratic governance across the globe are a major strain on the international system, but they receive far less attention in discussions of the shifting world order. Largely missing from these discussions, however, is the specter of widespread democratic decline. The most discussed sources of this pressure are the ascent of China and other non-Western countries, Russia’s assertive foreign policy, and the diffusion of power from traditional nation-states to nonstate actors, such as nongovernmental organizations, multinational corporations, and technology-empowered individuals.

The norms, values, laws, and institutions that have undergirded the international system and governed relationships between nations are being gradually dismantled. But there is an emerging consensus in the world of foreign policy: threats to the stability of the current international order are rising. It is rare that policymakers, analysts, and academics agree. How Democracy’s Decline Would Undermine the International Order Responding to Egregious Human Rights Abuses.Building Sustainable and Inclusive Democracy.Family Planning, Maternal and Child Health, and Immunizations.Energy, Climate Change, and Environmental Impacts.Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation.Defense Industry, Acquisition, and Innovation.Intelligence, Surveillance, and Privacy.

Undermine democracy