The Growing Lack of Democracy in the 21st Century
The current global shift away from the post-Cold War ideal of liberal democracy is a well-documented phenomenon. Statistical analysis of young people and their values show a general trend toward accepting authoritarianism while simultaneously citing dissatisfaction with democratic norms. Similarly, many anti-establishment candidates are gaining legitimacy with this decrease in trust with democratic institutions (namely with the lack of trust in the press and a greater awareness of corruption in politics). Within this framework, Trump is simply a byproduct of preexisting dissatisfaction with the system- but his presence as the leader of the free world has a considerable impact on global politics. In the two years since Trump's inauguration, the global trend has only worsened as politicians get bolder in their divisive rhetoric and undercutting of civil liberties. For example, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro ran a campaign full of anti-immigrant sentiment and ‘politically-incorrect’ language that purposely mimicked Trump's rhetoric during his 2016 campaign. However, Trump is not particularly special, in fact, his general misunderstanding of American democracy has limited his ability to effectively consolidate the power necessary to create an autocratic government (though that doesn't mean he isn't causing real damage with the people who surround and advise him). What is more significant is the increasing popularity of political figures who invoke Trump's talking points but have the knowledge to actually dismantle democracy in their countries. From the rise in the number of dictators to the growing list of back-sliding democracies, the rise of democracies we saw at the end of the 20th century is fading. According to the 2019 annual Freedom of the World report, “sixty-eight countries suffered net declines in political rights and civil liberties”, making 2018 the 13th recorded year in which global freedom has declined. Simply put, the state of democracy in the 21st century is teetering on a precipice as the world quietly accepts greater degrees of authoritarianism.
Examples of authoritarian regimes are numerous, but what is perhaps most significant is the increasing number of autocrats who begin their rule as elected leaders. From to Turkey's Recep Erdoğan to the Philippines’ Rodrigo Duterte to Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro, this method of exploiting populism is well-documented. In the case of Duterte, he remains popular in spite of the fact his government has participated in the extrajudicial murders of suspected drug criminals. In fact, this policy is part of the reason Duterte is widely supported by Filipinos- they feel like this method is more productive in the pursuit of public safety than the corrupt previous administration’s. These leaders build a platform off of a variety of targets- racist anti-immigrant sentiment, the creation of jobs, violent crime- but what remains constant is that they create a persona of a “strong man” who can tackle complex issues with simple, easy answers. The problem is such simplicity stifles the political discourse and enforces a black and white view of the issues in ways that demonizes political opponents and suppresses empathy and understanding. But the most concerning aspect of rising authoritarianism is its usefulness in fostering extremism. We can see the dredges of this in Trump's denouncement and dehumanization of Mexican immigrants, but it's much starker in countries like India and Russia whose leaders have unashamedly participated in the cultivation of hate. In India, the current Prime Minister Narendra Modi continues to affiliate himself with the RSS, an anti-Muslim militant group which has been citing as a contributing factor behind the recent uptick in violence between Indian Muslims and Hindus. Similarly, Putin continues to spread an anti-gay ideology that has contributed to an increase in the number of and the acceptability of hate crimes against LGBTQ citizens. In both cases, the government legitimizes hateful rhetoric and then creates an atmosphere in which the government does not protect its people from hate and violence they've created. This phenomenon is the most pressing danger of modern authoritarianism.
Ultimately, while authoritarianism can solve immediate short-term problems, its fundamental flaw is it leads to the destruction of existing institutions and creates long-term instability. And this instability always has a negative impact on the most vulnerable citizens, whether it be Muslims in India or LGBTQ people in Russia or Mexican immigrants in America. Democracy is not infallible or inherently humane, but it creates a foundation necessary to protect the civil rights of minorities. This trend should be worrying not because democracy is the ultimate ideal but because the rise of an autocracy brings with it the failure of protective systems and fail-safes that prevent a country from ensuring a secure future.