Journal of Democracy

Abstract:

The latest edition of Freedom in the World found that the global struggle for democracy approached a possible turning point in 2022. Global freedom declined for the 17th consecutive year amid war, coups, and attacks on democratic institutions by illiberal incumbents. Infringements on freedom of expression have been a key driver of longer-term deterioration. Yet the gap between the number of countries that registered overall improvements in political rights and civil liberties and those that registered overall declines was the narrowest it has been through the last 17 years. Notable democratic gains were achieved through more transparent and competitive elections, while the year brought fresh evidence of the limits of authoritarian power. The world is significantly freer today than it was 50 years ago, when the assessment began, and ongoing protests against repression in various authoritarian countries suggest that people’s desire for freedom is enduring.