The decline is weakening the rule of law at home and contributing to instability abroad, an intergovernmental organization has said
Democracy in the US has fallen to its lowest levels in 50 years as a wider global decline weakens the rule of law and raises the risk of conflict, according to a new study.
The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) said on Tuesday that nearly half of the 30 measures it uses to assess US democracy have deteriorated to levels not seen since its records began in 1975.
“The USA is experiencing a period of marked democratic decline,” the organization said, describing the country as the “most prominent example and accelerator” of a broader global trend.
US performance worsened significantly in seven measures between 2020 and 2025, including access to justice, economic equality, freedom of expression and the press, the effectiveness of Congress, and judicial independence. International IDEA said the deterioration has been most pronounced during President Donald Trump’s second term, although some of the trends began earlier.
According to the report, Trump rapidly concentrated power in the executive branch to pursue personal goals and retaliate against perceived enemies, with “far-reaching” effects at home and abroad. His One Big Beautiful Bill, signed into law in July 2025, cut government support for lower-income Americans despite deep economic inequality, it said.
Washington has also used its economic and military power to pressure other countries, including through attempts to influence elections in Argentina, Colombia, and Honduras, and threats of military intervention against Colombia, Cuba, and Mexico, the study said.
The US military operation in Venezuela, which saw President Nicolas Maduro seized and transferred to the US to face drug-trafficking charges, was cited as another example of the Trump administration’s so-called ‘Donroe Doctrine’, which envisions “US dominance in the Western Hemisphere” through military force.
The report also referred to the US-Israeli war on Iran, saying it was launched in February without any proof of imminent Iranian aggression. Washington acted without congressional authorization and outside the UN Charter’s collective-security mechanisms, it said.
“Just as the rule of law is eroding domestically in the USA, its actions abroad undermine the principle of the peaceful settlement of disputes,” International IDEA said.
The US decline is part of a broader global downturn, with 57% of countries deteriorating in at least one measure between 2020 and 2025, according to the study.
Last year was the 11th in a row in which more countries declined than improved, the longest such period since International IDEA’s records began. The number of violent conflicts worldwide also reached 65 in 2025, the highest since records began in 1946.
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