The hard facts are sobering: According to a new study, the quality of democracy has deteriorated over the past 20 years in 137 countries that are considered developing or emerging economies. According to the Bertelsmann Foundation’s “Transformation Index,” there are now 63 democracies compared to 74 autocracies. In other words, states that tend not to have free elections or a functioning constitutional state.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
The hard facts are sobering: According to a new study, the quality of democracy has deteriorated over the past 20 years in 137 countries that are considered developing or emerging economies.
With regard to the rise of right-wing populism in Germany, Scholz said that he was pleased that hundreds of thousands of people had recently taken to the streets to protest against it: "This has not come from above or from the parties.
The key to combating authoritarian tendencies remains the civil commitment to free elections, freedom of the press, and the separation of powers.
Sabine Donner cites examples of countries that successfully transitioned to democratic systems: "Take Taiwan or South Korea, which were under autocratic rule for a long time and were then modernized economically.
The 2024 Transformation Index describes South Korea, Costa Rica, Chile, Uruguay, and Taiwan in the following way: “Based on the rule of law and with a strategic approach, their government leaderships have ensured positive developments not only in education, health care, and living standards but also in strengthening democracy.”
The Bertelsmann researchers conclude that in countries where democracy is already functioning, governments need to seek consensus from as broad a segment of the population as possible — even more so than they have in previous years.
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