Democracy continues to decline in the world. In 2024, there were more than twice as many authoritarian states (60) than full democracies (25). And only 6.6 percent of the global population lived in full democracies, far less than the 39.2 percent of the population living in authoritarian states. Things were different fifteen years ago: fewer people lived in authoritarian states (34.9 percent) and more people lived in full democracies (14.4 percent). 

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The United States is not immune to this global trend. In 2007, the U.S. was a full democracy. The country ranked #17 in the world on democratic outcomes. Today, the U.S. has fallen to #28. It is now defined as a flawed democracy, with lower scores now than in 2007 on functioning of government, political culture, and electoral process & pluralism. 

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What happened? Historically, the U.S. has confronted a quartet of threats to democracy: (1) polarization; (2) conflicts over belonging; (3) economic inequality; and (4) executive aggrandizement. Today Freedom House points to five factors that have contributed to democratic decline in the United States: (1) legislative dysfunction; (2) partisan gerrymandering; (3) influence of special interests in politics; (4) ongoing racial discrimination; and (5) polarization and disinformation in the media environment. 

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Historical data suggest the probability of total democratic breakdown in the United States is extraordinarily low. Nonetheless, democracy is fragile. It must be nurtured. Democracy takes decades to build, but it can collapse in a generation. The late John Lewis was right: “Democracy is not a state. It is an act, and each generation must do its part.”

Last week, the Constitutional Studies Program here at the University of Texas at Austin convened our third edition of the biennial Global Summit on Constitutionalism. We hosted over 300 attendees from more than 60 countries. Participants spoke on 70 panels on subjects ranging from democratic values to systems of government to freedom of expression to unwritten constitutional norms, and beyond. Here are a few photos from our three-day gathering here. All photos are available here, with separate folders for photos taken on each day. There should be at least one photo of each participant. Feel welcome to download, keep, and circulate as many as you wish as a souvenir of our invigorating and inspiring time together. 

Congratulations to the six prize winners honored at the Global Summit on Constitutionalism. Together they represent the very best in the study and practice of constitutionalism. 

Chief Justice

Supreme Federal Court of Brazil

 

 

Lorenza Violini
Full Professor

Università degli Studi di Milano

 

Reader

University of Warwick

 

Associate Professor

Universidad de Chile

 

 

Students in my course on “Amending the U.S. Constitution” were treated to a visit from two scholars of constitutional change. They learned about constitutional reform in France from Eleonora Bottini, and about constitutional reform in Ireland from David Kenny. Here we are, pictured below, at the end of our truly enjoyable class.