[This opinion piece, which in its original form can be accessed here, appeared in the “Made by History” section of the Washington Post.]
Perspective by Stephen Golub
July 4, 2023 at 8:00 a.m. EDT
Stephen Golub has taught courses on legal and democratic development at Berkeley law school and Central European University’s public policy school. He has edited several volumes and published approximately 40 papers relevant to these topics. He blogs about democratic development at “A Promised Land: America as a Developing Country.”
As America celebrates Independence Day, we find our democracy not nearly as strong as we’d once thought. Authoritarian challenges threaten our institutions, our rights and the rule of law.
Ironically, this sobering reality confronts us after the United States, along with affluent allies, has devoted decades and massive resources to trying to build democracy in the world’s poorer and post-communist societies, including via rule of law, good governance, human rights and anti-corruption programs. With some exceptions — mostly centered on providing electoral assistance and fortifying civil society and media — these efforts have largely fallen flat. Data from Freedom House, the World Bank and the World Justice Project confirm the decline in democracy and associated fields across the globe.
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