V-Dem Institute Report Labels United States No Longer Liberal Democracy

The Varieties of Democracy Institute released a report titled "Unravelling the Democratic Era?" concluding that the United States has lost its status as a liberal democracy. The report describes the U.S. as undergoing a rapid process of autocratization, marking its lowest level of democratic performance since 1965.

Researchers found that the decline was driven by a concentration of power in the executive branch under the Donald Trump administration. The institute noted that the legislative branch has been marginalized, with the administration issuing 225 executive orders in its first year while Congress passed only 49 laws, most of which were minor amendments.

Staffan Lindberg, founder of the institute and director of the report, stated that the suppression of democratic institutions in the U.S. occurred more quickly than similar shifts in Hungary, Turkey, Serbia, and India. While competitive elections remain intact, the report warns that continued institutional erosion risks future stability. Globally, the institute estimates that 41% of the world's population now lives in countries where democracy is deteriorating.