The health of America’s democracy declined in 2025, according to new evaluations from organizations that have long tracked how well democracies around the world are working.
The assessments come as most Americans say democracy in the United States used to be a good example for other countries to follow but has not been in recent years, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. And roughly seven-in-ten Americans are dissatisfied with the way their democracy is working. (Read more below.)
The new ratings of America’s democracy come from three organizations:The Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Institute surveys scholars and country experts to rate countries on elements of democracy including free and fair elections, checks and balances and civil rights.
Freedom House publishes the yearly Freedom in the World report, which rates countries on political rights and civil liberties and is based on the views of local experts.
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) publishes the annual Democracy Index, which rates countries on electoral processes, governance, civil liberties, political participation and political culture.
