First 100 Days: On Defending Democracy
BY
January 18, 2021
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espite the valiant work by career public servants dedicated to democracy promotion during the Trump administration, democracy around the globe has been on a significant decline for the past 14 years. In 2019 alone, 64 countries experienced backsliding in their political rights and civil liberties, ranging from media suppression to social media disinformation. The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated these troubling developments, as democracy promotion has been overshadowed as a priority by anti-pandemic measures. As if the pandemic was not daunting enough, the recent storming of the U.S. Capitol by pro-Trump extremists seeking to overturn the 2020 presidential election may shake the faith of more nascent democracies in the idea of America as a democratic beacon of hope. Still, Joe Biden, who will become the next president of the United States, represents an opportunity for change.