The U.S. is failing at Democracy. Here is the analysis by the United States Democracy Meter, a new tool that seeks to address the state of our current democracy:
The tool deploys a 100-point scale across twenty-three subquestions to evaluate the change in the quality of American democracy. It starts with a retroactive evaluation of U.S. democracy in 2024, which produced a mediocre but still solid score of 79/100. The Century Foundation’s 2025 evaluation finds that American democracy is already collapsing—the Democracy Meter rates the United States at 57/100, a 28 percent drop in just one year. In the first year of Trump 2.0, the United States went from being a passing if imperfect democracy to behaving like an authoritarian state: breaking the law, ignoring court rulings, engaging in grand corruption, targeting critics for persecution, and conducting a campaign against immigrants, in particular, that flagrantly violates civil rights. Crucially, elections are still free, providing for the time being an avenue to reverse the democratic decline.
Yes, that’s us. Under The Don’s rule, with the collusion of feckless Republican lawmakers, loyalist cabinet members, a rogue and political Supreme Court- which granted him immunity from prosecution- we are tumbling fast. According to Democracy Matrix, the U.S. is now ranked number 36 in quality of Democracy and rated as a “deficient democracy.”
The Republicans are currently engaged in a brazen attempt to consolidate power through whatever means necessary. They are determined to render the constitution meaningless- democracy be damned. It isn’t hyperbole to say that the Republicans and the Supreme Court are traitors-certainly as it relates to upholding the constitution. They are making a mockery of our “Pledge of Allegiance’s” final words “with liberty and justice for all.”
Here are a few major ones transgressions that have led to us being downgraded to “deficient democracy.”
The arresting of immigrants and citizens by I. C.E. without due process, violating their 4th Amendment rights.
The attempt to suppress free speech-whether it be Jimmy Kimmel, the Department of Justice intimidating those who oppose The Don (James Comey, John Brennan, Letitia James) or Senator Mark Kelly for speaking to members of the military in a public service announcement reminding themtthat it is their duty to not obey an illegal order. In response to Kelly, The Don actually wrote that Kelly should face the death penalty and be hanged as a traitor. Currently, Pete Hegseth is in court arguing that military retirees are subject to freedom of speech restrictions; and if they don’t like those restrictions, they could forfeit their pension and benefits. Let that sink in. Free speech? In other words, serve and shut the fuck up!
Corruption abounds. This administration is the most corrupt in our history. The president accepted a $400 million plane from Qatar; his family’s crypto venture is engaged in billion dollar deals with countries in the Middle East; no one knows where the oil money from Venezuela is going. It is one big grift; it is a Mafia shakedown.
The rule of law is being undermined and attacked every day. Starting a war without Congress’s approval; the uncountable executive orders that are considered unconstitutional and possibly illegal-from trying to end Birthright Citizenship to taking control of independent agencies, to attempting to change federal election laws.
That brings us to the Supreme Court’s decision, Louisiana vs Callais that neutered the remaining part of the Voting Rights Act. This didn’t start with The Don: The dismantling of the VRA has been a goal of Republicans for a long time, and a bee in Chief Justice Roberts’ bonnet since he worked in the Reagan administration.
After the ruling, it took only three days for Tennessee Republicans to dismantle a majority-Black district in congressional district in Memphis that existed since 1923. Other states in the south (Florida, Alabama and Mississippi) are licking their chops at the prospect of gerrymandering now that the highest court has given them a green light.
In Virgina, the State Supreme court over ruled the people who voted to redraw new electoral maps. “Huge win for the Republican Party and America in Virginia,” said our famous blowhard president. “The Virginia Supreme Court has just struck down the Democrats’ horrible gerrymander. “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.” For The Don and his fellow Republicans, it’s okay to gerrymander, but when the Democrats fight back to equalize things they are “horrible.” Let’s all remember that we would not be having this conversation if The Don hadn’t asked Texas to gerrymander districts to ensure more Republican victories.
The consequences of the 6-3 partisan vote are profound. It removes any protection for minority majority districts and gives free reign to states to redraw congressional districts to dilute the impact of minority voters, particularly Black voters: The court has given a permission slip to states to disenfranchise swaths of voters.
James Clyburn, who, in 1992, was the first African American sent to Congress from South Carolina since Reconstruction. said he is certain he would never have been elected to Congress without changes in the Voting Rights Act. Clyburn said: “About half of the members of the Congressional Black Caucus wouldn’t be there.” He was part of the historic 1992 class of Black and Hispanic lawmakers elected after new maps were drawn to comply with 1982 changes meant to strengthen the Voting Rights Act. The fact that it wasn’t until 1992 that a Black person from the South was elected to Congress is sobering; now we risk undoing this progress.
After the Civil War, from 1865-1877, during Reconstruction, when Blacks started to thrive in the South, they used their newly found freedom to elect over 1,500 representatives between local, state, and federal positions. There were three U. S. senators and 21 congressmen!
What happened next was devastating, as the forces of White Supremacy, threatened by Black ascendancy, enacted policies to disenfranchise Black voters. So even though Blacks had the right to vote guaranteed by the 15th amendment, the obstacles to true representation were brazenly thwarted. In a number of decisions, The Supreme Court’s decisions enabled the South to enact the institution of the Jim Crow laws (Plessy vs Fergusson.) As a result, Mississippi changed its constitution. The results were devastating: Registration among Black men plummeted from over 90% during Reconstruction to less than 6% by 1892. This continued with fewer than 1% registered by 1940.
Once again, the dark stain of our racist history has brought us back full circle. The United States Democracy Meter, holding out hope for America’s democracy stated: “Crucially, elections are still free, providing for the time being an avenue to reverse the democratic decline.”
With the Supreme Court’s decision, we are now failing in this area as well. Yes, Blacks can still vote, but it matters little if you are deprived of proper representation. With The Don spearheading the charge, The Republicans are throwing the kitchen sink at the integrity of our election process. Seizing voting machines (Georgia), sowing confusion and chaos into our elections, sending an “election Integrity Army in every single State”and threatening to send in ICE agents or the military into blue cities to intimidate voters, our democracy score will continue to spiral lower and lower. We have to fight back in any way we can as we have painfully learned that democracy is fragile and we have an administration and Republican party intent in neutering it to seize power. Once again, the Supreme Court is the center of ensuring White Supremacy. The refusal to come to terms with our original sin of slavery comes back to haunt us once again
The Grand Offal Party 