Chapter 8: Freedom and Democracy

Democracy is arguably the best form of government because it is a necessary, though not sufficient, condition for freedom (Mandel, 2005; Moghaddam, 2016). Democracy offers freedom of expression and action, human rights protections, access to diverse sources of information, political inclusion and social equality, government responsiveness and transparency, economic growth, and sustained peace. In embracing economic and political choice and sociocultural tolerance, democracy contributes to greater happiness worldwide (Inglehart, Foa, Peterson, & Welzel, 2008).

Yet, history shows that democracy is neither inevitable nor fixed. Lately, democracy has eroded (Freedom House, 2019). Figure 8.1 depicts the global downward trajectory of freedom on indices of political rights and civil liberties. Many democratic countries have backslid owing to populist movements, breakdowns in the rule of law, and the undue influence of corporate money and power. Due to weaker transnational incentives, many authoritarian governments no longer pretend to uphold democratic practices.