The United States is significantly contributing to the global weakening of the rule of law, with nearly half of its democracy indicators reaching 50-year lows, according to a new report released Tuesday.

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) identified the US as the "most prominent example and accelerator" of democratic erosion, warning that these internal declines have substantial repercussions for freedoms beyond its borders.

The report noted that "President Donald Trump quickly amassed power in the executive branch and wielded it to further a narrow set of personal goals and pursue retaliation against perceived enemies." It described an environment marked by "constricted space for both public expression and institutional checks on power," where "resistance is increasingly unsafe."

Globally, the trend is stark: approximately 57 percent of countries saw declines in at least one key democratic indicator between 2020 and 2025. Judicial independence has fallen to a 36-year low, and credible elections are at their lowest level in three decades. However, the report specifically calls out the US due to the magnitude of its democratic backsliding and its significant global influence.

International IDEA argues that the US's retreat from democratic norms has strained multilateral institutions and provided encouragement to authoritarian leaders internationally. The report states, "The results have been far-reaching, undermining the rule of law domestically and internationally and testing long-standing alliances and multilateral cooperation."

Examples cited include Brazil and Serbia. Following Brazil's 2022 election, the report noted that former President Jair Bolsonaro's attempts to retain power after losing and the subsequent storming of government buildings by his supporters "echoed" the events after the 2020 US election. In Serbia, officials reportedly used claims of mismanagement at USAID, referencing actions associated with the Trump administration, to justify raids on civil society organizations.

International IDEA Secretary-General Kevin Casas-Zamora commented, "For decades, the rule of law both domestically and in the international order has underpinned the resilience of democracies." He added, "Now, the rapid decline of democracy in the USA is weakening judicial independence and fragmenting the international system — threatening democracy around the world."

The US recorded seven statistically significant declines in democratic indicators between 2020 and 2025, impacting areas such as access to justice, freedom of expression, press freedom, and judicial independence. The report suggests that only the indicator for free political parties remained unaffected by this decline.