What is a Backsliding Democracy and Why was the U.S. Added?

Democracies go through phases just like everything else. We get comfortable with being the world's leaders and then something happens that jolts that false sense of security and things go haywire for a little. The U.S. was added to a democracy backsliding list for the first time by the International IDEA. We are a resilient people and will correct our path going forward by helping out leadership get a bigger picture of how the way "politics is played" is starting to impact the foundations of our democracy. 😟

International IDEA is a think tank and describes itself as an, "International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) is an intergovernmental organization that supports sustainable democracy worldwide.". You can read more about those countries backsliding on their site HERE. You can also get the full report HERE. 

 The report indicates there were civil liberty issues, checks & balance issues, and election issues that all contributed to the factors. I don't really know the metrics and how they make those decisions (One would have to look at their data sources and descriptive explanations.) Yet...I think there may be some truth to what they are saying.

What I can say is that its important to maintain checks and balances throughout the system. For example, independent law enforcement/judicial system that isn't swayed quickly by national politics, commitment of Republican and Democrat leaders to the essentials of democracy, the promotion of civility and rule by the people for the people, a diverse society where people of all kinds feel comfortable.

According to the report democracies are starting to backslide and different types of more autocratic governments are coming forward. Thus freedom of speech and the rule of law are important to counter autocratic tendencies. More countries began to backslide and democracy is on the decline...unfortunately most of us just sort of don't really care as long as we get their own way.....thereby missing the bigger picture. 

In my humble opinion freedom of speech, rule of just laws, political commitment to the bigger picture, diversity, opportunity and the quality of our leadership all impact our chances. Our hyper politics have come to pervert our futures. Our leadership will have to decide what is important to them (and not what they think is in their advantage.) One must look at "trust" polls to get a glimpse of some of the changes occurring. Walking the talk and doing so with integrity is important....it means something. Maybe not to you but perhaps to your grand kids. What do you believe?