A report released by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) on Thursday shows that citizens surveyed from 19 countries generally lack confidence in the performance of their political institutions and the credibility of elections. Many of them may favor a strong, undemocratic leader.
The study covered 19 countries and regions. Included among the countries were: Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Gambia, India, Iraq, Italy, Lebanon, Lithuania, Pakistan, Romania, Senegal, Sierra Leone, the Solomon Islands, South Korea, Taiwan, Tanzania and the US.
A striking finding is that only six countries had a majority of people indicate some degree of unfavorable feelings about a strong, undemocratic leader who does not have to bother with parliament or elections. Even respondents in Denmark, which ranked second in the International IDEA’s Global State of Democracy (GSoD) rankings 2023, lacked a strong negative predisposition towards such a leader. This is of note as almost half of the world’s population has participated—or will participate in—nationwide elections this year.
In 11 of the 19 countries, more than half of the respondents expressed their lack of confidence in the most recent elections. Self-identified minorities and low-income communities appeared more likely to express such views in most countries. Meanwhile, in 17 of the 19 countries, less than half of the respondents are satisfied with their governments, especially for self-identified minorities and low-income groups.
The study also revealed that, in 18 out of the 19 countries surveyed, less than one-third of respondents felt their courts assure them equal access to justice. However, expert assessments and popular perceptions on the court system and access to justice of a country vary starkly. Denmark provided for the only example where a majority of people are satisfied with their courts.
Most participants’ outlook for the future of their countries was also quite grim, as only four of the surveyed countries had a majority of respondents who felt they are better off than their parents. That said, more than half of respondents felt their freedom of expression is secured in most countries, with noted exceptions in Colombia, Pakistan, Romania and Senegal.
Based on the above findings, the International IDEA concluded, “[I]t is clear that democratic institutions are falling short of people’s expectations.” The study drew attention to the limits of expert assessments and the differences between various segments of the population in democracy evaluations. Accordingly, International IDEA raised recommendations to address these problems. One such recommendation was to systematically integrate public perceptions into expert evaluations, especially those of marginalized groups. Another recommendation was for policymakers to look beyond expert views to understand the state of democracy.
Founded in 1995, the International IDEA is an intergovernmental organization based in Stockholm with 35 member states, and has its mandate in supporting sustainable democracy worldwide.
