this post was submitted on 19 Mar 2026
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Donald Trump’s authoritarian drift in his second term places the country on a par with Hungary or Turkey, according to a ranking by Sweden’s V-Dem Institute

Democratic backsliding is advancing in the developed world. The annual report from Sweden's V-Dem Institute leaves no room for doubt: almost a quarter of the world experienced democratic backsliding, or a shift towards autocratization, in 2025, and six of the 10 newly regressive countries identified in the research are located in Europe and North America, including G-7 powers such as Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

But the most unsettling conclusion reached by the Swedish institute is that the United States


once a proud beacon of the more or less free world


is no longer a liberal democracy and is now on a par with countries like Hungary or Turkey, thanks to President Donald Trump. Autocracy is also spreading throughout Europe, but its reach extends far beyond the Old Continent: 41% of the world's population (3.4 billion people) now live in countries where democracy is eroding.

The institute, which belongs to the University of Gothenburg and uses 48 metrics in its evaluation, is one of the most reliable sources when it comes to rating the state of governments around the world, and the conclusion of its 2026 study confirms the worst fears about the authoritarian drift of the U.S. under Trump's leadership.

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[–] Nikko882@lemmy.world 55 points 12 hours ago (3 children)

Let's be honest, the US was no shining beacon of democracy even before Trump. The system was rotten and everyone knew it. However, those with the power to change it have no incentive to do so. It was basically held up because the poeple in charge had some common decency. At that point it's just a matter of time before someone came along that didn't have this basic decency.

I think the people of the UK should take a long, hard look at how the situation has evolved in the US and decide if they want to change their system to avoid having only two parties dominate the political climate. Ironically, being a monarchy means they are probably more resistant to going down the same route, but I suspect the parties are going to get more radical as time goes on and the royals aren't terribly popular these days.

(Opinion to be taken with a pinch of salt. I am no expert in these things and don't live in either country; We've got our own radicalization and issues with our own democracy.)

[–] KneeTitts@lemmy.world 6 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago) (1 children)

the US was no shining beacon of democracy even before Trump

he didnt create that corrupt system, hes just taking advantage of it..

actually he and the other pedo billionaires did help to create the corrupt system who am I kidding?

[–] MerryJaneDoe@lemmy.world 3 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

WWII changed everything about the USA. Everywhere else in the world, manufacturing was bombed to oblivion, the populace unable to rebuild without a coordinated effort from governments and NGOs.

The US became a hub of manufacturing. We exported our culture, and our products, all over the world. Our currency and our language became the standard in business.

Everything since then has been a slow walk backwards, so that the ultrawealthy could exert more control and line their pockets. A return to the "real" American values of exploitation.

[–] HermitBee@feddit.uk 5 points 7 hours ago

I think the people of the UK should take a long, hard look at how the situation has evolved in the US and decide if they want to change their system to avoid having only two parties dominate the political climate.

There are currently 5 parties vying for position here, but your point is still generally true. Hopefully with the rise of smaller parties, we might start to see a move towards a more proportional system, but I'm not holding my breath.

[–] aproposnix@scribe.disroot.org 29 points 12 hours ago

I left the US after the 2000 elections. Even then the writing was on the wall. Things only went into overdrive after Sept. 11th 2001. It's never been the same country since.

Moving out of the country was, without a doubt, the best decision I made in my life.