Can a Summit Save Democracy? Michael Abramowitz on the Democracy Recession

President Joe Biden argues the contest between democracy and autocracy will be the defining challenge of the twenty-first century. Meanwhile, Freedom House observes democracy around the world has experienced its steepest drop in its fifteen-year decline. Seeking to reverse this trend, the United States is hoping to “set forth an affirmative agenda for democratic renewal” this week when it brings together 110 countries for a two-day virtual Summit for Democracy. But can the US effectively lead this charge when, as Freedom House has shown, America’s own democracy is in decline?

This week, the Institute for Global Affairs’ Mark Hannah is joined by Freedom House president Michael Abramowitz, who guides us through the 2021 edition of his organization’s flagship report, “Freedom in the World.” Along the way, Abramowitz discusses the democracy summit’s challenges and opportunities, and America’s nonmilitary tools for supporting democracy and human rights around the globe.

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This podcast episode includes references to the Eurasia Group Foundation, now known as the Institute for Global Affairs.