Global State of Democracy Report 2021

Global State of Democracy Report- Relevance for UPSC Exam

• GS Paper 2: Governance, Administration and Challenges- Development processes and the development industry- the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders.

Global State of Democracy Report- Context

• Recently, the Global State of Democracy Report, 2021 was released by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International-IDEA).
• The Global State of Democracy Report, 2021 said that the number of countries moving towards authoritarianism in 2020 was higher than that of countries going in the other direction, towards democracy.

Global State of Democracy Report 2021- Key Findings

• Increasing authoritarianism: The Global State of Democracy Report, 2021 finds that more countries are moving towards authoritarianism than democracy in 2020.
  • Global State of Democracy Report found that while 20 countries moved in the direction of authoritarianism, seven countries moved towards democracy in 2020.
  • Globally, more than one in four people live in a backsliding democracy, a proportion that rises to more than two in three with the addition of authoritarian or “hybrid” regimes.
• COVID-19 Impact: Global State of Democracy Report 2021 said that the covid 19 pandemic has prolonged this existing negative trend into a five-year stretch.
  • It is the longest such period since the start of the third wave of democratization in the 1970s.
  • Global State of Democracy Report states that the year 2020 was the worst on record, in terms of the number of countries affected by deepening autocratization.
  • Global State of Democracy Report 2021 found that the pandemic has had a particularly damaging effect on non-democratic countries, further closing their already reduced civic space.
• Democratic regimes using authoritarian tactics: Global State of Democracy Report 2021 found that Democratically elected Governments, including established democracies, are increasingly adopting authoritarian tactics.
  • Global State of Democracy Report 2021 says that this democratic backsliding has often enjoyed significant popular support.
  • Global State of Democracy Report 2021 highlighted the case of Brazil and India as some of the most worrying examples of backsliding.
• The U.S included in “backsliding” democracies: The United States and three members of the European Union [Hungary, Poland and Slovenia] have also seen concerning democratic declines.
  • The US has been added to an annual list of “backsliding” democracies for the first time pointing to a “visible deterioration”.

Swachh Survekshan 2021- Swachh Survekshan Awards 2021 Declared

Global State of Democracy Report- Key Points

• About: The Global State of Democracy Report is an annual report released by the Stockholm-based International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International-IDEA).
• International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International-IDEA): It is an inter-governmental organization supporting democracy.
  • International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International-IDEA) was chaired by Australia and included India as a member-state.
• Mandate: The Global State of Democracy report aims to influence the global debate and analyses current trends and challenges to democracy, exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
  • The Global State of Democracy report also suggests specific policy recommendations to spark new and innovative thinking for policymakers, governments and civil society organizations supporting democracy.

 Sydney Dialogue

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