Bloomberg has created a series of visualizations showing that the world is becoming less democratic despite an increase in democratic elections. The charts use the liberal democracy index, created by Varieties of Democracy, a project that analyzes indicators of democracy such as fair elections and the number of restrictions placed on the government, to illustrate that the quality of democracy is decreasing on average. Users can also select individual countries to view their historical democracy score. While Bloomberg shows that Western democracies are still the most free in the world, it also notes that younger generations in such countries are more supportive of strongman leaders that disregard legislatures than older generations.
Visualizing a Decrease in Democracy
by Michael McLaughlin August 16, 2018

Michael McLaughlin
Michael McLaughlin is a research assistant at the Center for Data Innovation. He researches and writes about a variety of issues related to information technology and Internet policy, including digital platforms, e-government, and artificial intelligence. Michael graduated from Wake Forest University, where he majored in Communication with Minors in Politics and International Affairs and Journalism. He received his Master’s in Communication at Stanford University, specializing in Data Journalism.
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