Elements of global governance such as ISOs, international treaties, multilateral organizations, and self-organizing bodies on the Internet, along with the evolution of business systems and ICT, are augmenting governments’ democratic emergence. Although the perception and implementation of democracy differ globally, it is generally accepted that democracy is a relationship between a responsible citizenry and a responsive government that encourages participation in the political process and guarantees basic rights. Since democracies tend not to fight each other and since humanitarian crises are far more likely under authoritarian regimes than democratic ones, the trend toward democracy should lead to a more peaceful future. Aging populations are increasing and their countries tend to maintain democratic gains more than countries with younger populations do. However, democracy and freedom declined over the last two years in one-fifth of the world’s countries, according to Freedom House. Four times as many countries showed declines during 2007 as improved, and press freedom continued a six-year negative trend across the world, with increased intimidation of journalists and increasing control of media in the hands of a few in business or government.

The longer-term trend is positive: the number of free countries grew from 43 to 90 over the past 30 years, accounting for 46% of the world’s population. Countries partly free expanded from 48 to 60, while 36% of the world population today lives in 43 countries with authoritarian regimes. The movement from authoritarian to more democratic regimes is being aided by the growth of civil society, media access for pro-democratic actors, long-term economic stability, a focus on citizen participation, transparent judicial systems, e-government with Internet access, increasing literacy, improved quality of governance assessment systems, international interdependence, and the development of a global consciousness. Democratic forces will have to work harder to make sure that the short-term reversals do not stop the longer-term trend of democratization.

International protocols are needed to assist failed states or regions within states, and intervention procedures are needed when a state constitutes a significant threat to its citizens or others. Although making development assistance dependent on good governance has helped in some countries, genuine democracy will be achieved when the people—not external actors—demand government accountability. The ILO warns that workplace discrimination remains common around the world and that, in spite of some progress on gender and race, discrimination based on age, sexual orientation, and disability is increasing.

The Internet allows self-organization around common ideals, independent of conventional institutional controls and regardless of nationality or languages. Injustices in different parts of the world become the concern of thousands or millions of people who then pressure local, regional, or international governing systems to find solutions. This unparalleled social power is reinventing citizens’ roles in the political process and changing institutions, policymaking, and governance. However, the development of methods to counter information manipulation, as well as increased freedom of information transmission, will be important for continued democratic consolidation. Organized crime, methods to tamper with election results, information warfare, and the potential of individuals to make and use weapons of mass destruction should be seriously addressed in order to build a healthy global democracy.

Challenge 4 will be addressed seriously when strategies to address these threats are in place, when less than 10% of the world lives in nondemocratic countries, when the number of armed conflicts (those with 1,000 or more deaths per year) diminishes by half, and when voter participation in most democracies exceeds 60% in most elections.

Graph: Global trends of freedom

Source: Freedom in the World 2008, Freedom House

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