America keeps sliding on the freedom and democracy scale, students must learn why
The State Board of Education is sure to include a healthy dose of patriotism in the social studies curriculum standards it is revising this spring for Texas public school students. The board also should include a high school level course in how and why our democracy and freedom, after 250 years, are alarmingly eroding.
Or at the very least the board should include as a reading requirement for high schoolers the latest annual report by Freedom House, which warns that the United States is slipping dangerously into autocracy and under President Trump had one of the biggest declines in freedom of any country last year. Czechia, Croatia, Argentina, Estonia, Romania, Lithuania and many other countries scored higher on the report’s freedom scale than the U.S.
Dominated as it is by conservatives though, this board isn’t likely to take either option. Instead, it will continue praising the popular version of American and Texan exceptionalism, rather than take steps to educate young people on how to keep our state and country strong, safe and welcoming for all freedom-loving people.
Freedom House, based in Washington, is a nonpartisan, nongovernmental organization founded in 1941 to promote democratic values. It has published annual reports since 1973 assessing the health of democracy, political freedom and human rights throughout the world. In its current report, it examined 195 countries and 13 territories, based on 25 indicators of political rights and civil liberties, to determine if a country or territory is free, partly free or not free.
The United States – the traditional “land of the free” – scored 81 (a low B) out of a possible 100 points, keeping us rated “free,” but on a level with South Africa, Jamaica, Seychelles and Suriname. It was a three-point decline for the U.S. from the previous year. We have been declining since earning a high of 93 on the 2006 report.
Freedom House cites these factors as some of the reasons for our country’s decline:
- Chronic partisan gridlock and dysfunction in Congress and escalation in the power claimed by the president. This issue has intensified with President Trump’s executive orders and other actions – many legally questionable – that the Republican majority in Congress has seldom challenged.
- The Trump administration’s disregard for conflicts of interest and weakening of anti-corruption safeguards and enforcement practices. Trump has removed or replaced numerous independent inspectors general from many federal agencies.
- Gerrymandering of legislative districts to reduce the potential influence of political opponents.
- Undermining the media’s influence and freedom. Trump and Congress abolished funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting last year, cutting off a critical source of funding for PBS and NPR. The Trump administration also has tried to intimidate independent media organizations with lawsuits, and Trump’s Federal Communications Commission chair has threatened TV stations with the loss of broadcast licenses for carrying news reports and entertainment the administration dislikes.
- A multiyear rise in threats and reprisals for political speech as well as government efforts to punish nonviolent expression by noncitizens. The worst examples of this were the killings last year by federal immigration officers of two American citizens who were peacefully demonstrating against abusive immigration enforcement tactics.
As the San Antonio Express-News noted in a recent editorial: “The United States is a nation synonymous with democracy, one that other countries have historically looked to for modeling democratic values. It should always score an A – and not just an A but an A-plus.”
Only one country, Finland, scored 100 on the freedom scale, closely followed by Norway, Sweden and New Zealand with 99. While the U.S. got 81, the average score for European Union countries was 90. Canada scored 97.
Why would Donald Trump – or anyone else – think that any freedom-loving Canadian would want to become part of our 51st state?
Freedom House: The Growing Shadow of Autocracy
America’s rating in freedom and democracy continue to decline under Trump
