America’s Democratic Decline: Implications for Africa’s Sovereign Path to Governance

For much of the post-World War II era, the United States positioned itself as the principal global advocate for democratic governance. Through foreign policy, development assistance, and diplomacy, the U.S. promoted democratic values—rule of law, human rights, political participation, and civil liberties, as essential pathways to legitimacy, stability and development. These ideals were frequently embedded in aid conditionalities, compelling many developing nations, particularly in Africa, to adopt democratic models in pursuit of financial support and international legitimacy.

However, recent developments within the American political system raise critical questions about the sustainability and internal consistency of the U.S. democratic model. The 2024 Democracy Index Report underscores a troubling global trend: despite a record election year involving more than half of the world’s population, democracy continued its global decline. The average global score dropped to 5.17, the lowest since the index’s inception in 2006, down from 5.23 in 2023. Only 45% of the world’s population now live in a democracy, while 39% reside under authoritarian rule, and 15% live in hybrid regimes.

The United States, once seen as the leading exemplar of democratic governance, is itself now classified as a “flawed democracy”, ranking 28th globally. Internally, it is grappling with hyper-partisanship, institutional mistrust, deep political polarization and an electoral system increasingly dominated by billion-dollar campaign expenditures rather than policy-based debate. These conditions have generated profound skepticism regarding whether the American democratic experiment still reflects the values it purports to uphold abroad.

The erosion of U.S. democratic norms became more pronounced during the second term of President Donald Trump. Within his first 100 days, the administration undertook sweeping actions that marked a stark break from traditional U.S. commitments to both domestic and global human rights. These included targeting immigrant communities, dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and withdrawing from key multilateral institutions dedicated to the protection of civil liberties. These developments, compounded by a rhetoric of division and suppression of dissent, led many to view this period as one of systematic democratic regression.

Prominent figures like Senator Bernie Sanders have voiced concern over the creeping normalization of authoritarian tendencies within American political life. Sanders’ reflections resonate with a growing bipartisan consensus that America’s identity as a democracy once assumed and unquestioned is now increasingly fragile and contested.
Historically, this democratic fragility is not entirely new. The United States was not originally founded as a democracy in the inclusive sense. Its early governance was a form of exclusionary oligarchy, with political power reserved for white, property-owning men—approximately 6% of the population at the time. Enslaved Africans were denied personhood, Indigenous populations were violently displaced, and women and the working class were excluded from formal political life. It was not until 1965, with the passage of the Voting Rights Act, that universal suffrage was legally secured. These rights were not benevolently granted by the state, but rather won through decades of grassroots struggles led by marginalized communities demanding justice and democratic inclusion.

For Africa, the implications of America’s democratic decline are profound. For decades, U.S. foreign policy actively promoted democratic reforms across the continent, tying political liberalization to aid and economic partnerships. With U.S. democratic credibility in question, Africa must now confront the challenge of building and sustaining democratic institutions without overreliance on Western models or endorsement.

The danger is not abstract. In recent years, countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Gabon have experienced military coups and the rise of junta-led or transitional governments. These upheavals, often justified by insecurity and governance failures, result in weakened democratic institutions, human rights violations and regional instability.
To safeguard democratic progress, Africa must prioritize homegrown democratic development measures. This includes investing in civic education, strengthening independent institutions like the judiciary and electoral bodies, and reinforcing freedom of the press and civil society. Democratic legitimacy must be anchored not in foreign conditionalities, but in the will of the people, shaped by Africa’s own histories, struggles and aspirations.

Regional and continental bodies such as the African Union (AU) and ECOWAS must also assume more assertive roles in enforcing democratic norms, particularly in response to electoral fraud, unconstitutional power grabs, and governance failures. The consolidation of democracy in Africa cannot be outsourced, it requires collective commitment, institutional resilience, and public vigilance.

As the global democratic landscape shifts, Africa stands at a crossroads. The waning influence of Western democratic models presents both a risk and an opportunity: a risk of democratic backsliding, but also an opportunity to reimagine governance on African terms—inclusive, accountable and rooted in justice.