For many in Europe, the United States has long stood as a symbol of liberal democracy — a nation of checks and balances, independent courts, and robust public debate. But leading democracy scholars Staffan Lindberg and Michael Miller are now warning that this image no longer reflects reality. According to them, the U.S. is undergoing one of the most rapid shifts toward authoritarianism in modern democratic history.
Lindberg, who directs a global democracy research programme, notes that in countries like Hungary or Turkey, the erosion of democracy happened step by step, often over the course of a decade. In the U.S., the dismantling of democratic norms appears to be unfolding in months. Political allies convicted of violent acts are being pardoned, watchdog institutions are being dismantled, and judges are increasingly being bypassed or ignored. These are not minor deviations, Lindberg argues, but fundamental attacks on the core of democratic governance.
One of the most concerning shifts is cultural rather than institutional: the spread of fear. In Washington, CEOs, university presidents, and civil servants have begun to censor themselves — not by law, but through intimidation and self-preservation. This, Lindberg warns, is precisely how democratic systems collapse — not with a coup, but with quiet acquiescence.
Michael Miller adds a crucial point: just because elections continue does not mean democracy remains intact. In many countries classified as “electoral autocracies,” the ritual of voting persists, but media, courts, and public discourse are hollowed out. Increasingly, the U.S. is showing the same patterns — including political retaliation against critics, manipulation of legal institutions, and the shrinking of the public space for dissent.
For European observers, the message is twofold. First, the decline of democracy can happen anywhere — even in the most established republics. Second, if institutions like the judiciary and parliament fail to act as counterweights, the transition toward authoritarianism can become normalized. What is most urgently needed now, both in the U.S. and globally, is the courage to defend democratic principles — not in theory, but in practice.
From Europe, the question is no longer whether American democracy is in crisis. It is how — and whether — it can recover.
Further Reading
Democracy Report 2025 – Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Institute
Why Democracies Develop and Decline – by Staffan I. Lindberg and others
“In a real sense, US democracy has died” – The Guardian, February 2025
“People Are Going Silent” – The New York Times, March 2025
“The Democracy Threat Index and January 6” – Protect Democracy