Most people agree that democracy is the best political system to ensure stability, prosperity, the fair distribution of wealth, and the safeguarding of human rights and freedoms in a modern society.
Yet democracy has been steadily declining over the past decade and is gradually giving way to authoritarian currents across the world and in the United States.
This alarming trend, which has been reported by many major non-profit research organizations, such as the Freedom House and the Council of Foreign Relations, is manifested in the current state of international relations and domestic politics. It contributes to the decline of religious freedom around the world, the rise of extremist ideologies, the decrease of economic and political cooperation among governments, and the harsh treatment of refugees, immigrants and minorities in many parts of the world.
It is no coincidence that modern democratic systems developed first and predominantly in Christian countries. The basic Christian principles of humanity and dignity of each person were the founding blocks of Western democracies, and the ideology of Christian democracy that developed in 19th-century Europe was the driving force behind the reestablishment of democracies in Western Europe after the Second World War. It also introduced the concept of a welfare state that could ensure an equality of opportunity, a fairer distribution of wealth, and state-funded social networks for the poorest, the handicapped and the most vulnerable.
Christian principles of universality and respect for each person were also the cornerstones of the establishment of new international institutions that were meant to increase cooperation, and led to the establishment of the United Nations as an overarching world organization to promote peace and respect for human life and dignity everywhere. Christian ideals were enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that was ratified by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, according to which every person has the right to life, freedom, equality and justice, as well as access to food, healthcare and necessary social services.
Living up to this standard has always been a challenge, but the second half of the 20th century was marked by a significant improvement of human rights, and a gradual rise in freedom and democracy around the world. Remaining colonies in Africa and Asia were liberated, Spain and Portugal democratized, and the Soviet Union collapsed, opening a path to freedom and democracy for many countries previously trapped under communist rule.
The role of the Church, and particularly the efforts of St. John Paul II, in this process of democratization cannot be overstated. However, the firm commitment of our government to the principles of freedom and spread of democracy as the primary goal of U.S. foreign policy was crucial. From the Truman Doctrine, formulated in 1948, that committed our country to the support for freedom everywhere, to our country’s opposition to repressive regimes in the subsequent decades, the U.S. has championed resistance to totalitarianism.
Now, however, the Church continues to oppose autocratic regimes (most recently in Nicaragua and the Philippines) while the American government’s promotion of democratic values has been declining.
The past several years have been marked by a noticeable weakening of U.S. support for democratic currents around the world and an overall withdrawal of U.S. international involvement. The current administration’s open bias when dealing with the refugee crisis and the inhumane treatment of immigrants at the U.S.-Mexican border, and its warm overtures towards notorious strongmen including Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Philippine’s Rodrigo Duterte are sending a clear message that democratic principles are not at the top of America’s foreign policy agenda.
According to a Freedom House report, democratic values declined in 71 countries throughout 2017 and continue to be in retreat even in large countries such as Russia, Brazil, India, and the U.S. A particularly worrisome development can be observed in Turkey, Hungary, Tunisia and Myanmar, which are reverting to autocracy, with Myanmar engaging in ethnic cleansing of its Rohingya minority. Only 35 countries saw an expansion of civil liberties during the same year. Israel, which has for many years enjoyed the status of being the only stable and prosperous democracy in the Middle East, recently passed a law unequivocally asserting its Jewish identity, officially weakening the political rights of its Muslim, Christian and Messianic minorities.
History teaches us that the process of democratization is not irreversible and that even established democracies can revert to authoritarianism. This alarming trend is not likely to be reversed unless there is a concerted effort to promote the values of life, freedom and dignity of every person at the domestic and international levels. It is up to each citizen to seek and support political candidates who show a firm commitment to these values, not only through our participation in the election process, but through our visible and active political involvement in our everyday lives.
Dr. Kamila Valenta is a member of St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte and a part-time professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she teaches courses on ethnic conflict.