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Subscribe to RSSWASHINGTON -- Democratic governance declined throughout the world in 2011, showing that gains made in the Middle East and North Africa during the Arab Spring are very fragile and in its chaotic aftermath leaders may slip back into authoritarian rule, a U.S. watchdog group said Monday.
Only Tunisia has improved markedly its overall governance score among the Middle East and North African countries that were surveyed in the latest "Countries at the Crossroads" report published by Freedom House. Bahrain slipped backward and Egypt edged up only slightly.
Across the world, declines in the quality of governance far exceeded improvements, led by a worsening of government accountability and the rule of law in civil and criminal matters, the U.S. research group said.
'Slip back' to authoritarianism?
The deterioration raises an alarm for pro-democracy advocates who had hoped that the overthrow of brutal authoritarian regimes in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt marked a dramatic breakthrough, said Vanessa Tucker, project director.
"It is unclear whether the popular dismissal of the old models of authoritarianism will translate into enduring public support for novice representative government and contentious institutional reforms," she said.
Complete coverage on Middle East & North Africa on NBCNews.com
"There are limits to citizens' patience with respect to political instability, economic disruption and physical insecurity, and the desire to return to a less chaotic environment may allow the leaders to slip back into the familiar habits of authoritarian rule," she said.
Tucker also said the recent unrest in many Muslim countries triggered by an anti-Islam video demonstrated the weakness of governments in many parts of the Middle East and North Africa.
Rights group blasts 'repressive' crackdown in Tunisia, birthplace of Arab Spring
"After decades of corrupt and repressive rule, citizens in these states are facing brutal and ineffective security forces, habitually divisive and confrontational politics, and a lack of productive avenues through which to lodge their grievances and assert their rights," she said in a statement.
The Freedom House measure of governance is used widely by development groups in helping them decide whether a government can use foreign assistance effectively. The report covers the period from April 2009 to December 2011.
Hajo Do Reijger / Amsterdam, Netherlands, Politica
Obama gives his speech on Arab Spring. Click here to see what our cartoonists think.
Four criteria are used to assess the 72 countries surveyed in Countries at the Crossroads: accountability and public voice; civil liberties; rule of law; and anti-corruption and transparency. Half of the countries are updated each year, while Egypt and Tunisia were surveyed for both of the past two years.
Freedom House says a country score of five out of a total of seven is the minimum standard for effective democratic governance, which it views as essential to an open, just and prosperous society.
Crowds of angry protesters showed up in Kabul, Afghanistan and Jakarta, Indonesia. The violent uprising followed a deadly weekend marking the deaths of eight International Security Assistance Force members. NBC's Atia Abawi reports.
Tunisia sees gains
In the latest report, Tunisia improved in all categories led by a sharp rise in accountability and public voice, pushing its overall country ranking to 4.11 from around 2.36 before the ouster of President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011. One area of concern the report flagged was women's rights, saying Islamist political parties have stoked fears of a rollback in existing rights.
While it uses monitors and experts on the ground and an advisory board, such rankings can be controversial and there have been accusations of imposing subjective and Western viewpoints.
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Accountability and public voice also rose in Egypt after the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak, but other measures were flat leading to only a small rise to 2.25 from 1.98 the prior year, despite open elections.
Restrictions on the media, hostility to non-governmental organizations and efforts to restrain women's political activity through "virginity checks" by the military were cited as areas of concern.
NBC's Ayman Mohyeldin discusses the changes in the Middle East and North African countries.
Bahrain, once seen as one of the more developed countries in the region, saw its score decline across the board, pulling its country average down to 2.03, the level of pre-uprising Syria, from a recent peak of 3.27 in 2004.
Complete World coverage on NBCNews.com
Other findings in the report were:
- Latin America saw increases in violence and organized crime hurting scoring in the countries surveyed there. The trend included high rates of violence against journalists in Mexico and Honduras, and growing interference by organized crime in the electoral process in Guatemala and Mexico.
A video "mockumentary" that shows children as kidnappers, corrupt cops and drug traffickers sparked a fierce debate in violence-torn Mexico. Msnbc.com's Dara Brown reports.
- Asia suffered major setbacks in the face of power grabs by the executive branch and ruling parties, particularly in Sri Lanka and Vietnam.
- Freedom of expression was also constricted as the Indonesian and Cambodian governments and others cracked down on the media.
- South Africa suffered score declines from the increasing dominance of the ruling African National Congress and the government's efforts to limit media freedom.
- Electoral abuses in Malawi and Uganda, in addition to growing corruption in Tanzania, were also responsible for significant score drops in African countries assessed in the latest report.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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- In Niger, child marriage on rise due to hunger
- Ambassador Rice: Benghazi attack began spontaneously
- Pope tells Christians in Beirut: 'Be peacemakers'
- Four NATO soldiers killed in Afghan 'insider' attack
- Obama: US has 'profound respect for people of all faiths'
- Clashes after South Africa cops raid miners' hostels to seize weapons
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OBAMA kills American Patriots!!!
Save America!!! Defeat Communist OBAMA and the GOD-less Demon-crats!!! LOL!!!
You cannot give or force democracy! Lead by example if they want it they will fight for it.
It is up to them not us.
Don't forget we had help!
Vive la France
Never mind the democracy in other countries, focus on our own because it is also running out of steam. Yes, years of neglect, declining standards, poor governance, lack of discipline and respect, major flaws with the judiciary, falling education standards are just a few examples of our hemorrhaging democracy. What’s worse is the fact that when an attempt is made to correct some of these things the whole world seems to want to jump on your head. No one is therefore prepared to stick their head out with the result that things are never corrected and the decline is gaining pace.
What’s even more interesting is that we are trying to force others to adopt our “kind” of democracy on them. Understandably, no one is interested. The recent examples in the Middle East and North Africa confirm this.
BUt as Ben Franklin stated to the woman who asked "what kind of government did you come up with?" answered, "a republic, if you can keep it".
We do not have democracy (small d); in theory we have representative democracy (or republicanism-small r). So, the concept of one (wo)man, one vote is really a romantic notion, which never really existed.
This is one reason why I always advocate that the United states stay out of other peoples nation building. Unfortunately for those that think that, the US has been labeled and thinks of itself as the world's policeman, big stick and all.
BUT President Obozo told us this was what the people wanted? Hmmmm... he must have been wrong about that too!
Ahh... I see the numb nuts are already at it. This is not about President Obama, just in case your little pea brain thinks it is. It's about the future of the entire world we live in.
The reason Democracy is failing is due to the fact that the American political system is so rife with greedy war mongers that try to pass themselves off as supporters of Democracy. In fact, I think their definition of Democracy is mostly related to who we can sell the most weapons. Might is right!
But you boys keep blowing bubbles in the bath water, and leave the heavy lifting to the people with more than two living brain cells.
Ask yourself this: If all of the academic experts agree that human civilization started on the continent of Africa, why is it that the most successful countries, empires, etc., founded on principles of democracy, were almost entirely established outside of Africa by people who, today, are considered non-African ? That's no coincidence , people. Hmmm. Let's see....less than 20 years ago, 800,000 people hacked to death in Burundi..or was it Rwanda..Does it matter ? You gotta' love those 47 % ers...
No true democracy has ever survived beyond the point at which the citizenry discovers they can vote themselves access to the treasury. None ..... ever.
Actually America was the largest exporter of Democracy until Obama managed to undo it all in less than 4 years.
Democracy has indeed declined worldwide - and the biggest decline right here in the United States.
So how is that whole "Hopey Changey" thing working out for you?
It would be interesting to see what rating the United States of America has as compared to a decade or two ago. Particularly, I'd like to see the rating pre and post 9/11. I'd also like a more succinct definition of what qualifies as a democracy. We vote here but nothing changes substantially. Only Republican or Democratic candidates stand any real chance of winning the highest office in the land. Third parties that try to challenge the status-quo are never successful, or if they seem as though they have real momentum, they are absorbed, like the Tea Party was by the Republican party.
Does our electoral system qualify as an honest example of democracy or is it a sham?
How much of what we know is controlled or influenced by political forces? I noticed last night on the news that I was watching the, "Western Edition". So, people watch the "national" news but get different content depending on which side of the country they are on? Perhaps the news should be labelled, "Conservative" or "Liberal" edition?
What about the right to protest? People are routinely arrested for exercising this right. A healthy portion of the population seems to support the arrests. Does this mean that we are being slowly convinced that "free speech" is not always a good thing? It sure seems that way sometimes.
What about the right to privacy? Soon drones will view large segments of the country from low enough altitudes that topless photos will become accepted as normal. The paparazzi will probably buy their own drones at some point. On the subject of drones, will average citizens be able to buy them? If not, why not? If so, there will never be a private location outdoors again. So much for pleasant family picnics or romantic walks on the beach, of course we'll get used to being under surveillance. Many already spend an incredible amount of time and effort to post nearly everything they do to social media sites. Believe it or not, some of us would rather NOT be on stage, understand the value of privacy, cherish time spent alone, or in the company of a select few.
Time spent with families at campgrounds will never be the same when everyone knows that a drone may be overhead with an infrared or night vision camera scrutinizing activities around the campfire. Campfire? You can't have a campfire! Drones will be equipped with fire extinguishers to douse your campfire. The camera will identify your face, scan your driver's license and send a ticket to your mailing address. Light the fire again, a ranger will be dispatched to take you into custody! How many beers are you allowed to have before the drone starts anti-alcohol consumption measures? Just kidding...I hope!
I know we are free but some of the changes that have occurred in my lifetime are alarming.
Who ever believed that the Arab Spring would actually lead to the expansion of democracy and reduction of oppression and tyranny in the Middle East? This was a pipe dream. One of the primary promoters of this idiotic thought process is the very same person who has shred the U.S. Constitution and has given the finger to democracy in America. Yep, the Noble Peace Prize winner himself - barack obama, who has run the federal government has his private fiefdom for almost 4 years. Thirty-three privately appointed czars. Hundreds of executive orders whenever the Congress refuses to support how HE believes the country should operate. What a croak of cow manure.
You are the closest to being on topic of anybody in here- I really have to wonder if any of the top 10-12 actually read the article.
Anybody who actually thought the Muslim Brotherhood was going to allow anything like Democracy in Catsboxistan is smoking something.
The big problem is the libs. They rejoice when "voting" takes place in a country where a dictator was overthrown , allowing the MB to take power, who then shut the whole system down.....just like Hitler did before WWII in Germany, and Khomeini did after the fall of the Shah.
This is not to say the dictators were good, but that what followed was much worse. But the libs are happy - "democracy" happened --oh yeah.
lol, so what exactly should obama have done...supported repressive dictators? Sent troops to suppress the people demanding change in other countries? :)
Of course, the ORIGINAL "primary promoters" of democracy in the middle east was bush, remember he claimed that democracy would spread from iraq? lol.
you guys with your silly rants full of "facts" are funny. :)
vermontguy - To answer your questions:
Yes, we should support their regime when they are pro US (I know you don't like that) - and no, we should not send troops to supress the people. If the uprising is widespread and determined, they can overthrow their own regime if they want to, it is their own country and we should not interfere, but we did. We undermined their pro western regimes and let radicals take over.
The "Arab Spring" was in the toilet three days before it was given the name.
As I recall the Arab Spring took place under Obama's administration. He certainly did support forces involved in these revolutions. Didn't he?
This isn't to say that Bush was any better. Not by a long shot but it seems that people just want to keep going back to Bush. Obama has his own legacy. He can't lay all of that on someone else. He's a big boy who competed for and won a big boy's job. Stop making excuses for him. He needs to stand on his own at this point. The training wheels need to come off.
Bush brought us Iraq, one of the few places where Obama was not able to get the locals to attack our embassy.
Vermont- Hmmmm...where to start.
OK: believe it or not it is a fact that:
There was a World War 2
Hitler did take over the government through "elections" in Germany before 1939. He mostly packed the booths with supporters and pulled some shenenanigans, but was "elected".
He WAS a bad boy who got a lot of people killed - made a great effort to exterminate the Jews of Germany too.
Khomeini DID take over the government of Iran in 1979, which was popular at the time there, but soon became known as a big mistake when the fundamentalists started killing their opposition- the middle class. And look where they are today!
History is important dude! But then, it's not important to libs, who repeat the same mistake over and over. Which is the definition of insanity......
Let me guess: Brown? Middlebury? Groovy UV?
This is a fine example of either naitivity or sinister plot by our great dear leader. Your handing control of screwed up nations by ousting secular dictators for religious whack jobs . At least under the dictators they kept a lid on the crazy Islamist militants maybe even threw a few in the wood chipper. To which I say good at least people of other then Islamist religions or atheists were somewhat protected. Now for all you loyal Democrats you put in place crazy religious shariah law types. Now gays and female adulterers/non obeidiant woman, people that listen to music, men who dont want to wear beards,non-muslims who wont convert to Islam or go to the mosque get thrown into the wood chipper. Smart move fools.
your article fails to include the former united states of America in this democracy backslide. the sheeple of this country have managed in less than 4 years to trade democracy for Marxism, capitalism for socialism and free speech for fascism, not to mention the fact that we are trading a congress for dysfunction and president for a JOKER!!!...THE apparent and deliberate divisiveness of a misinformed sheeple and a corrupt biased press(ABC CBS NBC CNN) insures that there will be a rapid decline of what once was a great nation!! have a nice day!!
Amazing how fast power, greed, war mungers and questionable politics can ruin the wallet of a perfectly good country. Who knows, China may get worried and put the U.S. up for sale to collect it's bebt.
I don't know about worldwide, but I know it did in the United States.
Good luck things are only getting worse
I think the biggest drop has taken place in this country under the current dictatorship...ooops.. I mean Administration. Please for give me Dear Leader.
Please report to camp #18, where you'll be forgiven.
yawn, more stupid "obama is a dictator" nonsense. Feel free to sue him if you think he's violated your rights. lol.
@ vermontguy
Mr. President Obama signed 923 executive orders in 40 months. This does not sound like a democracy to me.
My mistake. Mr. President Obama has signed 138 executive orders since taking office. Still a lot of dictator-like qualities there.
Christ you NeoTards and LibraTards both look like complete morons. What's worse you're both trying to our moron the other guy.
Get a clue morons, most of America falls in the middle. You pathetic fools just scream louder, as most cry-babies do.
Democracy isn't the same as butter. You can't spread it. It has to evolve.
George W. Bush thought it was like butter!
George W. Bush was a moron. :)
And what has "the messiah" done any differently?
Are you are a racist, or a flake?
Master,
do you have slaves
jeff-159116 does this number with the minus sign refer to your IQ or are you just another sheeple-and what middle ?? middle of confusion??
Democracy may not be the best model for good governance. It kind of works for us, but it is easily corrupted.
Bill -
Our country is a Constitutional Republic, not a democracy. While there are many similarities between the two, there are differences as well. Those differences include the electoral college.
And democracy is declining under the Obama regime as well.
according to the freedom house (who did this study), the freedom index for the US is unchanged since 2008.
Elect Romney to end America's democracy let the 1% elect a dictator to rule quit electing presidents
Elect Obama to end America's Democracy. Let the 1 (Obama) rule through executive order, bypassing the House and Senate, since his leadership skills are zero.
Its pretty easy to explain why democratic political systems fail. There will tend to be 2 reasons. One is that the rules governing the inner workings (such as rules on committees, seniority etc in the legislature ) end up encouraging corruption and entrenchment and that minimizes what can be accomplished with even conscientous voting. This reason tends to take time; I'd term this "political entrophy".
The second is when the people are basically, for lack of a better term, crap. This is the reason why democratic systems will fail in the Middle East; they are only as good as the people voting.
Going from a system where a dictator rules a bunch of religiously fanatical bomb throwing, throat slitting, flag burning morons that danced in the streets during 9-11 to a system where those same morons vote is not an improvement. Its like letting the inmates run the lunatic asylum.
In fairness of course, Americans aren't perfect and in some cases resemble the fat & clueless people in "Wall-E". Also Americans are heavily divided, and a house divided will eventually fall.
paganponderer -
You are 100 percent correct.
Our Constitution and form of government will only work for a civil, moral society. That speaks volumes for where we are today . . .
Who knew "hope and change" was going to be a world wide effort?
We are naive to think that regime-change in such places = Democracy!
forget corruption at any level forget a democracy backslide or decline, any true democracy can never be termed a true democracy without separation of church and state, if any religious supreme leader has the last final say in any states political affairs then you have no democracy and Islam has the last say in everything and anything a Muslim does and doesn't do-so how do you get a decline in something that never existed in the first place?????
Adolph HITLER achieved power in a DEMOCRATIC election. That did not work out well for anyone. Millions dead, decades to rebuild a continent.
Democratic (?) elections don't always bring hope and change as we've sadly learned here.
Wow, Godwin's law in full effect! Godwin's law=any discussion on politics will eventually have someone mention Hitler.
the fact you cleverly compared Hitler to Democrats AND President Obama is duly noted. I saw what you did there ;-)
It just goes to show you that democracy cannot be given, it must be taken. We have tried too many times to give democracy to the people of the world, and it has cost us dearly. All those wars, all that debt, all those lives, trying to give people an ideal which we only have because WE fought for it, and took it for ourselves. When the rest of the world wants it, they will rise up and take it for themselves, without the help from others. If they are not willing to take it for themselves, then we have no business trying to give it, or force it, on those people. We need to stop trying to spread democracy and just let it grow on its own.
Democracy was not created by the "Arab Spring" in the Middle East. What happened was one type of autocracy, ones that were stable and provided central governments that functioned, was traded for another type of autocracy that lets chaos loose at the hands of the average Moslem in the street. Nothing much good will come of the "Arab Spring."
And we have Obama to thank for most of it.
frannysok-check your history.....National
Socialist German Workers' Party was not a democratic entity, Hitler was a
socialist and a dictator of a totalitarian regime and he was not elected The party's leader Adolf
Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany by President Paul von Hindenburg in 1933. Hitler rapidly
established a totalitarian regime the 3rd reich or
empire
Hezbollah won elections in Lebanon..Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt..Let them have it...The next time a U.S. embassy or consulate is targeted in Egypt, blow up the Aswan Dam...Keep It Simple...You lose your drinking water.. Even the most disreputable people that wield power understand the need to worry about the basics...They'll put those "demonstrators" back to work rebuilding the dam..Then they ALL think twice..