Biden’s democracy summit already sending wrong signals to authoritarian regimes

This year, 2021, has been a record-breaking one in many ways, and unfortunately, according to Freedom House’s 2020 Freedom of the World Report, the world is at a 15-year low for “Free countries” and a 15-year high of “Not Free countries.” We find democracy in retreat across the globe, and the trends are more worrying each day. 

Some are quick to blame the COVID-19 pandemic for this democratic backsliding, citing lockdowns and mandates as the drivers of decline. Authoritarian governments have unquestionably used the pandemic as an excuse to…