The Economist publishes an annual Democracy Index to rank nations based on their Democratic freedoms. The annual survey of 167 nations gauges five measures of democracy — electoral process and pluralism, the functioning of government, political participation, democratic political culture, and civil liberties. As of 2021, the survey claimed that over one-third of the global population lived under authoritarian rule, with a mere 6.4% enjoying “full democracy.”
The survey notes that “pandemic restrictions damaged democratic freedoms in 2021,” but does not take into account the full scope of what is happening in these countries. The chart ranks democracies and categorizes them from least to most restrictive — “full democracies,” “flawed democracies,” “hybrid regimes,” and “authoritarian regimes.”
Full democracy rankings in 2021:
| 1. | Norway | 9.75 |
| 2. | New Zealand | 9.37 |
| 3. | Finland | 9.27 |
| 4. | Sweden | 9.26 |
| 5. | Iceland | 9.18 |
| 6. | Denmark | 9.09 |
| 7. | Ireland | 9.00 |
| 8. | Taiwan | 8.99 |
| 9. | Australia | 8.90 |
| Switzerland | ||
| 11. | Netherlands | 8.88 |
| 12. | Canada | 8.87 |
| 13. | Uruguay | 8.85 |
| 14. | Luxembourg | 8.68 |
| 15. | Germany | 8.67 |
| 16. | South Korea | 8.16 |
| 17. | Japan | 8.15 |
| 18. | United Kingdom | 8.10 |
| 19. | Mauritius | 8.08 |
| 20. | Austria | 8.07 |
| Costa Rica |
It is unsurprising that the United States was listed as a “restricted democracy” at #26. However, I do not believe the survey is fairly ranking countries, especially those abiding by Klaus Schwab’s agenda to destroy democracy entirely to Build Back Better. Australia, number 9 on the list, is not a full democracy by any means and belongs in the authoritarian category. They built quarantine camps and held their own citizens’ hostage. As did second on the list, New Zealand, which I have warned has become a poster child for Schwab’s agenda. Germany imploded as Merkel sought to grab as much power as possible before leaving office, forbidding a portion of the population from participating in society. The UK’s Boris Johnson is a joke and only repealed restrictions when he was caught violating his own authority. Austria went to the extreme as well with their COVID restrictions, and even their head of state was forced to resign amid scandal. Canada is #12 on the list, previously ranking #5 in 2020, but Trudeau just employed the full extent of his powers as prime minister to freeze bank accounts and forbid anyone from protesting against his sole rulings.
How could any country that forcibly restricts its citizens’ movement and forces them to inject unknown substances into their bodies be deemed a “full democracy?” No one is allowed to speak out against their government or protest unless their protest aligns with the government’s agenda. Full democracies are extinct.
The post The Democracy Index first appeared on Armstrong Economics.
