Voters in 19 countries, including in three of the world’s largest democracies, are widely skeptical about whether their political elections are free and fair, and many favor a strong, undemocratic leader, according to a study released Thursday.

The report by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, or International IDEA, concluded that “democratic institutions are falling short of people’s expectations.” The 35-member organization promotes democracy worldwide.

”It is past time that people’s perceptions are centered in conversations about the future of democracy; this analysis is a small but important first step towards that effort,” the Stockholm-based organization wrote.

The surveys had a margin of error hovering around 2-4% and the number of respondents in each country was around 1,500. The sole exception was the Solomon Islands, where the small population meant they had a representative sample of 526 people, IDEA said.

  • Fubarberry
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    93 months ago

    I feel like that’s less of a democracy issue, and more of an issue that people with power will use that power for their own benefit.

      • Veraxus
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        53 months ago

        Money is power always. They are two sides of the same coin.

          • @treefrog@lemm.ee
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            3 months ago

            Money is only money in the contexts of a society. So, it’s always a form of power. Being dependent on other power structures does not make it not power.

            Societies depend on the sun’s power, as does all life here. Still we talk of other forms of power and how they influence democracy 🤷