Just 29% of People Live In Free Democracies (So Go Vote Today)
It is election day
Everyone has an opinion about the state of American politics today. Yet, it seems as though many people take our elections for granted. The ability to vote for people up and down the ticket is something that most people in our world do not get to do. Not only can Americans vote for the president, but they are also able to vote for their local representatives, federal representatives, county commissioners, mayors, and even the person in charge of animal or mosquito control. Americans have the ability to affect who is allowed to represent them in a very granular way that is still rather unique. It is easy to forget that billions of people do not get free and easy access to a ballot box.
According to recent studies, just 29% of the global population live in a legitimate and free democracy. That number is down from an all time high of 54% in 2000. Roughly 2.4 billion people live in democratic systems, including the 345 million who live in the United States. That leaves 5.8 billion people living in undemocratic systems or under sham democracies.
This should highlight how sacred and fragile our American democracy truly is. Despite record turnout in 2020, just 66% of registered voters turned out to vote in that pivotal election. That means that one in three…
