Marking 50 Years in the Struggle for Democracy FREEDOM IN THE WORLD 2023 Lessons from 50 years of Freedom in the World O ver the past five decades, people in every region of the world have demanded and built democracies even under extremely difficult circumstances. Once fully established, most democratic systems have stood strong against a wide array of challenges. many military dictatorships were giving way to elected civilian leaders. A military junta in Greece collapsed in 1974 amid a confrontation with Turkey over control of Cyprus. Greek democracy was restored through general elections that were held just 142 days after the beginning of the crisis. In 1973, when Freedom House published its first comprehensive assessment of political rights and civil liberties, only 44 of 148 countries were classified as Free. Today, 84 of 195 countries are Free. The varied paths that these countries followed show there is no single method for improving or protecting political rights and civil liberties. However, popular self-government through credible, competitive, free, and fair elections continues to be the hallmark of democracy and a guarantee of its associated benefits. After right-wing dictator Francisco Franco died in 1975, Spain began its own transition to democracy, which took years and required overcoming the commitment of the armed forces to the old regime. The transition was confirmed through a free general election in 1977 and the adoption of a new constitution the following year. Spain’s democracy proved resilient in the early 1980s, when the government survived a coup attempt and a second general election resulted in a peaceful transfer of power to the socialist opposition. A record of progress Positive change followed in Latin America. After a disastrous invasion of the Falkland Islands in 1982, the military leaders who had presided over Argentina’s “dirty war”—a bloody campaign of state terrorism against political The first editions of Freedom in the World coincided with the beginning of the “third wave” of democratization, when The Ebb and Flow of Democratization share of countries rated Free has generally increased over the past THE EBB AND FLOW OFThe DEMOCRATIZATION 50 years, but progress faltered beginning in the early 2000s. The share of countries rated Free has generally increased over the past 50 years, but progress faltered beginning in the early 2000s. 100% NOT FREE 80% 60% 40% 2011 1991 1978–79 South America joined a global wave of democratization, driving the transition of countries from Not Free to Partly Free. 1988–89 While efforts to roll back communism, such as Czechoslovakia’s Velvet Revolution, made gains across Europe, there was a spike in transitions to Not Free in regions like Central America and the Middle East. Despite the initial promise of the Arab Spring, few countries in the region experienced sustained democratic change. In the 1990s, the fall of the Soviet Union and a wave of democratization in Africa enabled several countries to move out of the Not Free category. PARTLY FREE FREE 20% 0% 1972 16 @ FreedomHouse 1982 1992 2002 2012 2022 #FreedomInTheWorld