A crash test for American democracy

The November 5 presidential election and the days that follow will put American democracy to the test if no candidate is declared the winner overnight by the Associated Press, which plays the informal role of election referee. A significant responsibility lies with the Republican candidate, Donald Trump, who, as in his first two campaigns in 2016 and 2020, has refused in advance to accept the results of the ballot box and respect the principle of a peaceful transition of power.

This test is part of his ongoing effort to undermine the results of the November 3, 2020, election, which culminated in the assault on Congress by his supporters on January 6, 2021. This attack was devastating for the image of the United States, a country that had long considered itself a model for democracy.

In fact, the main indicators of democratic health, according to Freedom House – an organization financed by the US federal government – and the V-Dem Institute – an observatory affiliated with the University of Gothenburg in Sweden and financed by the World Bank – indicate a deterioration of democracy in the US. An October 27 New York Times poll revealed that 76% of respondents believe democracy is “currently under threat,” even if Republicans and Democrats differ on the origin of the danger.

Conspiracy theory

This decline has sparked debates and inspired numerous academic works. Three factors contribute to the issue: the devastating impact of disinformation, the questioning of the standards that regulate elections and the temptation to “enlarge” executive power, as noted by American political scientist Nancy Bermeo.

Two researchers at the Brookings Institution, a progressive Washington think tank, Elaine Kamarck and Darrell West define disinformation in their book published in August, Lies that Kill: A Citizen’s Guide to Disinformation, as material that is “false, organized, intentional and malicious, harmful, fast.” The rise of disinformation, fueled by the world’s richest man, Elon Musk – a fervent supporter of Trump – actively contributes through his social network X, under the guise of promoting the deceptive freedom of expression, should be understood in the context of the collapse of the traditional media in the US. Since 2005, approximately 2,900 local newspapers have disappeared, according to Northwestern University, leading to the emergence of “information deserts” across the country.

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