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Twelve Questions for US Presidential Primary Contenders [1]

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Date: 2023-11

For democracy and freedom to advance around the world, it needs strong champions. Historically, the United States has been among the most stalwart defenders of democracy, and American engagement remains crucial in the fight to create a world where democracy is the prevailing form of government.

But for the United States to be credible on the world stage, it must itself be a robust democracy with strong, functioning institutions; respect for the rule of law; legal protections for all citizens; a thriving civil society and media; and accountable leaders committed to protecting and strengthening democratic institutions and processes. It’s also in the United States’ interest for democracy and freedom to flourish globally, because a more democratic world is a more prosperous, secure, and just world for us all.

The 2024 election season will transpire against a backdrop of 17 years of democratic decline around the world, and in the United States for more than a decade. This election has the potential to test US democracy further, amid unsubstantiated claims that our elections aren’t secure, denial that the 2020 election was legitimate, and by the ongoing criminal and civil trials of former president Donald Trump, who is also the Republican frontrunner. It will also be characterized by a challenging information environment for voters who are bombarded with negative attack ads, some of which now feature fake or misleading AI-generated images.

When it comes to democracy, the next president will have to work to ease tensions among a divided electorate and in Congress, and convince Americans that democracies can deliver results for their people.

They will also have to rally the international community to support those under siege. Today, only 20 percent of the world’s population lives freely, according to our annual Freedom in the World survey. The rest are ruled by individuals who may deny them access to information from a free press, persecute them for their identity, ethnicity, religion, or gender, and repress their fundamental right to free expression. In some places, they are subject to arbitrary imprisonment, torture, forced sterilization, and murder.

As Americans consider which candidate can best address challenges at home and abroad, Freedom House poses these questions pertaining to democracy and human rights to the 2024 presidential primary candidates.

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[1] Url: https://freedomhouse.org/article/twelve-questions-us-presidential-primary-contenders

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