October 13, 2020
America Must Promote Democracy, Despite Trump’s Disdain for It
On Sept. 23, the U.S. State Department announced that the United States would no longer recognize Aleksandr Lukashenko as the legitimate president of Belarus after he refused to hand over power to his opponent following a fraudulent election. That same day, the United States’ own president, Donald Trump, refused to commit to a peaceful transition after the Nov. 3 U.S. presidential election.
A dysfunctional U.S. democracy at home makes it less credible to support liberalism abroad—at a time when freedom continues a more than decade-long retreat around the world.
The timing was more than awkward, as was the seeming double standard. In a world already riven by competition among political models, dictators and autocrats sense wind at their backs. A dysfunctional U.S. democracy at home makes it less credible to support liberalism abroad—at a time when freedom continues a more than decade-long retreat around the world. When the world needs the United States to lead in the support of democracy, the country is deeply divided about the strength of its own. Absent a quick correction, this portends trouble for what has long been a core element of U.S. foreign policy.
Read the full article in Foreign Policy.
More from CNAS
-
Can the Secretary of Defense Remove Admirals from a Promotion List?
Commentary
At stake is whether Congress’s carefully constructed promotion system can continue to serve its core purpose: ensuring that advancement to the military’s highest ranks is base...
By Mark Nevitt
-
Commentary
Technology & National Security / National Security Law
CNAS Insights | The Case for Long-Term CISA 2015 ReauthorizationLast fall, one of the United States’ most important cyber defense laws expired. For six weeks, the private sector no longer had legal protections to share critical cyber threa...
By Carrie Cordero & Morgan Peirce
-
Legal Background: Distinguishing Between Law Enforcement Powers
Commentary
Matthew Kroscher is a second-year law student at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School and was a spring 2026 CNAS legal intern....
By Matthew Kroscher
-
An Achievable Balance
Commentary
Terrence M. Cunningham is the deputy executive director and chief operating officer of the IACP. Gene Voegtlin is the director of policy, research, and public affairs at the I...
By Terrence M. Cunningham & Gene Voegtlin
