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Freedom on the Net is Freedom House’s annual survey and analysis of internet and digital media freedom around the world. The courts regularly demonstrated their autonomy during the Trump presidency by blocking or limiting executive actions. Many well-publicized strikes and labor protests involved accusations that employers were providing insufficient protective equipment and hazard pay to employees who were unable to work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Americans are generally free to engage in private discussion and air their personal views in public settings, including on the internet, though a number of threats to this freedom exist.
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A raft of lawsuits by the Trump campaign and its allies—alleging wide-ranging misconduct, challenging the legality of various electoral rules, and seeking to block states from certifying Biden’s victory—were almost universally dismissed by state and federal courts. Freedom House rates people’s access to political rights and civil liberties in 210 countries and territories through its annual Freedom in the World report. Individual freedoms—ranging from the right to vote to freedom of expression and equality before the law—can be affected by state or nonstate actors. Policymakers, activists, and civil society groups rely on our research for guidance as they work toward a more open, just, and free world.
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The most prominent was a seat on the Supreme Court that the Senate had held open during 2016 by refusing to allow hearings on Obama’s nominee. In 2017, the Senate confirmed Trump’s nominee for the position, appellate court judge Neil Gorsuch, but only after the Republican leadership changed Senate rules that had required a supermajority to end debate on Supreme Court nominations, meaning the confirmation could proceed with a simple-majority vote. While it remains quite robust by global standards, this liberty has come under pressure in recent years. University faculty have reported instances of harassment—including on social media—related to curriculum content, textbooks, or statements that some students strongly disagreed with. In the most highly publicized cases, students and nonstudent activists have physically prevented presentations by controversial speakers, especially those known for their views on race, gender, immigration, Middle East politics, and other sensitive issues. Separately, the American Association of University Professors has complained that the politicization of climate change and other scientific topics is contributing to a more hostile environment for those working in related fields, including instances of harassment by private individuals.
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Judicial bodies in many settings, such as The Gambia, have held leaders to account for abuses of power, providing meaningful checks on the executive branch and contributing to slight global gains for judicial independence over the past four years. The Malawian people have endured a low-performing democratic system that struggled to contain a succession of corrupt and heavy-handed leaders. Although mid-2019 national elections that handed victory to the incumbent president were initially deemed credible by local and international observers, the count was marred by evidence that Tipp-Ex correction fluid was used to alter vote tabulation sheets. The election commission declined to call for a new vote, but opposition candidates took the case to the constitutional court.
Kamala Harris, whose mother and father were Indian and Jamaican immigrants, respectively, became the first Black American, the first Asian American, and the first woman to win election as vice president. Nevertheless, White Americans and men have remained highly overrepresented in Congress and senior policymaking positions. Since 1973, Freedom House publishes an annual report, Freedom in the World, which it seeks to assess[37] the current state of civil liberties and political rights in 195 countries and 15 territories. Since 1973, Freedom House has assessed the condition of political rights and civil liberties around the world. Freedom House advances the efforts of people around the world to live in freedom and exercise their rights. We do this, even in the most politically restrictive settings, by building long-term relationships with local activists as they promote open government, defend human rights, strengthen civil society, and facilitate the free flow of information and ideas.
Freedom in the World is based on the premise that these standards apply to all countries and territories, irrespective of geographical location, ethnic or religious composition, or level of economic development. Freedom in the World operates from the assumption that freedom for all people is best achieved in liberal democratic societies. Over the past year, oppressive and often violent authoritarian forces tipped the international order in their favor time and again, exploiting both the advantages of nondemocratic systems and the weaknesses in ailing democracies. In a variety of environments, flickers of hope were extinguished, contributing to a new global status quo in which acts of repression went unpunished and democracy’s advocates were increasingly isolated. One key aspect of inequality is the growing income and wealth gap between Americans with university degrees and those with a high school degree or less; the number of well-compensated jobs for the less-educated has fallen over time as manufacturing and other positions are lost to automation and foreign competition. These jobs have generally been replaced by less remunerative or less stable employment in the service and retail sectors, where there is a weaker tradition of unionization.
His drumbeat of claims—without evidence—that the electoral system was ridden by fraud sowed doubt among a significant portion of the population, despite what election security officials eventually praised as the most secure vote in US history. Nationally elected officials from his party backed these claims, striking at the foundations of democracy and threatening the orderly transfer of power. The final weeks of the Trump presidency featured unprecedented attacks on one of the world’s most visible and influential democracies. Trump’s actions went unchecked by most lawmakers from his own party, with a stunning silence that undermined basic democratic tenets. Only a serious and sustained reform effort can repair the damage done during the Trump era to the perception and reality of basic rights and freedoms in the United States.
Political Rights
We are dedicated to providing a safe, supportive, and structured environment where men can rebuild their lives and break free from the grips of addiction. Creativity is inherently healing, and can help those in recovery express thoughts or feelings they might not otherwise be able to. Creative arts therapy can include music, poetry/writing, painting, sculpting, dance, theater, sandplay, and more. Unlike traditional art, the final product matters far less than the experience of creation and expression itself.
In response to acts of violence committed in the course of some past demonstrations, local authorities often place restrictions on the location or duration of large protests. Since 2017, legislative initiatives aiming to criminalize or stiffen penalties for certain forms of protest, or to shield perpetrators of violence against protesters from legal liability, have been proposed in most states. A growing number of Americans look to social media and other online sources for political news, increasing their exposure to disinformation and propagandistic content of both foreign and domestic origin. The larger platforms have struggled to control false or hateful material without harming freedom of expression or their own business interests, though they have announced multiple mass removals of accounts linked to Russia, Iran, and China that were being used to spread disinformation.
Violent far-right groups participated in postelection protests against Trump’s defeat, some of which led to clashes with counterprotesters. Power changes hands regularly at the federal level, and while certain states and localities are seen as strongholds of one party or the other, even they are subject to intraparty competition and interparty power transfers over time. After the 2020 elections, the Democrats held 23 state governorships, while Republicans held 27; Republicans maintained control over a majority of state legislatures. Some of these obstacles may have had less effect in 2020, in part because the requirements for voting by mail were eased in most states and localities. In some jurisdictions, the number of votes cast prior to Election Day exceeded the total votes cast in 2016. At the same time, COVID-19 contributed to shortages of poll workers and changes to polling locations, and long lines remained a problem.
The constitution protects the free exercise of religion while barring any official endorsement of a religious faith, and there are no direct government subsidies to houses of worship. The debate over the role of religion in public life is ongoing, however, and religious groups often mobilize to influence political discussions on the diverse issues in which they take an interest. The Supreme Court regularly adjudicates difficult cases involving the relationship between religion and the state. Sober living homes offer a safe and structured living environment, where residents are held accountable for their actions and must adhere to the rules and regulations of the home. The homes provide a community of peers who are also in recovery, which can be helpful for individuals who need support and encouragement to maintain their sobriety. There are a number of different group therapy modalities, including support groups, experiential therapy, psycho-education, and more.
The ruling Hindu nationalist movement also encouraged the scapegoating of Muslims, who were disproportionately blamed for the spread of the virus and faced attacks by vigilante mobs. Rather than serving as a champion of democratic practice and a counterweight to authoritarian influence from countries such as China, Modi and his party are tragically driving India itself toward authoritarianism. The “American dream”—the notion of a fair society in which hard work will bring economic and social advancement, regardless of the circumstances of one’s birth—is a core part of the country’s identity, and voters tend to favor government policies that they believe will enhance equality of opportunity. In recent decades, however, studies have shown a widening inequality in wealth and a narrowing of access to upward mobility. Inequality concerns mounted in 2020 as the recession linked to the COVID-19 pandemic caused a massive spike in unemployment—especially for Black and Hispanic workers—leading to record demand for food banks and other community services. Economic stimulus legislation passed by Congress in April and December mitigated the damage, in part by expanding unemployment benefits, but widespread hardship persisted at year’s end.
Resource and Information Centers managed by Freedom House in Tashkent, Namangan, and Samarkand offered access to materials and books on human rights, as well as technical equipment, such as computers, copiers and Internet access. The government warned that criminal proceedings could be brought against Uzbek staff members and visitors following recent amendments to the criminal code and Code on Administrative Liability of Uzbekistan. The strength and reputation of our work, and of Freedom House itself, depend on processes that are free of external interference. While we consult widely, final decisions regarding our reports and analysis are made by Freedom House staff in the interest of our vitally important mission of advancing democracy and freedom worldwide. Freedom House’s research work is produced through established procedures that are independent of our donors or any other party.
Political rights and civil liberties in the country have deteriorated since Narendra Modi became prime minister in 2014, with increased pressure on human rights organizations, rising intimidation of academics and journalists, and a spate of bigoted attacks, including lynchings, aimed at Muslims. Last year, the government intensified its crackdown on protesters opposed to a discriminatory citizenship law and arrested dozens of journalists who aired criticism of the official pandemic response. Judicial independence has also come under strain; in one case, a judge was transferred immediately after reprimanding the police for taking no action during riots in New Delhi that left over 50 people, mostly Muslims, dead. Amid the pandemic the government imposed an abrupt COVID-19 lockdown in the spring, which left millions of migrant workers in cities without work or basic resources. Many were forced to walk across the country to their home villages, facing various forms of mistreatment along the way.
Freedom in the World is Freedom House’s flagship annual report, assessing the condition of political rights and civil liberties around the world. It is composed of numerical ratings and supporting descriptive texts for 195 countries and 15 territories. Freedom in the World has been published since 1973, allowing Freedom House to track global trends in freedom for over 40 years.
