Democracy in a Time of Backsliding and Why Hope Still Travels

For many, the end of the year is often the time for reflection. For democracy practitioners, it is also the season of anticipation, as the world’s most closely watched global democracy audits are released by organizations such as Freedom House and the V-Dem Institute. For more than 25 years, these reports have documented a troubling trend of democratic backsliding across the globe. The most recent data, covering 2024, paints the starkest picture yet. 

According to the V-Dem Institutes 2025 report, as of 2024, the world has fewer democracies than autocracies for the first time in over two decades, with 88 democracies compared to 91 autocracies. Additionally, nearly 72 percent of the world’s population now lives under autocratic rule, up dramatically from 49 percent in 2004. In 2025, concern deepened as the United States, historically the largest advocate and funder of democratic governance, shifted away from democracy promotion in both policy and funding and toward a more transactional model of global engagement. 

And yet, amid this sobering reality, there is reason for hope. 

In April 2025, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace released a paper by Thomas Carothers and McKenzie Carrier that highlights rare but powerful democratic bright spots. Between 2021 and 2024, four countries successfully reversed their own democratic erosion by peacefully unseating leaders who had been consolidating power and weakening democratic institutions. 

In Zambia in 2021, after a political party spent a decade expanding executive authority and exerting unprecedented control over the judiciary branch, it was defeated by a broad opposition coalition spanning ethnic and political lines. In Brazil in 2022, Jair Bolsonaro, known for attacking the judiciary and the press while militarizing civilian governance, was replaced by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who was supported by a massive civil society resistance movement. In Poland in 2023, the opposition built a broad coalition to defeat a ruling party that had weaponized the judiciary. In Senegal in 2024, a long-dominant party known for suppressing opposition and restricting freedom of speech was ousted by a candidate who mobilized unprecedented youth participation. 

Across all four of these cases, there were two common factors that allowed for a return to democracy.  

First, all four countries had resilient civil societies that were able to warn citizens about the damage being done to their democracy. Second, each country had a political opposition that pursued smart tactics like forging coalitions and broadening their appeal beyond traditional supporters. In a world where autocratization is no longer the exception but the global trend, understanding how democracy can be defended and renewed has never been more urgent. 

That is what Democracy Journeys offers. On our trips, you do not just read about struggles, you meet and engage with the people who lived them. From local entrepreneurs to journalists, activists, and former presidents, you hear firsthand how individuals and communities have resisted autocratization and shaped their country’s future. Their stories offer an intimate window into the moments that determine the fate of a nation. 

Join us and travel with purpose and come home with stories and relationships that are otherwise inaccessible.