U.S. election shortfalls

January 12, 2017

Since the Cold War, more nations have held elections that may be highly competitive — but still don’t meet the minimum standards for being free, fair and democratic. The 2016 U.S. presidential election included some of the same violations of democratic norms and procedures often found in fragile democracies and “competitive authoritarian” regimes. As researchers of such regimes Lucan Way and Dan Slater have considered whether the 2016 U.S. election passed democratic muster in today’s Washington Post.

Lucan Ahmad Way is professor of political science at the University of Toronto. Dan Slater is associate professor of political science, director of the Center for International Social Science Research (CISSR) at the University of Chicago.