Elections
Voting access, administration, certification, redistricting.
61/100
14d flatToday's assessment
D3
U.S. democracy is at erosion.
Documented erosion across multiple lanes. Six lanes — elections, institutions, civil liberties, violence, information, and economy — are scored daily from primary legal records, watchdog and academic data, and corroborating reporting.
Updated How is this scored? →
The six lanes
Where the strain is showing
Institutions
Courts, civil service, separation of powers, oversight.
58/100
14d flatCivil Liberties
Speech, assembly, protest, due process, minority rights.
64/100
14d flatViolence
Political violence, intimidation, paramilitary activity.
75/100
14d flatInformation
Press freedom, disinformation, government transparency.
45/100
14d -8.1Economy
Independence of regulators, kleptocracy risk, market trust.
65/100
14d flatLatest events
What changed in the last 72 hours
InformationSerious
Bootlicking Brendan’s back at it
Dear Friend of Press Freedom: U.S. journalist Alex Colston was detained by Israel for a second time while on board an international aid flotilla to Gaza, along with French and Turkish Al Jazeera journalists and almost 200 activists. He reports that he and other abductees were held for two days in shipping containers, in stress positions and under floodlights, while some endured further torture. Most of them have been released, but the U.S. State Department was of no help. It opted to condemn the flotillas rather than defending Americans illegally abducted in international waters. Read on for more press freedom news. But first, tell your lawmakers to help put a stop to domestic surveillance by reforming FISA Section 702. Sign Up. Take Action. Join our email list to stay up to date on the i…
-3.0
InformationSerious
This World Press Freedom Day, American journalists are under attack
For years, World Press Freedom Day on May 3 has helped spotlight global press freedom violations. It’s a day to demand justice for journalists murdered in Gaza and Lebanon, or to celebrate the release of wrongfully detained reporters like Ahmed Shihab-Eldin. Holding foreign regimes accountable for press freedom is essential. But this year, the U.S. needs to take a hard look in the mirror, too. Since last year’s World Press Freedom Day, our U.S. Press Freedom Tracker has documented hundreds of press freedom violations in the United States, the equivalent of more than one per day. Taken together, these incidents are evidence of an unprecedented, coordinated assault on press freedom being led by the highest levels of our government. From the streets of Minneapolis to the halls of the Pentago…
-3.0
InformationSerious
FCC plan to challenge Disney broadcast licenses amounts to ‘illegal jawboning’
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: New York, April 28, 2026 — The Federal Communications Commission reportedly plans to challenge Disney’s eight licenses for its ABC stations as soon as this afternoon. The news comes after President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump feigned outrage about a joke from late night host Jimmy Kimmel. The FCC is chaired by Brendan Carr, a Trump super-loyalist — known to wear the president’s gilded face as a lapel pin — who has made clear that he views the agency’s role as furthering Trump’s agenda . The following can be attributed to Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) Chief of Advocacy Seth Stern: “The First Amendment and the FCC’s mandate do not permit the agency to use broadcast licenses as weapons to punish broadcasters for constitutionally protected content…
-3.0
ElectionsSevere
Supreme Court narrows Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act
In Louisiana v. Callais, the Court struck the state's congressional map and substantially rewrote Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, weakening protections against race-based vote dilution. Brennan Center described the ruling as 'devastating' for minority voters.
-3.0
InstitutionsSerious
CREW and Freedom of the Press Foundation sue over recordkeeping policy
CREW and the Freedom of the Press Foundation filed suit and a preliminary injunction motion to block a White House policy that they argue violates the Presidential Records Act of 1978 by failing to preserve electronic messages.
-2.0
InformationSevere
Protect Democracy documents federal pressure on election information
Protect Democracy's 'Executive Override' report describes the federal government using its powers to pressure state election infrastructure and to silence voices speaking against administration policy. Reflects information-environment risk distinct from direct election machinery interference.
-3.0
Editorial posture
Major media is corroboration, not the verdict.
Democratic backsliding is documented in court filings, agency orders, and academic indices long before it dominates a news cycle. Democracy on the Line weights those primary sources highest. Wire services and national dailies appear here as confirmation, never as the trigger for a severe alert.
Read the full methodology →Institutions, 14-day
14d ago58today