The U.S. stands alone among its Western allies on this list, surpassing Poland by 25 positions in terms of impunity, while Canada, Japan, Germany, France, Britain, and Australia rank 30 to 50 spots more accountable.
The democracies America fostered now show a growing gap at their heart: the U.S. itself. Yet, presuming immunity for the rest of the West would be a mistake.
For Washington, this is not a temporary drift but a significant breach.
Currently, the U.S. is the only affluent democracy in the index advancing in impunity. The damage focuses on governance and the economy, with striking numbers: the freedom from political killings score worsened threefold in a year, and impartial public administration declined notably.
These indicators signify abrupt cliffs rather than a gentle decline. The accountability gap between the U.S. and its Western allies and the rapidity of this change is central to the transatlantic crisis.
Equally troubling is the current Washington administration’s indifference, defending this direction as integral to its America First policy. The 2025 National Security Strategy clearly reflected this, rebranding allies as burden bearers and alliances as conditional transactions based on immediate U.S. interests. It promoted a zero-sum geopolitical and economic view, advocating a might-makes-right stance in global engagement.
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