Background and insight
Freedom House, in partnership with the Charles F. Kettering Foundation, has launched the US Democracy Tracker, a quarterly assessment of democratic institutions and fundamental freedoms in the United States. The inaugural edition covers July 1 through October 16, 2026, and examines eight areas, including elections, political competition, accountability, access to justice, and media freedom. It does not cover the November 3 midterm elections.
The first assessment identifies serious concerns about government accountability and press freedom. Freedom House points to dysfunction and executive overreach affecting government functions, as well as reported subpoenas seeking journalists’ confidential sources, restrictions on access to officials, and threats of legal action. Quarterly tracking can make changes visible over time, but it should be understood as the organization’s assessment—not as the entire picture on its own.
What does this mean for your everyday life?
Democratic institutions can feel distant until they affect whether you can access information about public decisions, speak freely, or receive fair treatment. Independent media and meaningful accountability help people understand what officials are doing and question their decisions.
Assessments between elections underline that civic participation is not limited to voting. It is also useful to compare different sources, check which time periods and indicators an assessment covers, and distinguish documented developments from political interpretation.
💡 How you can use this knowledge
- Read the summary of a democracy assessment and note the specific areas it measures, the period it covers, and what it leaves out.
- Follow local council or government business: find meeting schedules, agenda documents, and contact details on official websites.
- Support informed public discussion by sharing primary sources and correcting claims you find are unsupported.