Measuring the rule of law and where the US stacks up [Video]

From the economy and crime to reproductive rights and climate change, Scripps News is digging deep this month into the issues that really matter to voters leading up to the summer’s presidential nominating conventions. This week we focus on the future of democracy.

A report from the World Justice Project analyzes how the rule of law impacts democracy in countries across the world. In its 2023 report, it found “a majority of countries continue to experience rule of law backsliding characterized by executive overreach, diminished human rights and justice systems that are failing to meet people’s needs.”

The U.S. ranks 26th on the global list, and saw its overall score drop just a bit from the year prior.

The report notes it’s hard to define what the rule of law really means, so it measures that based on four principles: Accountability, just law, open government and accessible and impartial justice.

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