Introduction
Democracy is a type of government where the supreme power is vested in the population of the country or representatives elected from the population. The concept of liberalism is a political doctrine, which protects and enhances the individual freedom and considers it as the central political goal. Therefore, liberal democracy is a democratic government system where the individual freedom and are officially protected and recognized, and the rule of law limits the political power. Liberal democracy has been the greatest export of the United States of America to the world. But, due to several reasons, the United States is no longer a liberal democracy. Some of the most prevalent reasons are: government involvement in assassinating American citizens; warrantless searches; the rise of unaccountable surveillance; using secret courts; and hosting the highest number of incarcerated citizens in both relative and absolute numbers.
Reasons for Not Meeting Standards
Assassination of American Citizens
The United States government under President George W. Bush permitted the right of ordering the killing of American citizens who are considered terrorist or abetting terrorism. In 2011, President Obama allowed the killing of Anwar al-Awlaqi, an American citizen under the claim of his inherent authority as the commander-in-chief. Other nations such as Iran and Syria have been criticized for the extrajudicial killings of their citizens and the US has joined the party (Turley, 2012).
Warrantless Searches
The US President can also order warrantless searches, including the capability to force organizations to provide information on finances, associations, and communications to the government. Under the 2001 Patriot Act, the President Bush acquired the right and Obama extended the power by adding searches for library records, business documents, etc. (Turley, 2012)
Secret Courts
The US government has also increased their use of secret Intelligence Surveillance court that has expanded their secret warrants to include people deemed to be abetting or aiding hostile foreign organizations and individuals. In 2011, President Obama renewed the powers, which included, allowing secret searches of people who are not associated with any identifiable terrorist group (Turley, 2012).
Unaccountable Surveillance
When Edward Snowden revealed the NSA surveillance performed by the US government on the American citizens, it revealed the levels the government has reached to tarnish the privacy rights of Americans. The news turned out to be a communication fiasco for the White House and reduced the level of trust on the government among American citizens (Turley, 2012). Saudi Arabia and Cuba have been criticized in the international circles for the same undemocratic actions.
Incarceration Rates
The United States of America has the highest number of incarcerated citizens in both relative and absolute terms. In 2012, 25 percent of the global incarcerated population was in the American prison system. Almost 1 percent of the American population is incarcerated and at the same time the government spending on the prison system has reached more than $50 billion annually (Zurcher, 2014). These numbers are greater than any other country in the world and indicates how liberal democracy has died in America.
Conclusion
The United States of America used to be the home of liberal democracy and they managed to export liberal democracy to many countries in the world. Over time, the United States of America has lost their affinity with liberal democracy under the Presidency of Bush and Obama. Some of the reasons that highlight America losing its status as liberal democracy are the assassination of American citizens ordered by the American government, warrantless searches, unaccountable surveillance, secret courts, and the number of incarcerated citizens.
References
Turley., J. (2012, 13 January). 10 reasons the U.S. is no longer the land of the free. Retrieved 9 January 2017 from, https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/is-the-united-states-still-the-land-of-the-free/2012/01/04/gIQAvcD1wP_story.html?utm_term=.268fc2abad61
Zurcher., A. (2014, 2 May). Report: US prison rates an 'injustice'. Retrieved 9 January 2017 from, http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-echochambers-27260073
