Why the World Is Betting Against American Democracy

Nahal Toosi: “As voters cast ballots in the Iowa caucuses Monday, many in the United States see this year’s presidential election as a test of American democracy. But, in a series of conversations with a dozen current and former diplomats, I sensed that to many of our friends abroad, the U.S. is already failing that test. The diplomats are aghast that so many U.S. leaders let their zeal for partisan politics prevent the basic functions of government.”

Said one diplomat: “I don’t know if in the coming years people will be looking at the United States as a model for democracy.”