Elections in four nations highlight the role of rule of law

Multiple annual measures of political openness and the rule of law have found both in global decline in recent years. The latest Rule of Law Index, released by the World Justice Project (WJP) Wednesday, underscores this democratic recession.As checks and balances on governments have weakened, authoritarianism has “become entrenched,” the nonprofit noted. This, in turn, has constricted freedom of expression, association, and civic participation in about two-thirds of the 143 countries assessed.But there are also positive glimmers: The share of countries registering decline dropped from 68% in 2025 to 62% this year. And access to and affordability of civil justice have improved. Perhaps more significant, the WJP’s findings reaffirm the robust link between transparent, consistent rule of law and a key dimension of citizen well-being – economic prosperity.“Prosperous nations share a foundation in the rule of law,” the report stated, pointing to countries that scored high on the index – and are also wealthier, per capita. This assessment aligns with other nonpartisan sources. The Atlantic Council’s 2026 Freedom and Prosperity Indexes, released in July, stated that sound, functioning legal institutions “are closely associated with prosperity.”These observations are timely: In the space of just 10 days, starting with Oct. 25, citizens in four countries will have cast their votes in consequential, closely fought national elections. Brazil, Serbia, Israel, and the United States might vary widely in economic heft and political history. Brazil, ranked at No. 76 in the WJP index, has shown steady, if incremental, improvement since 2023. The scores for the U.S.(No. 30) and Serbia (No. 95) have declined over that same period. (Israel is not included in the WJP index, but the Israel Democracy Institute last year documented what it called an “escalation” in several actions that “weaken democracy.”) But, even amid polarized domestic politics, citizens of all four countries have something in common: civic aspirations for good governance, stability, and shared prosperity. These elections offer an opportunity to exercise the foundational democratic right to vote.Economists and political scientists diverge on whether the link between democratic rule of law and economic growth is causal, but most agree the two factors are corelated. Deepen your worldviewwith Monitor Highlights.Politics with respectGet political stories with respectful analysis.There‘s a world of new ideas in everyBooks newsletter.There‘s more to life, enrich yours withCulture & Learning weekly.Follow humanity‘s discoveries withScience & Nature stories in your inbox.Gain a spiritual perspectivefrom the stories in your inbox.Want to understand the deeper impact of critical events? Learn the Monitor‘s insight.Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads. “Free markets can’t be separated from other freedoms Americans have cherished and sometimes taken for granted,” former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin wrote in The Wall Street Journal at the start of this year. Highlighting “due process, ... free speech, ... and honest elections,” he noted that countries where these are “tenuous” are “riskier places to do business.”The Atlantic Council holds a more definitive view. Rule of law, its July report stated, is “not ... secondary to economic development. It is part of the development process itself.” Moreover, it is “a condition for preserving freedom and prosperity.” ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? LoginReal news can be honest, hopeful, credible, constructive.The Christian Science Monitor was founded in 1908 to lift the standard of journalism and uplift humanity. We aim to “speak the truth in love.” Our goal is not to tell you what to think, but to give you the essential knowledge and understanding to come to your own intelligent conclusions. Join us in this mission by subscribing.