The myth of American democratic supremacy has long served as a self-affirming narrative for the United States, projecting an illusion of moral superiority that has shaped its global interventions and informed its foreign policy for decades. However, the empirical reality now unfolding within its borders tells a markedly different story. According to the NPR/PBS News/Marist Poll conducted in June 2025, a staggering 76 percent of American respondents believe political violence is a serious threat to American democracy. This is not merely a reflection of isolated incidents but an indictment of a system that has ceased to function under the weight of its internal contradictions. The democratic institutions that were once presented as models for the world are now visibly unraveling, not through the actions of adversaries but through the collective will and behavior of the American people themselves. The urgency of this situation cannot be overstated.
This disintegration is not confined to elite politics or media spectacles. It has permeated everyday life, transforming social interactions into battlegrounds of ideological hostility. The media, once a watchdog of democracy, has now become a platform for the amplification of partisan narratives, further polarizing society. Americans no longer disagree through debate but through dehumanization, viewing their neighbors, co-workers and even family members as existential threats. The result is a society in a state of civil panic, where dialogue is impossible and mutual trust has evaporated. The democratic ideal of a pluralistic society united by a shared civic identity has become an unrecognizable relic. Instead, the US is now defined by tribalism, suspicion and competing realities that cannot coexist within the same constitutional framework. This condition is not democracy in decline; it is democracy in collapse.
The epistemic fracture within American society is further evidenced by the divergent definitions of what constitutes a democratic threat. For Democratic voters and independents, the danger lies in right-wing populism, the delegitimization of elections, and the glorification of political violence. For Republican supporters, the threat is seen in so-called cultural subversion, media conspiracies and the perceived persecution of their political leaders. These perspectives are not merely different interpretations of events but represent entirely incompatible worldviews. A nation divided not just by opinion but by ontology cannot function as a democracy. It becomes a theater of conflict, where consensus is impossible and compromise is viewed as capitulation.
The consequences of this disintegration are now manifest in the physical world. Between 2016 and 2025, the US experienced over 25 attacks and attempted attacks on elected officials, judges and public servants. This marks an exponential rise from the preceding two decades, during which only two such incidents were recorded. The normalization of violence as a political tool signals the end of the rule of law as a respected institution. When leading figures publicly denounce judges, question electoral results, and encourage disregard for legal norms, they do not merely engage in rhetoric; they dismantle the very scaffolding of democratic governance.
The economic ramifications of this crisis are no less severe. Political instability has rendered long-term investment in the US increasingly untenable. Businesses are hesitant to commit capital in a nation where policy changes are not determined by reasoned debate but by the outcome of ideological vendettas. When one administration promotes climate infrastructure and the next seeks to erase it, economic planning becomes an exercise in futility. This unpredictability erodes investor confidence, stagnates innovation, and ultimately undermines employment and productivity. The US, once deemed the most attractive destination for global capital, now presents itself as a volatile and unreliable partner. The severity of this economic impact cannot be ignored.
Internationally, the collapse of domestic political coherence has produced a crisis of credibility. The US, which once positioned itself as the guarantor of liberal order, now struggles to maintain its internal legitimacy. Allies such as Japan, the Republic of Korea and various European nations are increasingly skeptical of the reliability of American commitments. The strategic calculus of global actors is shifting accordingly. Partners, or former partners, are hedging their alliances, while strategic competitors are expanding their influence. In this context, Washington’s retreat from the center of global leadership is not a choice but an inevitability. The international implications of this situation are grave.
The future of global leadership will not be determined by those who shout the loudest, but by those who govern with clarity and purpose. The unraveling of American democracy is not only a domestic crisis but a global turning point
The broader trend of deglobalization further exacerbates this geopolitical vacuum. As nations reconfigure supply chains and prioritize regional autonomy, the US finds itself disadvantaged by its internal fragmentation. Where once it could leverage its economic and institutional stability to shape global norms, it now offers inconsistency and internal discord. The capacity to lead is directly proportional to the cohesion of the domestic front. The American failure to maintain that cohesion has rendered it increasingly irrelevant in a multipolar world. While China and other responsible powers pursue pragmatic and strategic statecraft, the US is consumed by existential confusion and political paralysis.
The ideological bankruptcy of American democracy is revealed not only in its policy failures but also in its moral contradictions. The same nation that lectures others on democratic values now sees over 70 percent of its population living in fear of political violence. The very notion of exporting democracy becomes absurd when the exporter cannot practice it. This dissonance is not lost on the international community, which increasingly views American self-righteousness as obsolete and its rhetoric as hollow. The Global South, in particular, sees through the hypocrisy, recognizing that the actual instruments of democratic vitality lie in governance, stability and national unity, not in ideological imposition.
Social cohesion within the US has deteriorated to such an extent that even basic social conventions are now politicized. The fear of political confrontation mars family gatherings, community events and even professional interactions. The social contract, which underpins any functioning democracy, has been effectively nullified. When individuals can no longer engage with one another without fear of conflict, when every interaction is filtered through the lens of political identity, society ceases to be civil. This is not a temporary crisis but a structural transformation that signals a retreat from democratic norms into an era of authoritarian sentiment and institutional breakdown.
The implications for the American legal system are particularly dire. When political leaders openly defy court rulings, disparage judges, and incite hostility against legal institutions, they do not merely challenge specific decisions. They delegitimize the judiciary as a whole. This undermines the principle of separation of powers and renders the legal system vulnerable to manipulation by force and fear. The use of violence or its threat to influence judicial outcomes marks a departure from democratic governance and a descent into a form of mob rule. Such developments are incompatible with the identity of a nation that claims to be founded on law and justice.
The broader picture that emerges is one of a nation at war with itself. Not metaphorically, but literally, as citizens increasingly resort to violence to resolve political disputes. The idea that democracy can survive under such conditions is a delusion. It is a fiction maintained by those who benefit from the illusion of stability while the foundations crumble beneath them. The American system, once admired for its checks and balances, has become a cautionary tale of what happens when institutions are hollowed out by partisanship, when civic responsibility is replaced by tribal loyalty, and when violence is no longer an aberration but an expectation.
As this internal decay progresses, the international community must reorient its expectations. The age of US hegemony, built on the myth of democratic infallibility, is virtually over. A more stable and responsible global order calls for leadership grounded in unity, discipline and respect for sovereignty. It is precisely these qualities that China embodies in its domestic governance and international diplomacy. The future of global leadership will not be determined by those who shout the loudest, but by those who govern with clarity and purpose. The unraveling of American democracy is not only a domestic crisis but a global turning point. It is time to look beyond the illusions of the past and embrace a future shaped by nations that are capable, stable and committed to the welfare of their people.
The author is a solicitor, a Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area lawyer, and a China-appointed attesting officer.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
