CIVICUS, an international non-profit organization focused on civil rights and citizen action, added the United States to its Monitor Watchlist on March 9 in response to the Trump Administration’s threats to civic freedoms. This indicates that the non-profit has detected a rapid decline in liberties such as the freedom to assemble, freedom to associate, and freedom of expression.
The watchlist is produced by the CIVICUS Monitor, which observes developments in civic freedoms across most of the world. It features categories to demonstrate where a country or territory currently stands on civil liberties. From best to worst, they are: “open,” “narrowed,” “obstructed,” “repressed,” and “closed.” Although some nations may have lower classifications than the ones on the watchlist, the list represents nations where access to civil liberties is declining.
The U.S. was recently moved from an “open” status to “narrowed” to reflect the American government’s attempts to violate civil rights. Contributing behaviors include cutting foreign aid contracts, taking executive action against DEI, attacking the system of checks and balances, restricting the press, large-scale terminations of federal employees, and withdrawing from international efforts like the UN Human Rights Council. The government’s efforts to repress pro-Palestinian demonstrations and protestors constitute another policy of concern. Previously, CIVICUS Monitor placed the U.S. in the “obstructed” category following the first Trump Administration’s restriction of Black Lives Matter protests and other demonstrations.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Italy, Pakistan, and Serbia are also currently on the CIVICUS Monitor Watchlist. Italy is classified as “narrowed” due to its proposed legislation to erode the civic space in Italy by increasing criminal offenses and penalties for protestors. In Serbia, attempts to suppress a mass protest movement against government corruption have landed the nation in the “obstructed” category. The DRC and Pakistan are both marked as “repressed.” The DRC is somewhat controlled by the armed group M23, which is targeting human rights defenders and killing humanitarian aid workers. Freedom of expression and access to information are restricted in DRC. Pakistan is experiencing similar issues with targeting human rights defenders, imprisoning journalists, and hindering public demonstrations.
The U.S. is the wealthiest nation in the world and has the greatest military capabilities. It boasts the biggest economy, the top global currency, and has the power to use the dollar as a foreign policy tool. The actions of U.S. leadership matter not only for those within its borders but also for global citizens. The American government should take this categorization as a sign to stop infringing upon its citizens’ rights and threatening to overturn the world’s oldest modern democracy as global attention continues to grow.
