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The State of Democracy in the United States: 2022
2022年美国民主情况
March 2023
2023年3月
Contents
目录
I. Preamble
一、序言
II. American democracy in chronic ills
二、美国民主沉疴难愈
1. American democracy in further decline
（一）美国民主颓势持续加重
2. Political polarization intensified by partisan fights
（二）两党争斗加剧政治极化
3. Money politics surged
（三）金钱政治愈演愈烈
4. "Freedom of speech" in name only
（四）言论自由徒有其名
5. The judicial system blind to public opinion
（五）司法系统无视民意
6. Americans increasingly disillusioned with American democracy
（六）美国民众对美式民主日益失望
III. The United States' imposition of "democracy" has caused chaos around the world
三、美国强推民主制造全球乱局
1. Foreign policy held hostage by political polarization
（一）政治极化绑架对外政策
2. Inciting confrontation and conflict in the name of democracy
（二）借民主旗号煽动对抗冲突
3. Doubling down on unilateral sanctions
（三）单边制裁变本加厉
4. Undermining democracy in international relations
（四）肆意破坏国际关系民主化
5. Foisting a trumped-up narrative of "democracy versus authoritarianism"
（五）炮制“民主对抗威权”虚假叙事
IV. Conclusion
四、结束语
I. Preamble
一、序言
In 2022, the vicious cycle of democratic pretensions, dysfunctional politics and a divided society continued in the United States. Problems such as money politics, identity politics, social rifts, and the gulf between the rich and poor worsened. The maladies afflicting American democracy deeply infected the cells of US politics and society, and further revealed US governance failure and institutional defects.
2022年，美国持续陷入民主失真、政治失能、社会失和的恶性循环。金钱政治、身份政治、社会撕裂、贫富分化等问题愈加严重。美国民主弊病已深入政治和社会肌理的方方面面，并进一步折射出其背后的治理失灵和制度缺陷。
Despite mounting problems at home, the US continued to behave with a sense of superiority, point fingers at others, usurp the role of a "lecturer of democracy", and concoct and play up the false narrative of "democracy versus authoritarianism". To serve the interests of none other than itself, the US acted to split the world into two camps of what it defined as "democracies and non-democracies", and organized another edition of the so-called "Summit for Democracy" to check how various countries had performed on meeting US standards for democracy and to issue new orders. Be it high-sounding rhetoric or maneuvers driven by hidden agenda, none can hide the real designs of the US – to maintain its hegemony by playing bloc politics and using democracy as a tool for political ends.
尽管自身问题成堆，美国却仍居高临下，指手画脚，充当民主教师爷，编造和渲染“民主对抗威权”虚假叙事，围绕美国的私利，在全世界划分“民主和非民主阵营”，张罗举办第二届“领导人民主峰会”，向各国盘点和分派“民主兑现承诺”。这些做法无论是打着“道义”的花言巧语，还是操着利益的掩饰手段，都隐藏不住将民主政治化、工具化，推行集团政治、服务维霸目标的真实意图。
This report collects a multitude of facts, media comments and expert opinions to present a complete and real picture of American democracy over the year. What they reveal is an American democracy in chaos at home and a trail of havoc and disasters left behind as the US peddled and imposed its democracy around the globe. It helps remove the facade of American democracy for more people worldwide.
本报告通过大量列举事实和媒体专家看法，系统梳理和呈现过去一年美国民主的真实表现，揭示美国国内民主乱象及其在全世界兜售和强加民主所制造的混乱与灾难，让世人进一步认清美国民主的真实面目。
II. American democracy in chronic ills
二、美国民主沉疴难愈
The US refuses to acknowledge the many problems and institutional crises confronting its democracy at home and stubbornly claims to be the template and beacon of democracy for the world. Such imperiousness perpetuates the ills of its democracy and causes dire consequences for other countries.
美国无视当前自身民主面临的种种问题和制度危机，固执地认为美国民主仍然是全球样板、民主灯塔。这种妄自尊大不仅让美国民主弊病积重难返，也让世界各国继续深受其害。
1. American democracy in further decline
（一）美国民主颓势持续加重
The functioning of American democratic institutions may look as lively as a circus, with politicians of all stripes showing off themselves one after another. But however boisterous the show is, it cannot hide the lethargy in addressing the long-standing, grave problems. Le Monde points out that 2022 is a year of doubt for US democracy. A silent civil war has taken root in the US, and repairing damaged democracy requires a sense of nation and public interest, both of which are currently lacking. This is sad for a country that has long held itself up as a model. In 2022, the Swedish think tank International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance added the US to its "list of regressive democracies".
美国民主制度好似外表光鲜的舞台，各路政客你方唱罢我登场，但无论表演多么精彩，都难掩许多长期的严重积弊和始终难以解决的无奈现实。法国《世界报》指出，2022年是美国民主经历怀疑的一年，一场无声的内战已在美国扎根，修复受损的民主需要国家意识和公共利益意识，但目前两者都缺乏，对美国这样一个长期自视为典范的国家来说实属悲哀。瑞典智库“国际民主及选举协助研究所”2022年将美国列入“退步的民主国家名单”。
Two years after the Capitol riots on 6 January 2021, the US system of democracy still has difficulty in learning the lessons, as political violence continued to grow and deteriorate. The Washington Post and The New Yorker observe that American democracy is in a worse state than ever before, with the congressional riots fully exposing social rifts, political divisions and rampant misinformation. The two parties, although not unaware of the age-old ills of American democracy, have neither the resolve nor the courage to pursue changes, given the increasingly polarized political atmosphere, as well as their focus on party interests.
2021年1月6日发生的美国国会暴乱已过去两年，但美国的民主体系并未也难以真正吸取教训，政治暴力还在发展恶化。《华盛顿邮报》《纽约客》指出，美国民主正处于前所未有的糟糕状态，国会暴乱事件充分暴露出社会撕裂、政治分裂以及虚假信息大行其道。国会两党虽然都意识到美式民主的陈年弊病，但在日益极化的党派政治氛围中，出于各自利益，都缺乏革新决心和魄力。
In 2022, the US Congress was brought into another paralysis, not by riots, but by partisan fights. The farce of failing to elect the 118th House speaker lasted four days and a decision was only reached after 15 rounds of voting. In the last round, divisions were such that Republicans and Democrats voted strictly along party lines. The New York Times warned that Congress could see repeated chaos like this over the next two years. Brad Bannon, president of a US political consultancy, put it bluntly, "The impasse in the US House of Representatives over the election of the Speaker is another demonstration of the decline in our political institutions."
2022年，美国国会再度瘫痪，原因不是因为暴乱，而是源于党派恶斗。第118届国会众议长难产闹剧连演4天，最终历经15轮投票才选出众议长。在最后一轮表决中，共和党、民主党分化决裂，票只投给自己人。《纽约时报》称，美国国会未来两年还可能反复陷入这种混乱状态。美国一家政治咨询公司主席布拉德·班农直言：“众议院在此次风波中闹得一团糟，再次表明美国政治机构在衰落。”
This has aroused concerns among the general public. The Brookings Institution concludes in a 2022 report that the once proud American democracy is facing a systemic crisis and is accelerating its decline. The impact is spreading to all fronts in domestic politics, the economy and society, posing a mortal threat to the legitimacy and health of capitalism. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace warns in a report that American democracy is at a dangerous inflection point, declining faster as the inherent ills of American capitalism worsen. Multiple challenges such as voting restrictions, election fraud, and loss of trust in government are accelerating the disintegration of American democracy. Ian Bremmer, president of the Eurasia Group, writes that America's dysfunctional politics raises fears that the 2024 presidential election would again provoke deadly violence in the country. A large number of hot button issues continued to provoke public anger and questions on the legitimacy of the US political establishment. Many worried about how long American democracy could continue to function.
美国各界也忧心忡忡。布鲁金斯学会2022年发布报告指出，曾经引以为荣的美国民主制度面临系统性危机，正加速走向衰败，对国内政治、经济、社会的影响已从局部走向整体，将对资本主义的合法性和未来发展带来严重危害。卡内基国际和平基金会报告称，美国民主制度正随着美式资本主义固有弊病的加重而加速衰落，处于危险转折点。投票限制、选举舞弊、政府失信等多重挑战将加速美国民主解体。欧亚集团总裁伊恩·布雷默撰文指出，美国民主制度功能失调使人们担忧2024年总统大选可能再度引发暴力事件。大量社会热点问题持续引发公众愤怒和对美国政治机构合法性的质疑，不少民众担心如此下去不知美国民主制度还能正常运转多久。
