The World Is Watching America’s Election

The US election had its bizarre moments, and global interest runs high. Citizens of Canada, Mexico and elsewhere sense that their countries have a huge stake in the outcome. Newspapers around the globe detail poll closing times for the 50 states, and small crowds gather around televisions, laptops and smartphones to monitor results. “But watching America is not just a spectator sport -- people around the world are also asking how it is going to affect them. Increasingly, the amusement and befuddlement have given way to alarm and disgust,” writes Frida Ghitis for CNN. “And in authoritarian countries where ‘democracy’ comes in quotation marks, authorities are deriving visible pleasure from describing American democracy as a chaotic sham.” Analysts point to record attention in Russia, Latin America and South Korea; Iran state television broadcast the US presidential debates. China’s state media described the US election as “scandal-riven,” and Russia’s declared democracy does not work. US political leaders can demonstrate that democracy remains strong. That requires cooperation, constructive criticism for opponents and adherence to the rule of law. – YaleGlobal