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INTRODUCTION

By Peter Ackerman
Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Freedom House

Freedom House was established in 1941 by a distinguished group of Americans who were
committed to the defense of freedom, then under grave assault by fascism in Europe and
the Far East. The Freedom House Board of Trustees saw and continues to see world
freedom as indivisible, understanding that to preserve freedom at home, Americans must
be willing to protect and advance it in other societies.
The reverse is also true. Freedom House has always believed that American democracy
must be robust and secure if the United States is to sustain its position as the most
significant supporter of freedom around the world.
Freedom House does not view freedom as an abstraction, but rather as a tangible,
meaningful set of rights to which every human being is entitled, no matter the country or
circumstances of his or her birth. By its very nature, freedom is never fully attained in any
country. It must constantly be defended and refined.
Evaluating the extent to which human rights are protected is essential to freedom’s
progress. That is why we have published Freedom in the World, our flagship survey of
political rights and civil liberties in every country in the world, for the past three
decades. These and other assessments serve as a platform for spurring constructive and
vigorous dialogue within societies as to how they can progress further toward freedom.
One of American society’s greatest strengths is its willingness to turn the spotlight on its
own practices and critically evaluate the state of its democratic institutions. At Freedom
House, we think that now is an ideal time for reflection about the state of American
democracy.
The upcoming U.S. elections offer a unique opportunity to debate the state of the union
and especially the freedoms enjoyed by its citizens. But this debate cannot be advanced
only through partisan politics. The excessive polarization in American politics today too
often caricatures the serious problems that we confront as a nation and underestimates
what we are capable of as a society.
In the hope of prompting a broader discussion about the state of freedom in America,
Freedom House is publishing Today’s American: How Free? The study evaluates the
current on-the-ground condition of democratic institutions in the United States, describes
their historical context, and, where relevant, gauges American performance in comparison
with other developed democracies. The title comes from a 1986 book published by
Freedom House, which consisted of essays written by eminent intellectuals about various
challenges to American democracy.
Though consistent in spirit with that earlier work, the present version differs in that it
subjects the basic institutions of American democracy to a comprehensive
assessment. Today’s American: How Free? is organized into 10 chapters, each of which
addresses a discrete institution or topic: the political process, political corruption, the
effect of counterterrorism policies on civil liberties, freedom of expression and the press,
race relations, the status of immigrants, criminal justice, equality of opportunity, freedom of
religion, and academic freedom.

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