current discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13491604 (69 points, 6 hours ago, 44 comments)

In the EIU's ninth annual Democracy Index, the number of full democracies around the world fell to 19, from 20 the year before. America’s downgrade puts it at 21 in the rankings, below Japan and even with Italy.

http://www.eiu.com/public/topical_report.aspx?campaignid=Dem...