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The fragility of our democracy today is not what many feared when Donald Trump was elected in 2016. The good news is that two of the three pillars of American democracy — liberty and the rule of law — have withstood the test, even if they, too, have been hit hard. But the threat to the third pillar — free and fair elections — is far more serious than my fellow democracy experts predicted.

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There is indeed concern about the state of American democracy, particularly as it pertains to free and fair elections, which you mentioned as one of the three pillars of democracy. A recent report by Informing Democracy, a nonprofit of election experts, researchers, and lawyers, has raised alarms about the threat to American democracy from the local level. According to the report, while some of the most notorious election deniers and conspiracists were defeated in the 2022 elections, the real danger comes from officials at the county and municipal level who are responsible for counting ballots and certifying elections, as well as state legislators in charge of making new election law. The report identified over 200 officials in six swing states who "provoke concern due to anti-democratic tendencies or actions."

The World Justice Project has identified several areas of concern for 2023 regarding the rule of law. One such issue is the emergence of disinformation laws in the Asia Pacific region, which are being utilized to prohibit criticism of governments. There is growing apprehension about authoritarianism in certain parts of Europe, specifically in Poland and Hungary, where the rule of law has been deteriorating. While the United States witnessed an improvement in the rule of law in 2022 after a period of five years, the nation's score still remains lower than its 2016 level. Notable areas that require attention include restrictions on executive power and media freedoms, as well as issues pertaining to discrimination and access to justice.

To fully answer your question, I would need more time to investigate the state of liberty in America and the world and further details on the state of the rule of law in other regions.

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