By Ravi Agrawal, CNN
Editor’s note: Ravi Agrawal is a senior producer on Fareed Zakaria’s Global Public Square. The views expressed are his own. You can follow him on Twitter @RaviAgrawalCNN
At the start of the year, GPS billed 2012 as “the year of elections.” It was to be a rare alignment of the electoral stars: the year China, Russia, France, and the U.S. would elect new leaders. Together, these four countries represent 80 percent of the U.N. Security Council and account for 40 percent of global GDP. There were also elections scheduled in Venezuela, Mexico, and Egypt. Unlike 2011 – which unleashed the sudden churn of the Arab Spring – 2012 was meant to bring a different kind of people power: planned change.
Democracy at its core is about the rule of the people; it is about free and fair elections. Yet democratic countries fall under a fairly broad spectrum – some proudly enshrine a range of freedoms, others impose restrictions. One would think the world is moving inexorably towards the freer end of this spectrum, but the data shows the opposite. Freedom House’s annual Freedom in the World survey scores countries on the political rights and civil liberties they offer. In each of the last six years, more countries have seen declines in their ratings than gains. On average, for every two countries that see an improvement, three fall back. Why is this happening? In part, it is because of the disproportionate importance we ascribe to elections. Fareed Zakaria predicted this trend in a 1997 Foreign Affairs essay, when he described illiberal democracy as a growth industry. “In the end,” he wrote, “elections trump everything. If a country holds elections, Washington and the world will tolerate a great deal from the resulting government … Elections are an important virtue of governance, but they are not the only virtue.”
That’s an important prism through which to look at 2012.
Let’s start with Russia. Vladimir Putin, quite predictably, moved back into his old job as President after a four year stint as Prime Minister. If he serves out his term he will have been his country’s most-powerful person for 18 years. Yet Russia’s iron man has never seemed as vulnerable as he did in the run-up to this year’s election. Emboldened opposition groups routinely rallied tens of thousands of demonstrators, some openly shouting “Putin is a thief!” This was previously unthinkable in Russia.
More: Game out the presidential race with CNN's Electoral Calculator
Defiance was also in evidence in Venezuela, home to the world’s greatest oil reserves, but also the land of frequent power outages and violent crime. President Hugo Chavez was widely expected to extend his 14-year rule, but in the end his challenger Henrique Capriles Radonski ran him very close.
To varying degrees, both Putin and Chavez are seen less democratic, more autocratic. The surprise of 2012, however, has proven to be how much both needed to court the electorate. Putin’s victory was especially expensive. According to Reuters, Putin promised public sector pay rises worth 1.5 percent of GDP. The total bill for election-related promises could be more than three times that amount. Even for the world’s top oil producer, that is a substantial credit allowance. The Kremlin’s “break-even” oil price – the price at which it needs to sell crude to balance its budget – is now as high as $117 a barrel, which is higher than this year’s average price. Citigroup estimates that if Putin’s spending promises are implemented, that break-even number could rise to as much as $150 – well above expected market levels.
Venezuela could be in trouble, too. After a year of heavy government spending and subsidies, it is estimated Chavez needs to sell crude at well over current market prices to balance his books.
The promises made by Chavez and Putin are unsustainable. As much as 2012 was the year of elections, it was also the year of largesse. Eventually, the enduring legacy of the Arab Spring may be people power, but for now, it has spurred the creation of a set of promises and subsidies by autocrats desperate to stay in power. It has often been pointed out that not a single oil-rich state was forced into regime change after the Arab Spring. Yemen, Egypt, Libya, and Syria were all net importers of oil.
2012 was also the year of populism. France elected a new president who promised a 75 percent tax rate for those earning more than a million euros a year. Francois Hollande didn’t make an empty stump promise; by all accounts, he is on track to implement his plan.
And what of America, which is hosting the most expensive election of all time? The Center for Responsive Politics says that in total, the 2012 election will cost upwards of $6 billion – on advertisements, organizing, and canvassing. A large chunk of that amount has been spent on attack ads, with both campaigns engaging in a seemingly never-ending cycle of chest-thumping to prove who is more pro-American. But what does that do to the people? In an insightful piece in The New York Times, Scott Shane points out that perhaps more than anywhere else in the world “Americans demand constant reassurance that their country, their achievements and their values are extraordinary.” (Try telling Americans that on child poverty, they rank 34th of 35 economically advanced countries, Shane notes. Or that the very cornerstone of the American Dream – social mobility – is greater in Europe, Australia, and Canada, he adds).
Of course, no citizens of any country like being told they’re lagging behind – this isn’t a uniquely American sentiment. But perhaps what is different now is that Americans, who have so often previously identified themselves as #1 on so many things, are starting to realize that on many indicators – education, infrastructure and healthcare, to name just a few – the United States is falling behind. Just browse any of a number of global lists – the new Legatum Global Prosperity Index, or the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness reports – and the signs of change are evident.
None of these reports emerged as issues on the campaign trail – Democratic or Republican, suggesting that 2012 was Washington’s year of waiting and watching for 2013.
More: 21 U.S. campaign moments you can't forget
If elections are meant to be about empowering people, then 2012 should have brought fresh powers to an unprecedented number of people. Instead, it seems publics have been pandered to rather than leveled with, perhaps to everyone’s detriment.
One country defies all categorization: China. It famously allowed an election to take place in the village of Wukan earlier this year. But that was a controlled experiment; instead of being a concession to democracy, it was a means to clamp down on corruption and manage a volatile situation. Beijing continues to keep power concentrated in the hands of a select few. In part, this is because its elites don’t perceive the need to comply with international definitions of fairness or democracy. It doesn’t need a national election to keep Washington happy. Instead, there is a sense of pride at a model of communism mixed with capitalism that has generated excellent economic results.
In the coming days, China will have what many are calling an election. In the strictest definition of the word, that is correct – a group of people will be elected to lead their country. The electorate, however, consists only of the upper echelons of China’s vast Communist Party. These elites have increasingly tenuous connections to the fears and aspirations of China’s 1.3 billion people. Quite rightly, China gets the lowest possible overall score in Freedom House’s rankings on political rights and civil liberties. Protests are almost always clamped down on – and yet thousands still take place every year. Unlike the world’s other “elections”, in China there’s less pandering, and more suppression.
So, what to make of 2012, the year of elections? I may have painted a dire picture of its effects: unsustainable largesse, populism, denial. But such is the human race’s complex relationship with freedom. Make of it what you will; some choice is better than none. As with democracy, the greatest accolade for the right to vote is that it is forever coveted by those who lack it.
Read other pieces by Ravi Agrawal here.
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Dear frid, I have greate respect for you and wach all your shows. I am looking forward to talk to you and provide for you a number if information that I have really unique undersatanding. I came from Russia in 1978 and make 20 patents (www.espcinc.com ) and I provide you a number of facts that in spite a number of business advantages in USA some businesses shall be controlled by Goverment- Energy supply, education, science, infrostracture, etc. I have big facts and background and I am shure you will like this.
With all due respect, in order that your post is taken seriously, you need to spell correctly!
The guy said he's from Russia, of course his spelling isn't going to perfect. Why don't you instead judge based off of the ideas being put forward instead of judging off of whether a the grammar, syntax, spelling, and whatnot are conducive to your standards of English. If you can drop your myopic standards and look at the big picture, you will find a world of amazing individuals, most of which do not speak English. Christ, you grammar Nazis need to get off your high horse and accept the world as it is and not how you think it should be. Hopefully I didn't misspell any words that would automatically invalidate my post.
Another simple-minded English teacher.
You can be sure that his English is much better than your Russian.
In a democratic election voters face tough choices. Some are rational actors and others aren't. Hence campaigns are organised by the candidates to influence and manipulate their preferences. In a country of quasi-democracy like Russia, the state has a finger in the electoral procedures. China had adopted the very early form of the Roman model with centralised power. The only difference it lacks a Caesar and the participation of citizens in elections.
with all due respect, bang your empty fat head on a wall you stupid cow.
The link to the Legatum Prosperity Index does not work. It's at http://www.prosperity.com
Smart, worldly analysis....
REVENGE, yep, this is the type of gutter politics Obama has been running all campaign!!!
Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.). “We’re not generating enough angry white guys"....of course race is not an issue for Republicans.....( hint that is sarcasm). Right.. .. says you. Fortunately most REAL Americans are not ignorant bigots.
Revenge is sweet when your opponent's entire campaign has been built on nothing but lies, half truths, and empty promises.
I know your type all to well, unfortunately my dad is a diehard republican "you people" are all the same. Romney could tell you tomorrow that he has decided to sell the US to China and you would still vote for him.
It is sad and very disappointing. You would think common sense would kick in at some point.
You are just angry because Obama is winning. Suck it!
should be an asterisk next to China, Russia and Venezuela when it comes to elections. Not sure how this writer or anyone can seem worldly or intelligent if he started the year off thinking those countries were "Electing* new leaders"
Speaking on pandering, I am not surprised to see that CNN isn't listed as the #1 panderer for the year! CNN seems to be doing everything possible to pander to racists. They have a Black reporter that always claims racism, they have a Hispanic reported who does the same, but for HIspanics. They incorrectly label the self defense slaying of Treyvon Martin as a white on black hate crime, then had the nerve to create the racial group "White Hispanic" to keep the idea alive. Even after professionals analyzed the 911 call to clarify if Zimmerman used a racial slur, when the conclusion was no, he did not, CNN finds other experts to do so.
C.N.N. Certainly Not unbiased News
For being so against CNN I find it strange you found the time to go to their website, read their article and post a comment about it. If you don't like CNN their are plenty of other news media websites to post at.
CNN is diverse in its coverage and views. if you require a view of the world that does not agree with President Obama. CNN is MSNBC with less silliness and openly biased presentations and coverage.
The 2012 U.S Presidential election is similar to the presidential elections held few years after WWI and few years after WWII.
It seems most Citizens are not well motivated to vote and those who run to be US President are less motivated.
Of course, there weren't peaceful times, during most of the American Presidential times. Just to name the few obstacles during Presidential times.
A- Presidents in War times:-
1) President Andrew Jackson, 1812 American revolution,
2) President George Washington, American Revolution,
3) President Abraham Lincoln, Black Hawk War,
4) President Andrew Johnson, Civil War,
5) President Ulysses Grant, Mexican war-Civil War,
6) President Theodore Roosevelt, Spanish-American War,
7) President Harry Truman, WWI,
8) President Dwight Eisenhower, WWII,
9) ...and others.
B- Presidents during War times:-
1) George Washington, war with Native-American in Ohio,
2) Thomas Jefferson, Tripolitan war against the BARBARY PIRATES, 1800-1805,
3) James Madison, war against the British (misunderstanding), 1812-1814,
4) James Monroe, First Seminole War, 1817-1818,
5) Andrew Jackson, Black Hawk war, 1832,
6) Martin Van Buren, Aroostook War 1839-1842,
7) William Henry Harrison, Second Seminole war, 1842,
8) John Tyler, Second ^ Seminole War, ended 1842,
9) James Polk, Mexican war,
10) James Buchanan, Civil War begun,
11) Abraham Lincoln, Civil-War, 1861-1865,
12) William McKinley, Spanish-American War, 1898 and Boxer Rebellion 1899-1900,
13) Woodrow Wilson, WWI, 1914-1918
(Do you see how #13 is bad luck?),
14) Warren Harding, concluded WWI,
15) Franklin Roosevelt, WWII, 1941-1945,
16) Harry Truman, concluded WWII
and begun Korean War, 1950-1953,
17) Dwight Eisenhower, concluded Korean War,
18) John F Kennedy, Bay of pigs invasion, 1961; beginning of Vietnam War,
19) Lyndon Johnson, continued Vietnam War and Dominican Republic 1965,
20) Richard Nixon, continued Vietnam War,
21) Ronald Reagan, Grenada invasion, 1983,
22) George H W Bush, invasion of Panama, 1989-1990 and Persian Gulf War, 1990-1991,
23) George W Bush, War against Iraq, Alqaeda and Taliban, 2001-2008,
24) Barak Hussein Obama, concluded Iraq war and continued war against Alqaeda and Taliban in Afghanistan,...2008 – present.
** Can you imagined, how many American lives lost? And how much America spent for wars and recoveries???
So, who the hell are Jewish keep complained, complained,...about the past lost lives (Holocaust to claim benefits)?
Americans lost more lives during non-stop Wars From the late 1500's (when Great British Heroes setted foots in North-America) and until recently.
THE WAR WILL NEVER END, IN PLANET EARTH.
As I said earlier to another post, with all due respect, in order that your post is taken seriously, you need to spell correctly. Grammar and punctuation would help too!
Clue, I never "setted" foot anywhere!
Let it go. You really need to relax.
This is one of the most incoherent pieces of drivel I have seen all day. Are you off your meds?
Americans lost more lives during non-stop Wars From the late 1500's (when Great British Heroes setted foots in North-America) and until recently.
THE WAR WILL NEVER END, IN PLANET EARTH.
greatest thing i've read all day
What do Jewish people have to do with America's tendancy to be in war with someone perpetually? Also, most American wars were wars of relative choice, though the same could not be said for the Jewish victims of the holocaust, so there is absolutely no comparison. What's with Great British Heroes and why is it Barack Hussein Obama when you neglect all the other presidents' middle names? Your post ultimately makes little sense, given the beginning has nothing to do with the end...
Obama is the Prince of Pandering.
Obama has a record to run on and its a good one. What you got?
That's a Mitt-like distortion of the truth. Mitt has pandered & changed his views on virtually every issue in order to get them to like him more. He said he was a "severe conservative", then tried to show he was a moderate–then he became more centrist to try to win votes. All the while he has pandered to his base and enforced & encouraged their hatred.
Pandered to? ALWAYS. Who? Me? Not possible! Let´s be serious.
Obama has been pandering for 4 years thats why food stamps have outgrown jobs by 75%
But what does Romney offer?. Created about 1500 total while at Bain.. mostly minimum wage jobs.
Vote for Romney and become a Staples clerk or a pizza deliverer.
During Romney's term as governor of Massachusetts, the state's population dropped by 220,000 at a time when the nation's overall population was growing. And Massachusetts was ranked 47th in job creation during Mitt's term. These are just a couple of the reasons Mitt's approval rating hovered around 35% during his final year in office. If Romney were elected, you probably wouldn't get any job unless you "self-deported" alongside a wave of harassed immigrants.
Slight correction – Food stamp recipients outgrew new jobs by 75 times, not just by 75%.
Nothing wrong with folks on food stamps. People that own lear jets, now thats wrong...
"If elections are meant to be about empowering people". Silly you, they're placebos engineering to placate the unwashed masses. The real stuff gets done in committees no one elected.
I like Fareed for when I look back to Feb 2012 I see that his schedule was foreseen. Yep this was the worst year for the world, Democracy-wise...Not the worst realy...may be the hardest and most trying. And I'll be glad when USA elections are over and the Fat Lady sings.
However, I must say that this was the year Gaia made the selection before the Americans did. Whatever the votes may say. And we do not even have to wait for the Mayan calander to see a renewal. Hopefully.
But still, there was a song named "Final Count Down". I'll put it in my page
This is the year the public woke up to the media's manipulation. Nbc, CNN, ABC, MSNBC, CBS, Washington Post have been exposed as propogandists of the state desperately and shamefully propogating their own agenda. O'brien and Matthews among the worst offenders.. The media can be singled out as the biggest liars and deceivers, manipulating a candidate's intended message to polarize the public, clearly picking sides, and resembling loyal campaign aides more than journalists. However it backfired! The US media are the real losers of the election. Journalistic integrity is dead. Congratulations to stooping to the comical level of bias that Fox news so proudly extolled. We, the public, sick of your games thereby award these offending news outlets with the much coveted and hotly contested Fox news standard of 'fair and balanced'. Congratulations. You win, the public loses! What a pitiful disgrace!
Agreed. The media outlets are part of the problem, and have been for some time; they've definitely decided that this time around, voices besides those of Obama and Romney are not worth being heard. Just out of curiosity, what does the "Center for Responsive Politics" say about a man who is on the ballot in 47 states being kept off the stage at the presidential debates? Does that strike anyone else as a bit strange?
Gary Johnson 2012!
hey, someone's got to say it...
Elections are meant to create the illusion of influence & involvement, because most dastardly deeds are perpetrated behind closed doors, while smooth talking politicians of all stripes misdirect us with their chatter. My overriding sense is what emanates from the right, doom & gloom forecasts that tell Americans just who thinks we have no resilience against tough times. Why vote for any of them?
MoRomney is the "Panderer in Chief", the "Numero Uno Panderer"; he puts the pander in pandering. Also, don't forget to set your clocks back an hour; and you republibigots set your clocks back to 1900.
Staples clerk or pizza delivery? At least they are both jobs, and would get you off your mom's couch and actually doing something besides being a drain on society.
CNN contributes to the year of the pandering, or more appropriately, the "Stupidification of America". You all present positions without facts or indepth analysis. There's no discussion of history, or of repeated prior failures for the very policies both parties espouse. Perhaps CNN ought to write more reports on that, and less on the one-liners from the mouths of the candidates and political parties. As for us citizens, we get what we deserve. We really do.
The year of pandering? How about the century of pandering?
Our Elections are pretty much meaningless. Each Party has different rhetoric but in reality they both do the same thing once in office. One party system in America.
Tallk about "pandering"........Cnn's own Jeanne Moos ran a feature about little Abigail Evans, the rosy cheeked 4 year old who just happened to spontaneously have a crying fit in a supermarket parking lot. The source of the childs frustration is none other than our mean, nasty, lollipop stealing President Obama ( or Bronco Bama) as Abby puts it. Seems the little cherub has had her fill of the man and the election. Abby's doting mother can be heard in the background murmuring reassuring promises that "soon this will be over". CNN's Moos mentions, in passing, that the little girl and her family live sans television so the child has not been exposed to all the negativity thrown around via the airwaves. So, how is it that a normal little pre-schooler is devoting so much of her precious growing time to this election? Could it be that her parents have gone overboard on the home schooling lessons in government? And why is Ms.. Moos, Time Magazine and CNN buying into this display for lack of a better word? Is this the media's attempt at irony? Is this their "out of the mouth of babes" moment of mental clarity? Or, is this, as I suspect any media outlet's shameless pandering at the expense of a tired, cold virus coming on, little girl? Personally, I don't find it funny, insightful, interesting or even close to
adorable to watch I don't know who's nuttier....the parents for filling a little child's head full of worry and anger or CNN for posting this piece.
Let's call it for what it is. Romney's year of pandering and lies.
When are we going to impose term limits in Washington, or put a cap on all this ridiculous electoral spending? "...don't hold your breath" I'm told! "Why?" I ask. Answer: "...because money speaks way louder than Democracy! Everything is for sale these days....even Presidential elections!"
put a cap on electoral spending? Are you kidding? That would curb corruption! That would make it so that rich people and corporate America cannot "buy" their government! What are you? Some kinda educated, communist, socialist, idealist who thinks corruption is a BAD thing? Harrumph... some people's children....
Mitt Romney is a Mormon who believes that there is more than one god and that MEN can become gods of other worlds. I know this sounds ridiculous, but this is what the Mormon religion teaches! This is not taught in the Holy Bible. This is only taught in Joseph Smith's Book of Mormon. This religion is not Christian. If you do not like Obama and you find Romney's religious belief's strange and anti-Christian, you don't need to stay home on election day. WRITE-IN on your ballot, "Jesus Christ". By their fruits ye shall know them. The people of Mass., know Mitt Romney when he was Governor of that state. Why is it that the people of Mass., do NOT favor him in this election? Could it be they know what a horrible Governor he was for their state? Mass., ranked 48th in Job growth while he served as Governor! There are only 50 states! So much for someone who claims to be a job creator. This man talks out of both sides of his mouth and will say anything to get elected. Don't vote for this liar. WRITE-IN on your ballot, "Jesus Christ".
Americans have been brainwashed into believing in 'american exceptionalism'. This makes them blind to the changes that are happening in the world and unwilling to change, as a result America keeps falling behind. When the main focus of an opposition party is to do everything possible to make sure the current president fails, how can policies be put in place to position America better to meet these changes?
Most Americans do not even realize there is more to this world than just The United States. They have heard of things like "Europe" or "China", but it is something you hear on the news. I know a guy who thought "Cayman Islands" was a US state, because he didn't understand what the big deal was about Romney's bank accounts. It is sad that the majority of American citizens, bright as they are, remain uneducated and uncaring about what goes on in the rest of the World.... unless they have "our" oil underneath their soil....
FK IRAQ FK IRAN FK THE SHIIA IN SYRIA AND THOSE EVIL COUNTRIES , FK HIZBOALLAH./////THOSE IDIOTS THUGS SHIIA WHO MARRIED THERE COUSINS AND MAKE MOTAA WITH FEMALE CHILDREN ARE EVIL. USA SHOULD BE A SHAMED SITTING SILENT AGANIST 70.000 CEVILAINS THAT WERE KILLED BY THOSE SHIIA......USA AND NATO SHOULD GET RED OF THE SHIIA ASAD SYRIAN EVIL GOVERNMENT WHO IS HELPED BY IRAN AND IRAQ WITH RUSSIAN WEAPONS AND MONEY FROM OIL...WHY IS THIS SILENT ATTACK IRAN NOW. ISRAEL CAN HANDEL HIZBOALLAH TURKEY SHOULD GO AFTER SYRIA AND U SA AFTER IRAN GET RED OF EVIL BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE
Now that the final major election is over, people may concantrate on pending worldly matters such as economic crises, crop harvest and changing weather. We may also hope to get a realistic explanation on what is going on
What about the war on the small business man that has to close there doors because of lack of business and or funding to stay open . Obama was suppost to be there for the small business man . And Obama said he would help to create jobs .After all the small business man created america ! So when is Obama gonna help the small business so jobs can be created in the lower income families
Can we all perhaps sleep over this election night.
As long as 2012 was the last American election and Obama is the last elected leader in America and he rules for life as a peaceful wonderful dictator then we should be ok with that.
The answer is simple – the guns are more accessible in the US than they are in other (Euroean, for example) contries. It has nothing to do with who is the president of the county.
ops, it was related to the article about shootings in American schools. ....
The common cold virus is typically transmitted via airborne droplets (aerosols), direct contact with infected nasal secretions, or fomites (contaminated objects).^;,^
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