摘要
THE Economist Intelligence Unit(EIU)circulated the latest version of its Democracy Index on February 10,2022.The title“The China Challenge”reveals much about insecurities of the western world.The EIU,the research and analysis division of The Economist Group,has been producing its much-cited index since 2006 and observes that 2021 was the worst year on record for Westernstyle democracy.Of course,democracy,like beauty,resides in the eye of the beholder.The EIU defines and measures democracy as it is understood in London,near the self-styled“mother of parliaments.”Not surprisingly,therefore,the index suggests that British democracy is 54 percent better than the world average.