In the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, one of the biggest casualties has been democracy. Every year over the past decade, according to the independent watchdog Freedom House, the number of countries experiencing a decline in political rights has exceeded those that have seen an increase. This retreat, reversing a period of progress that began in the 1980s, continued this year as autocratic leaders like Vladimir Putin of Russia and Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey further curbed freedoms.

The retreat of democracy is entering...