Promoting Teaching and Learning to Address Democratic Erosion

Teach The Course

Overview

Teaching & Learning About Democratic Erosion

Since 2017, faculty at over 75 universities have taught our joint course on democratic erosion using a shared syllabus and collaborative assignments. We also manage a faculty list-serve, and offer an online short course (coming soon!) on democratic erosion for practitioners and policymakers.

Course

Democratic Erosion
Course

We make it easy for interested faculty to start teaching about democratic backsliding by offering a full curriculum, which includes a syllabus, lesson plans, reading guidelines, class activities and assessments, as well as ideas for how to adapt the course to different student populations and class formats.

Teach the Course

Universities

Meet our Faculty Affiliates

Since 2017, our university course on democratic erosion has been taught at over 75 universities in the United States and abroad. Our instructors teach at a range of institutions, including public and private universities, liberal arts colleges, community colleges, and HBCUs.

Faculty Affiliates

SHORT COURSE

Virtual Short Course for Policymakers & Practitioners

Coming soon! We are developing an online short course on democratic erosion that is specifically tailored to the learning needs of policymakers and practitioners. Gain access to both academic theories of backsliding as well as cutting-edge research on the most effective strategies to curb erosion as it happens.

STUDENTS

Fellowship Program

The Democratic Erosion Consortium Fellowship Program trains undergraduate students to conduct research, write policy briefs, and build the Democratic Erosion Event Dataset (DEED).

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Have a question or suggestion about our teaching and learning initiatives?

Contact Us

Student Blog

Democratic Erosion Course Student Blog

Read analysis of contemporary backsliding produced by students enrolled in the Democratic Erosion University Course.

Explore Student Blogs

Could the 2017 burning of Congress in Paraguay have led to the end years of Colorado Party dominance?

In 2017, protests erupted in Paraguay after President Horacio Cartes attempted to amend the constitution to allow for his re-election. Cartes’ influence over the Colorado Party— which has dominated Paraguayan politics for decades—has faced significant opposition due to corruption, bribery, and drug trafficking scandals, leading to public disillusionment with his party. The Colorado Party held onto power in 2023, but the lasting effects of Cartes’ actions may have provided enough fuel to the political fire to spark change in Paraguay.

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