Democratic Erosion University Course Student Blog

Students enrolled in our course are encouraged to write for the course blog, and to read and comment on posts from students at other participating universities. The blog offers students the opportunity to analyze current events through the lens of the theory and case studies they engage with through the course.

Donald Trump the Nazi Reincarnate?: Godwin’s Law and How This Phenomenon is Counterproductive to Understanding Democratic Erosion

What do we hope to accomplish when comparing President Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler, a tyrannical perpetrator of genocide?

The Russia-Ukraine War Bodes Poorly for Democracy, But Not in the Way You Think

The Russia-Ukraine War is a serious threat to global democracy through the growing wave of isolationism in the United States, an entity that has typically been at the forefront of fighting authoritarianism across the world.

The Trump Administration’s Attack on USAID

The Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle USAID, increase concerns about democratic backsliding as it could result in a trend with the executive undermining institutional legitimacy.

The Fear of Losing Family: Donald Trumps Controversial Immigration Policies

Feb 14, 2025 | Boston University, Uncategorized

Image From: Chicago Council of Global Affairs Since he first ran for office in 2016, one of Donald Trump's biggest concerns was clear: illegal immigration. President Trump...

The Restoration of Poland and the Desolation of the United States

Feb 14, 2025 | Boston University

From 2015 until 2023, Poland was under the process of democratic erosion; however, recently they reversed this backsliding as the PiS, Law and Justice Party, had ultimately...

Are We Losing our Sense of National Pride? Vivek Ramaswamy Seems to Think So

Oct 11, 2024 | Ohio State University

Vivek Ramaswamy, a former candidate for the Republican Party’s 2024 presidential nomination, strongly believes in putting America first in almost every scenario. I recently had the opportunity to...

Local Governments Still Embody What it Truly Means to be Democratic

Oct 11, 2024 | Ohio State University

As Americans who value democracy, we frequently want to be able to directly sit down with our representatives and voice our opinions and be able to have civil discussion on the actions we should...

Redrawing Our Future: Issue One and the End of Gerrymandering in Ohio

Oct 11, 2024 | Ohio State University

Issue One will be on the ballot this November for Ohioans. I spoke to Catey Wolfe, the Campaign Manager for Representative Beryl Brown Piccolantonio, about the importance of ending partisan...

Columbus City Council: How Local Government Hits Home

Oct 11, 2024 | Ohio State University

Turns out it's not impossible for politicians to agree on some things. Or at least that's what the Columbus City Council would have you believe. Maybe it's just a local politics thing. City...

Disinformation and Calling 911: A Fiery City Council Meeting

Oct 11, 2024 | Ohio State University

“North Canton is a very peaceful part of Ohio. The community is small enough to get together and create amazing things. I feel very safe in North Canton and recommend new families to move into the...

Truth Social was a failed populist experiment. A second Trump victory could change that.

Oct 10, 2024 | Brown University

If former President Donald Trump is a populist, he certainly isn’t a traditional one. An analysis of the former President’s speeches by UCLA researchers found that he selectively and...

A Turning Point for Immigration Reform in the 2024 Presidential Election

Oct 10, 2024 | Ohio State University

The failure to address immigration in formal debate is something that has happened for at least a decade now! The failure to EVEN have discourse about immigration is hypocritical; I would go as far...

The 2024 Illuminati Election

Oct 10, 2024 | Ohio State University

“I’ll talk to you the minute you stop killing children,” he proclaims as he closes the door in our faces. My roommate, a public policy major, has been interning as a campaign assistant for...

Ecuador on the Edge

Oct 10, 2024 | Brown University

Once considered among the most stable countries in Latin America, Ecuador has been rocked by a surge of gang-related violence in the last few years. The homicide rate has more than quadrupled,...