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.

Mythological history is undermining democracy: Considering a 2024 Trump Reelection

Mar 31, 2024 | American University

Trump winning reelection in 2024 poses an extreme threat to democracy because of the damage already done through his increasingly authoritarian discourse. Normalizing a lie...

The Houthis Campaign Against Corruption is a Threat to Yemen’s Survival

Mar 11, 2024 | American University

Houthis promote their own agenda at the expense of the Yemen Yemen has long suffered from the effects of European colonization as well as religious and cultural divides...

New Erosion: Democratic Backsliding in South Sudan

Mar 7, 2022 | Ohio State University

When we think about democratic backsliding, we tend to think about nations that have existed, in one form or another, for a reasonably long time — Russia, the United States, Venezuela, etc. It’s...

The Vazrazhdane Party: A Study in Polarization in Bulgaria

Mar 7, 2022 | Ohio State University

On January 12th, 2022, a violent demonstration over vaccine and mask mandates from the far-right led to an attempt on seizing the Parliament building in Sofia. As this rift between the far-right and...

Democracy in Peril: The Current State of Sri Lankan Democratic Institutions

Mar 7, 2022 | Ohio State University

Despite an end to its decades long civil war in 2009, Sri Lanka is still battling to reconcile its people and reunite its nation. Tensions remain high as the government is accused of numerous civil...

Despite a Brawl on Parliament Floor, Executive Increasing Amendments Pass in Jordan

Mar 7, 2022 | Ohio State University

Earlier this year, Jordan passed 30 new amendments targeted at granting the ruling king, Abdullah II, more executive power. The amendments include most worryingly, the creation of a National...

Threats to Civil Liberties and Media Freedom in Serbia

Mar 7, 2022 | Ohio State University

The past couple of years have seen a decline in Serbian democracy. Like many European countries, Serbia is currently led by an authoritarian leader, Aleksandar Vučić. Since he took presidential...

North Macedonia’s Crisis in Corruption

Mar 7, 2022 | Ohio State University

In June 2020, a court in North Macedonia handed down sentences for two high-profile defendants: nine years in jail for flamboyant TV personality Bojan Jovanovski, commonly known as Boki...

Persecution of Journalists Signals Democratic Backsliding in Vietnam

Mar 7, 2022 | Ohio State University

The single-party government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam has been dogged with accusations of brutally enforcing anti-democratic policies over the years. The most common claims are those...

Romania’s PDS and PNL: A Marriage of Convenience

Mar 7, 2022 | Ohio State University

Meeting in Romanian Parliament Despite being a multiparty system, two parties have dominated Romanian politics since the rise of the democratic republic: the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the...

What Happens to a Democracy Deferred: Mali’s Delayed Democratic Elections

Mar 7, 2022 | Ohio State University

Earlier this year, Mali’s military run government delayed democratic elections for up to five years — prolonging a promised 18-month democratic transition into 2026 and beyond. Mali is not new to...