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.

These blogs reflect the views of the student authors, and not those of the Democratic Erosion Consortium.

History Repeats: Why Strong Global Defense is Key to Preventing Autocracy

A strong and consistent global defense by democratic nations is crucial to preventing the rise of autocratic regimes, as history shows—from the Cold War doctrines to the failed democratization of Afghanistan—that without committed follow-through and structural reform, authoritarian forces will exploit weaknesses and reclaim power.

Women in Political Dynasties: The Illusion of Choice and Democratic Erosion in the Philippines

Political dynasties have long controlled Philippine politics, with powerful families passing down leadership positions across generations. Despite the imposition of term limits discouraging dynastic rule, these families have found their way around the constitutional...

From Stardom to Senate: The Alarming Trend of Celebrity Politics in the Philippines

The intersection of celebrity and politics in the Philippines is nothing new. The phenomenon of celebrity politicians—actors, athletes, and other public figures who go from the big screen or stage to the corridors of power—has become a defining aspect of the country's...

Sheinbaum’s Folly: How a Weak State Undermines Mexico’s Democracy

Oct 10, 2024 | Brown University

Draped in the green, white and red of the Presidential Sash, Claudia Sheinbaum, 62, delivered her inaugural speech as Mexico’s 66th President. “We are a free,...

Impairing Amparo: How Recent Constitutional Changes Undermine Mexican Democracy

Oct 9, 2024 | Brown University

Journalists and democracy advocates sounded the alarm last month as former Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador spent his final weeks in office pushing forward...

Alex Jones: Menace to American Democracy

Apr 20, 2022 | Rollins College

Alex Jones’s job consists of profiting off of formulating outlandish conspiracy theories, exploiting national tragedies, and eliciting emotions such as fear and anger in his audience. But it’s all a...

Polarization in Colombia: A Force for Change?

Apr 20, 2022 | Boston University

Colombia’s upcoming presidential elections are sure to be historic, no matter the outcome. With 75% of the population disapproving of current president Iván Duque at the beginning of 2022, citizens...

Spiritual Aristocracy: The Christian Nationalist Threat to American Democracy

Apr 20, 2022 | University of Georgia

In the Appalachian foothills of Tennessee, a congregation gathers every Sunday like many churches across the United States. The church is a barn-like structure with a giant American flag painted...

Viktor Orban’s Hungary: A Democracy Backsliding

Apr 20, 2022 | Boston University

With the end of the Cold War and fall of the Soviet Union in 1989, the political systems of eastern Europe began to undergo massive change. As countries transitioned away from the communist regimes...

Viktor Orban and the Backsliding of Democracy in Europe

Apr 20, 2022 | Boston University

Early April saw populist leader Viktor Orban claim victory in the Hungarian election, with his right-wing party Fidesz winning a two-thirds majority in parliament. The defeat of the United for...

The Potential Effects of the Russo-Ukrainian War on World Democracy

Apr 20, 2022 | Boston University

In a recent article published by The Washington Post, the author lays out potential problems with an already problematic situation in Ukraine, pointing to a recent report from Freedom House, a...

Trump Is a Symptom, Not a Cause

Apr 19, 2022 | Rollins College

In his essay in the New York Times titled, Trump Poses a Test Democracy is Failing, Thomas B. Edsall, a professor of political journalism at Columbia, explains the changes to the American political...

Polarization Seen Through Partisanship, Status, and Geographical Location

Apr 19, 2022 | Rollins College

The trucker convoy made its way from Virginia's Interstate Highway into our state’s capital. Over the course of three weeks the convoy camped out, drove through, protested, and threw tailgate...

Europe’s Rotting Peace

Apr 19, 2022 | Boston University

Europe, host to much of the bloodiest fighting during both World Wars, has since experienced decades without a major conflict between member states. Some may point to a pax-Americana- a peace...