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.

Arresting Opposition and Squashing Protests: Democratic Backsliding in Turkey Under Erdoğan

Turkey has been inching towards autocracy under Erdoğan and the AKP for the last 22 years.

2025 Romanian Elections: An Election Redo and a Barred Candidate

Only two weeks out from Presidential Elections, Romanian voters face a tough decision in deciding on the next leader of their country. The latest opinion polls show that nearly 40% of voters are still undecided on who to vote for. After all, most voters already cast...

Why Protecting American Democracy Means Coming Together In Protest

In the lead up to the 2020 presidential election, the Democratic Erosion Consortium's very own professors Robert Blair and Steven Rosenzweig wrote an article in The Boston Globe urging readers to “Get ready to protest like democracy depends on it.” The article was in...

Stealth Authoritarian Tactics in El Salvador

May 8, 2024 | Ursinus College

El Salvador’s status as a democracy is becoming an increasingly debated subject. Still, the nation did produce legitimate democratic results on February 4th 2024, when...

Authoritarianism and its Effect on the European Union and Democracy

May 8, 2024 | Ursinus College

Authoritarian rule around the world is consistently a danger to democracy, world peace, and many civil liberties and political rights. Such civil liberties and...

To Nominate or Not to Nominate: The Challenge with Gatekeeping Donald Trump

Feb 28, 2022 | University of Chicago

It is uncommon for defeated presidential candidates to run again. But, then again, Donald Trump has never been one to follow precedent. On Saturday night, the former president hinted at...

Private Government: How Workplace Democracy Can Save American Democracy

Feb 27, 2022 | University of Chicago

In a world increasingly dominated by work, many politicians, activists, and theorists have argued for the application of democratic ideals to a new scope—the workplace. Political democracy in the...

How Donald Trump Used Populist Rhetoric to Justify Anti-Democratic Stances and Actions Related to Immigration

Feb 26, 2022 | University of Chicago

Throughout his four years in office, President Donald Trump’s rhetoric on immigration was unparalleled. Trump’s willingness to brazenly insult immigrants and ethnic minorities directly played into...

Constitutional Amendment: A Direct Route to Indefinite Power

Feb 26, 2022 | University of Chicago

Once again Daniel Ortega was sworn in as President of Nicaragua for a fourth consecutive term as of January 10th, 2022. This alarming reelection has generated widespread media outrage on both...

Soft Social Credit

Feb 26, 2022 | University of Chicago

The arrival and integration of technology into political life seem to herald a great advance for the democratization of regions once thought perpetually locked in authoritarian systems, whether...

Is Populism on Its Way Out of Europe?

Feb 26, 2022 | University of Chicago

Emerging evidence shows that populist support in Europe may be waning. A YouGov survey found that fewer people agree with targeted statements meant to measure populist beliefs [1]. Populism,...

Trudeau’s Shutdown of the Trucker Protests Protected Democracy

Feb 26, 2022 | University of Chicago

Recently, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked emergency powers in Canada in order to shut down protests. The protests were started by a group of truckers who were against the cross-border vaccine...

The Global Echo of Viktor Orbán’s Populist Cries

Feb 26, 2022 | University of Chicago

On January 3, former U.S. president Donald Trump offered, via his Save America political action committee, an endorsement of Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán ahead of the 2022 parliamentary...

What Does the Russian Invasion of Ukraine Mean for Belarus?

Feb 26, 2022 | University of Chicago

Belarus is widely regarded as an authoritarian state, headed by President Alexander Lukashenko. His most recent, fraudulent reelection in 2020 inspired unprecedented pro-democracy protests, leading...