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.

American Democracy and the Censuring of Rashida Tlaib

Nov 22, 2023 | Northeastern University

On November 7th, in a 234-188 vote, the United States House of Representatives voted to censure Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib following Tlaib’s comments on the Israel-Hamas...

Ballot Initiatives: Lessons from Ohio’s November Elections

Nov 22, 2023 | Northeastern University

On Tuesday, November 7, voters in Ohio went to the polls and voted to enshrine the right to abortion in the state constitution and legalize recreational marijuana use (Issue...

Censures, Denials, and the GOP’s Legitimization of Capitol Riots

Feb 14, 2022 | Ohio State University

The storming of the Capitol and attempted insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021 was perhaps the most immediate and explicit threat to the United States’ democracy in recent history. In its aftermath, key...

Roe v. Wade: The Fate of Democracy through the Lens of a Landmark Case

Feb 14, 2022 | Ohio State University

Within the framework of the Constitution, careful attention is allocated to the three branches of government. American politicians elevate checks and balances or counterbalancing influences by which...

Borat: A Sign American Democracy Can Be “Very Nice”

Feb 14, 2022 | Ohio State University

While a sign of robust democracy has always been the freedom of the press and freedom of speech, there can be moments where this freedom contributes to democratic backsliding. Democratic backsliding...

How Ohio is Fighting to Keep Democratic Fairness Alive

Feb 14, 2022 | Ohio State University

U.S. voters are no stranger to gerrymandering. The term has been around for over a century now and describes the process of drawing boundaries of congressional districts that give one party an...

The NRA and the Ruse of Equal Representation in America

Feb 14, 2022 | Boston University

How the National Rifle Association turned from lobbyists protecting gun owners to firearm manufacturers' biggest tool in influencing Congress and undermining democracy The issues surrounding gun...

Presidential Executive Order Overload and Their Harmful Impacts

Feb 14, 2022 | Ohio State University

The number of presidential executive orders per year has reached a record high since Jimmy Carter’s presidency. An executive order, as explained by the American Bar Association, is a “signed,...

Every Ten Years, Politicians in the U.S. Redraw Maps – and it’s Killing Democracy

Feb 14, 2022 | Ohio State University

Following the conclusion of the 2020 Census in the United States, all fifty states began the process of legislative redistricting....

Are Mail-in Ballots Detrimental to American Democracy?

Feb 14, 2022 | Ohio State University

In 2020, as the Covid pandemic ravaged the country, the United States saw a significant increase in the use of mail-in ballot....

Democracy Lost in the Mail: Understanding the 2020 Postal Service Crisis

Feb 14, 2022 | Ohio State University

Democratic erosion has, if nothing else, certainly become a more prominent and well-known topic in the United States over the past six years. The extent to which events in the 2016 and 2020...