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.

Fighting Fake News: Lessons from the World’s Top Target

2018 was a year of awakening in Taiwan. Two high-profile events threw the consequences of fake news into relief. First, Su Chii-cherng, the envoy to Osaka for the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, took his own life in September 2018 after false reports about him...

Can Democracies Wait Another 2,500 Years to Meet Today’s Needs?

In 500 BC, during Athens' golden age of democracy, the voting age was set at 18. Over 2,500 years later, this threshold remains the same in the vast majority (90%) of countries. However, as democracies grapple with rising populism, authoritarianism, marginalization of...

Présidence Impériale: Executive Aggrandizement in Macron’s France

Amidst significant challenges to France’s democracy, President Emmanuel Macron has ignored democratic norms and abused constitutional articles to expand his own power—periling France’s democracy.

El Salvador’s Security Crackdown: A Path to Authoritarianism?

Ohio State University

In the last two years, El Salvador has witnessed an unprecedented state-led crackdown on gang violence under President Nayib Bukele. The policies, which include mass...

Senate Removals and Executive Power: How the Philippines Continues to Backslide on Democracy

Ohio State University

Recent events in the Philippines demonstrate how democratic backsliding can be very slow and quiet, but still impactful. In particular, it shows how power and...

UniTeam Division: Marcos-Duterte Fallout and Its Democratic Ramifications

University of the Philippines, Diliman

"Uniteam has formally been dissolved and she has just become the leader of the opposition… Harry Roque, former spokesperson for Rodrigo Duterte, on Sara’s resignation from Marcos Cabinet. Rifts in...

Navigating The Polarization of Female Political Representation in the Philippines

University of the Philippines, Diliman

Unequal gender representation has always been apparent in Philippine politics. Being predominantly Catholic, the Philippine electorate has historically sided with conservative...

Election Denialism: A Comparison of American and Brazilian Tendencies in Public Trust Scandals, Misinformation, and Political Violence

Arizona State University

American and Brazilian politics are intimately interconnected, and as a result have comparably similar social trends with misinformation, public trust, and violent tendencies. Following the 2020...

UniTeam Alliance Break-Up: Political Rifts between Marcos and Duterte

University of the Philippines, Diliman

In the Philippines, the late 2010s and early 2020s is a pivotal stage, to say the least, in terms of political mobility, activism, and administrative competencies. The Rodrigo Duterte administration...

Supporters of Philippine Opposition Leader Leni Robredo Greatly Contributed to Polarization. Here’s How

University of the Philippines, Diliman

Leni Robredo is a Filipino lawyer who became vice president in 2016. She became known as an opposition leader, unafraid to raise criticisms of the Duterte administration. In 2021, Robredo declared...

Democracy in Peril: The Menace of Fake News and Propaganda of the Marcoses on Social Media in the Philippines

University of the Philippines, Diliman

After the People Power Revolution ousted Ferdinand Marcos, the Filipinos vowed that neither the Marcoses nor the tyranny of martial law would ever return to Malacañang Palace. About forty decades...

Authoritarian Digitalization in the Philippines: How the Dutertes Controlled the Filipino Citizenry through Social Media

University of the Philippines, Diliman

The authoritarian landscape is changing, yet the strategies and objectives remain the same in some aspects. Some weak democracies are exhibiting patterns of resurgent or perpetuating democratic...

Philippine Politicians Protect Fugitive Pastor

University of the Philippines, Diliman

Four Filipino senators have signed a written objection against the fugitive pastor Apollo Quiboloy. The said pastor is under investigation and wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on...

Boon and Bane at Once to PH Democracy: The Catholic Church as a Two-Edged Sword

University of the Philippines, Diliman

Despite being known for its role in restoring democracy and its efforts to sustain it, the Catholic Church in the Philippines is regarded by progressives as an obstacle to the country's further...

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