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.

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...

Strong Parental Guidance?: How Film Censorship in the Philippines Affects Democracy

While cinema is often dismissed as mere entertainment, censoring it poses significant threats to information accessibility and, by extension, to democracy.

When Democracy Erodes, LGBTQ+ Rights Are the First to Suffer

May 1, 2025 | Tulane University

When democratic norms break down, the most vulnerable communities suffer first, and most deeply. In the United States, recent political shifts have exposed just how fragile...

The Ruling Family: How Political Dynasties Are Destroying Democracy in the Philippines

May 1, 2025 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

Same names, same problems. In every Philippine election, the same names dominate the ballots—Marcos, Duterte, Tolentino, Tulfo, Cayetano, Villar, and Revilla. Over 70% of...

America Demoted to a “Flawed Democracy”

Feb 14, 2025 | Boston University

No longer the "Shining City Upon a Hill" as President Reagan proudly claimed in his parting note in 1989, the U.S. has been demoted from a "full democracy" to a "flawed democracy" - an indictment of...

Erosion of Democratic Norm in Trump’s America

Feb 14, 2025 | Boston University

The United States has long been perceived as the emblem of democracy, a perspective championed by millions of Americans. However, a closer examination of the Trump administration's agenda reveals...

Democratic Erosion in Japan: A Silent Crisis

Feb 14, 2025 | Boston University

Japan is often praised as a stable democracy; however, a closer look at its political and economic landscape reveals troubling signs of democratic backsliding. From prolonged economic stagnation and...

The Foreshadowing of Elon: What DOGE Says About the Trump Administration

Feb 14, 2025 | Boston University

So far, the return of the Trump administration has been a flurry of activity with over 60 executive orders ranging in subject matter from immigration reform to climate change to renaming the Gulf of...

Attempted Coup in South Korea! Thwarted?

Feb 14, 2025 | Brown University

Abstract: South Korea faced an attempted coup in December by President Yoon Suk Yeol with the enactment of martial law. Fortunately the South Korean National Assembly and opposition party were able...

Javier Milei’s “War on Diversity” and Role In Argentina’s Democratic Erosion

Feb 14, 2025 | Boston University

Argentinian president Javier Milei's recent so called "War on Diversity" has sparked mass protest, with the result being thousands taking to the streets. This comes as a response to his...

India’s Democratic Crisis

Feb 14, 2025 | Boston University

Being named the world’s largest democracy with over 1.4 billion people in population size, its democratic nature is seemingly dying a slow death. The gradual decline of India’s democracy through...

The Illusion of Democracy: The Clash Between Capitalist Interests and the Promise of Equality in American Politics

Feb 14, 2025 | Boston University

Cyrus Sadr Professor Steven Rosenzweig Democratic Erosion 2/8/25 The Illusion of Democracy: The Clash Between Capitalist Interests and the Promise of Equality in American Politics When examined...

Egypt’s Path Towards Authoritarianism

Feb 14, 2025 | Boston University

There has been growing international interest in the case of Alaa Abd El Fattah, an Egyptian political prisoner whose sentence was arbitrarily extended by two years in September of 2024. As an...