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.

The Danger of Political Disinformation Within the United States

Nov 21, 2023 | University of Memphis

Political Disinformation is one of the greatest threats facing the United States today. It not only...

Here is One Turkey That Needs to be Saved This Thanksgiving

Nov 20, 2023 | University of Memphis

Recep Erdogan has just won his third consecutive term as Turkey's president, so what does this mean for Turkey's democracy? What was once a thriving example of a steady...

Democracy in Bolivia with and without Morales: A Comparison

Dec 1, 2021 | University of Georgia

The health of Bolivia’s democracy has fluctuated since the country’s transition to this structure of government in 1982. Ethnic inequality, economic strife, and conflicts surrounding natural...

India: Democracy Will Not Die

Dec 1, 2021 | University of Georgia

For the past 15 years, democracy has been on the decline around the world. The Covid-19 pandemic only exacerbated existing issues as authoritarian leaders used the economic and physical insecurity...

Brazil’s Major Threat to Democracy: President Bolsonaro

Dec 1, 2021 | University of Georgia

Brazil is the fifth largest democracy in the world, it is also currently one of the most fragile. While President Jair Bolsonaro often claims to defend “democracy”, contradictorily, he has put...

Increased Polarization Can Lead to Increased Election Violence

Dec 1, 2021 | University of Georgia

Election violence has in large part existed for some time, but with the present rise in election violence in democracies, scholars are trying to understand why election violence occurs, how to...

What’s the Deal with Gerrymandering?

Dec 1, 2021 | University of Georgia

What is it? Gerrymandering is the practice of drawing the boundary of an electoral district strategically so that it benefits one political party over another. Gerrymandering was coined after...

Weaponization of Migration

Dec 1, 2021 | University of Georgia

Migrants seeking asylum in the EU are currently stuck in Belarus and facing multiple human rights abuses. The Belarusian government invites these migrants who are often from worn-torn and...

Election Integrity Act or Jim Crow of 2021?

Nov 30, 2021 | University of Georgia

Earlier this year, Georgia passed Senate Bill 202, more commonly known as The Election Integrity Act of 2021. While this bill was praised by conservatives as being a crucial step in resecuring an...

Growing Consensus that the United States Is Experiencing Democratic Backsliding

Nov 30, 2021 | University of Georgia

By Dan Doss The United States has long stood as the global bastion of democracy. It is considered by many as one of the oldest democracies in the world, if not the oldest. It spends 2 billion...

The Beginning of the End for Free American Media?

Nov 30, 2021 | University of Georgia

For 25 years, one of the greatest protections of free speech survived within a law largely created to limit free speech on the Internet. Three years after the Internet became public, the...