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 Consequences of McCarthy’s Ousting on American Democracy

Nov 20, 2023 | Northeastern University

On January 7th 2023, Representative Kevin McCarthy was elected as the new Speaker of the House of Representatives after a record-breaking 15 rounds of voting. To achieve...

Stealth Authoritarianism being an American Compromise.

Nov 20, 2023 | University of Memphis

The Democratic Erosion Project exist to help shed light on how democracy falls apart and ways to preserve it as the rise of authoritarian states spread across the democratic...

Serbia’s 2020 Parliamentary Election Indicates Democratic Erosion

Nov 30, 2021 | University of Georgia

Since the victory of Aleksander Vučić in Serbia’s 2017 presidential election, democracy in the country has been on the decline. The Freedom House score for Serbia points to erosion of democracy,...

Executive Aggrandizement in Turkey and Its Historical Context

Nov 30, 2021 | University of Georgia

Turkey has a lengthy and turbulent history with democratization. Modern day Turkey was founded on October 29th, 1923, shortly after the end of World War I and the dissolution of the Ottoman empire....

Autocratic Consolidation in China

Nov 30, 2021 | University of Georgia

As the CCP tightens its grip on the Chinese people, what does this mean for the future of China and its freedoms? Introduction ...

Populism: The Result of a Globalized World

Nov 30, 2021 | University of Georgia

It is no question that Western democracies have seen a rise in support for populist parties in the early 21st century. What has been up for debate is why. Since the beginning of the globalization...

Causes of Democratic Erosion in India

Nov 30, 2021 | University of Georgia

Democratic erosion has become a very prevalent issue in India over the past several decades. They went from number 35 on...

The Termination of the CICIG: How Guatemala’s Democracy is in Danger of Falling to Corruption

Nov 30, 2021 | University of Georgia

Guatemala has quickly become new territory for Latin American drug cartels, specifically the Sinaloa drug cartel. These new cartels have begun to have a considerable impact on the freedom within the...

Chavez’s Era Of Stealth Authoritarianism In Venezuela

Nov 30, 2021 | University of Georgia

In 1958, Venezuelans managed to overthrow their dictator and began hosting free and fair elections(https://www.cfr.org/timeline/venezuelas-chavez-era). Venezuela became one of those countries...

The State and Results of the Brexit Movement

Nov 30, 2021 | University of Georgia

Brexit is the political movement in England to split from the European Union, which is an economic and political conciliation. In June of 2016, a vote was held about whether or not the country...

Democratic Erosion in the Czech Republic

Nov 30, 2021 | Georgia State University

Andrej Babiš lost power as a result of the 2021 elections. The former billionaire Prime Minister experienced many challenges during his term and leading up to the election. Is his leadership tied to...