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.

Artificial Intelligence and Authoritarian Governments

Nov 17, 2023 | Salem State University

It's common knowledge that countries like China, North Korea and Russia restrict internet access to keep ideas out and rebellions in. They will use any excuse to monitor,...

Slovakia’s Decision to Deter Immigrants from Entering the Country and Its Connection to Populism

Nov 15, 2023 | Salem State University

On October 30, 2023, the newly appointed Slovak government deployed police and armed forces to the border it shares with Hungary. This deployment came after Prime Minister...

Organized Crime: A Driving Force of Democratic Erosion in Mexico

Nov 29, 2021 | University of Georgia

Although a democracy on paper, Mexico faces a substantial obstacle that drastically undermines the freeness and fairness of its elections. That obstacle is organized crime, particularly in the form...

The AfD vs. German History

Nov 29, 2021 | University of Utah

Over the last decade we have seen a rise in support for populist parties across Europe. These populist movements represent a very real threat because of their general lack of commitment to...

Mexico’s Democracy, on the Path to Autocratization?

Nov 29, 2021 | Georgia State University

Mexico’s Democracy, on the Path to Autocratization? Gonzalo Meza In 2018, the left-wing candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), from the newly founded National Regeneration Movement,...

From a Standstill to an Eroding Democracy: The Expiration of Guatemala’s Corruption Watchdog Changes the Future of the Democracy

Nov 29, 2021 | Suffolk University

A lifetime of anti-corruption efforts in Guatemala led to the creation of a UN backed anti-corruption agency. How will Guatemala move forward after its expiration and what does this signal?...

Democratic Erosion University Course Student Blog

Donald Trump the Nazi Reincarnate?: Godwin’s Law and How This Phenomenon is Counterproductive to Understanding Democratic Erosion

The Russia-Ukraine War Bodes Poorly for Democracy, But Not in the Way You Think

The Trump Administration’s Attack on USAID

Artificial Intelligence and Authoritarian Governments

Slovakia’s Decision to Deter Immigrants from Entering the Country and Its Connection to Populism

Organized Crime: A Driving Force of Democratic Erosion in Mexico

The AfD vs. German History

Mexico’s Democracy, on the Path to Autocratization?

From a Standstill to an Eroding Democracy: The Expiration of Guatemala’s Corruption Watchdog Changes the Future of the Democracy

Autocratic Consolidation in Cameroon: Focus on the Influence of Constitutional Amendments and the Ambazonia War

All Eyes on Erdoğan: Can Turkish Democracy Survive His Rise to Power?

Gay Rights vs. the Ghanaian Government

Systemic Inequality and American Democracy: Structural Racism in the United States

Corruption and Crisis: How Lebanon’s Autocratic State Is Failing

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