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.

Food and Democracy: Democracy-building U.S. Aid Program under Threat

Nov 5, 2023 | Arizona State University

In 2021, nearly 4 million people were assisted by the McGovern-Dole Food for Education program including 2.1 million school age children across the entire globe. Going into...

Albania is on a slow authoritarian spiral

Oct 31, 2023 | Salem State University

Former Prime Minister of Albania Sali Berisha and his son-in-law Jamarber Maltezzi are embroiled in corruption scandals. Berisha is charged with money laundering and...

The Opioid Crisis: A Symptom of Systemic Inefficiency

Nov 19, 2021 | Suffolk University

The United States is facing two catastrophic challenges simultaneously, a pandemic, and a forgotten but long-present epidemic, the US opioid crisis. While talk of opioids and overdoses is not new to...

Gerrymandering Threatens Democracy

Nov 17, 2021 | Salem State University

With the midterm elections a year away, battles over redistricting are happening all over the United States, including in Texas. There, Republicans have forged their political agendas through...

Redistricting: Killing Democratic Processes

Nov 9, 2021 | University of Georgia

Redistricting determines the extent of a party’s hold on a state’s political power for an entire decade. Sometimes, the politicians that are responsible for updating the district maps every decade...

America’s Border Crisis vs. Haiti

Nov 6, 2021 | Suffolk University

On various media platforms, there has been videos and photos circulating of Border Patrol agents on horseback clashing with Haitian migrants in Del Rio, Texas on September 19th, 2021. This caused...

Evictions Mean Losing More Than a Home

Oct 25, 2021 | Suffolk University

In the age of Covid-19, evictions are on the rise as many Americans struggle to make ends meet; but Massachusetts housing equality advocates say the eviction crisis goes deeper than housing. On...

Politics Has Become Less Issue-Focused at Every Level of Government

Oct 25, 2021 | Suffolk University

Politics is becoming less about the issues at every level of government. This past presidential election and recent administrations has United States voters up in arms over who implemented what...

Social Media Counts as Political Participation

Oct 24, 2021 | Suffolk University

For most of us, the internet drives our daily lives, and now, that includes our political participation. At any given time, we are a few clicks away from engaging with fellow constituents and...

Canvassing for Boston Mayor Candidate, Michelle Wu, Reveals Alarming Concerns in Expected Turnout Rates

Oct 24, 2021 | Suffolk University

Large percentage of constituents reported not planning on casting their ballot during canvassing 2 weeks prior to Nov. 2nd election day. In the final push to engage with constituents and increasing...

Can’t Get There From Here: Why the People in Charge of Drawing Vermont’s New Electoral Boundaries Are Unlikely To Please Anyone

Oct 24, 2021 | Suffolk University

While many commentators across the nation have called redistricting “the bloodsport of politics”. In Vermont, redistricting has been a relatively placid affair. It serves more as a decennial “finger...