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.

Is Bangladesh an Exceptional Case of Democratic Backsliding?

Oct 30, 2023 | Arizona State University

The current regime of Bangladesh ruled by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been categorized as an authoritarian regime by the V-Dem Institute, a democracy research...

Malaysia’s Institutional, Socio-cultural, and Foreign Challenges to Democracy

Oct 29, 2023 | Arizona State University

The case of Malaysian politics is a fascinating subject. In 2023, V-Dem considered Malaysia an electoral autocracy, although the report also stated it appears to be...

Are Demagogues the Future of U.S. Democracy?

Oct 15, 2021 | University of Georgia

For anyone who has paid attention to U.S. politics over the past couple years, many blatant instances of democratic erosion have been hard to miss. Democratic erosion or backsliding is essentially...

How Can People Still Believe Trump Lost the Election?

Oct 15, 2021 | University of Georgia

Ever since the election in 2020, one of the common themes throughout conservative media is the “fact” that the election was stolen, and Donald Trump is the rightful president of our...

The Far-Right Returns to Germany

Oct 14, 2021 | University of Georgia

Since World War II, no far-right nationalist movement leaders have held any seats in the German parliament, but this changed during the 2017 German elections. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party...

Democratic Backsliding in Colombia

Oct 14, 2021 | University of Georgia

Colombia’s democracy has been on a decline for quite some time now. Evidence of democratic backsliding can be seen through acts of violence within the state, human rights abuses, and drug...

Potential Polexit: Will It Happen And Does It Risk Worsening Democratic Erosion in Poland?

Oct 14, 2021 | University of Georgia

Setting The Scene Poland is one of the few post-communist states which was able to gain EU membership, but ongoing undemocratic practices within the country may cause Poland to leave the EU. If...

Venezuela’s 2018 Presidential Election Shows Signs of Democratic Backsliding

Oct 14, 2021 | University of Georgia

After the death of Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez in 2013, Nicholás Maduro became the country’s president. While Maduro has been in power, the citizens of Venezuela have been enduring years...

Early Signs of Democratic Backsliding in Relation to the Covid-19 Pandemic

Oct 14, 2021 | University of Georgia

Caleb Cloud Democratic backsliding is best understood as the opposite of democratization or the loss of democratic institutions. This is happening today in countries one would not expect. This can...

Stealth Authoritarianism for Georgia Voters

Oct 14, 2021 | University of Georgia

By Humayra Bramblett When defining democracy, the right to vote can be considered one of its key features. Yet in the past decade, the right to vote has become a privilege rather than an inherent...

Chileans Have Lived Under the Shadow of a Dictator for 40 Years

Oct 14, 2021 | University of Georgia

Now they are changing that by rewriting their constitution In 1973, a military junta lead by General Augusto Pinochet took power in Chile by military force. After 7 years of rule, in 1980, Pinochet...