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.

These blogs reflect the views of the student authors, and not those of the Democratic Erosion Consortium.

First 100 Days, More Like First 100 Hours: How Trump’s First 100 Days Played Out Against Trump’s Second 100 Hours

Indiana Senator Jim Banks, a staunch Trump ally, predicted that President Trump’s return to power would be characterized by “shock and awe.” In many ways, the events of President Trump’s first 100 hours in office during his second term have lived up to that promise....

History Repeats: Why Strong Global Defense is Key to Preventing Autocracy

A strong and consistent global defense by democratic nations is crucial to preventing the rise of autocratic regimes, as history shows—from the Cold War doctrines to the failed democratization of Afghanistan—that without committed follow-through and structural reform, authoritarian forces will exploit weaknesses and reclaim power.

Women in Political Dynasties: The Illusion of Choice and Democratic Erosion in the Philippines

Political dynasties have long controlled Philippine politics, with powerful families passing down leadership positions across generations. Despite the imposition of term limits discouraging dynastic rule, these families have found their way around the constitutional...

Expanded Inclusion, Weakened Representation: The Partylist System Decline and Philippine Democratic Erosion

May 24, 2024 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

The Philippine partylist system in 2024, based on current composition alone, is a far cry from its incarnation in the late 1990s and early 2000s. In place of having...

The Pink Movement: Restoring or Polarizing Democracy in the Philippines?

May 23, 2024 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

Antecedent to Leni Robredo’s declaration of her presidential candidacy in the 2022 Philippine elections, a vibrant pink becomes a beacon of hope initiating a people-led...

South Africa: A Return to the Apartheid-era Polarization

Dec 2, 2021 | Georgia State University

South Africa–A Return to the Apartheid-era Polarization? Polarization becomes detrimental to democracy when it divides the people into two mutually distrustful parties. Suppose the process of...

Faux Populist?: The Case of Álvaro Uribe Vélez

Dec 2, 2021 | Georgia State University

Álvaro Uribe Vélez was the president of the Republic of Colombia from 2002-2010. Prior to and during his time as president, Colombia was engaged in a civil war between the government and several...

Kyrgyzstan Faces Protests Over Recent Parliamentary Election

Dec 1, 2021 | University of Georgia

On the tail of Kyrgyzstan’s fourth election this year, President Sadyr Japarov seems to have finally secured an allied parliament but this apparent victory hasn’t come without opposition. After a...

Fake News and Democracy: How Are They Related?

Dec 1, 2021 | University of Georgia

The Idea of fake news and misinformation has been a historic problem for the United States of America. Although there are obvious differences between the Orson Welles’ case of Martians invading the...

Ethiopia’s Civil War Rages Ever On

Dec 1, 2021 | Salem State University

Ethiopia is descending further into chaos as citizens of Tigrayan descent are being forced into detention centers. To identify them, the police are relying on surnames, driver's licenses,...

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...