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...

The New(er) Order: Subianto’s ties to Authoritarianism

May 1, 2024 | Ursinus College

Indonesia’s next president, Prabowo Subianto, won the recent election backed by current president Joko Widodo, due to his choice of running mate: Widodo’s son, Gibran...

Social Inequality, Polarization, and Jokowi

Apr 30, 2024 | Ursinus College

Indonesia has a complex history of social cleavages which has marked periods of polarization and unity. In recent years, pluralist and Islamic elements across Indonesia have...

Democratic Erosion in the United States

Oct 18, 2021 | University of Georgia

The purpose of this post is to examine Democratic Erosion in the context of the United States, potential strategies to mitigate democratic erosion, and how democratic erosion led to the Capitol Hill...

Tunisia’s Democracy in Turmoil

Oct 18, 2021 | Salem State University

Until very recently, Tunisia was hailed as a model of democratic progress, achieving a Global Freedom Score of 71 out of 100 on the Freedom House indicator (1). Yet, this democratic progress is now...

What Japarov Could Mean for the Future of Kyrgyzstan

Oct 17, 2021 | University of Georgia

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Kyrgyzstan was one heralded as an “island of democracy” in Central Asia. In the previous three decades, the former colony has faced a number of...

Democracy Is Unraveling in Haiti

Oct 16, 2021 | Salem State University

Is the death of Jovenel Moise the last straw in Haiti’s long democratic erosion? Following the assassination of Jovenel Moise and a contentious election fast approaching, democracy in Haiti is...

Polarization and Politics: What’s Next for America

Oct 15, 2021 | University of Georgia

Polarization has become a huge issue in today’s politics and the implications of an “in group” vs “out group” has led to a lot of political drama. There is an increasingly large gap between liberal...

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...