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.

The supreme immunity: Could it be a stealth authoritarianism?

Oct 15, 2023 | School of Public Policy, Chiang Mai University

An example from Indonesia’s new Article of libel and defamation In the essence of practicing democracy, a fundamental understanding is that it provides a safe space for both...

China in Cambodia: Threat to Regional Stability

Oct 15, 2023 | School of Public Policy, Chiang Mai University

The shrinking of Cambodia’s civic and political space mirrors the elections and authoritarian consolidation of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP). Since 2021, Cambodia’s...

Palestine: No Consolidation Under Occupation

Mar 28, 2021 | Ursinus College

Palestine ranks poorly as a democratic state by both Freedom House and The Economist’s Intelligence Unit. Freedom House does not recognize Palestine as one government, but instead separates the...

Democratic Erosion in the United States: A War Between Two Parties in the 2018 Governor’s Race for Georgia

Mar 26, 2021 | Georgia State University

Around the world, we are seeing a new trend of democratic erosion spring up, especially in the United States. In the 2018 Georgia race for Governor, we saw two versions of Georgia pitted against...

The Leaning Tower of Bosnia

Mar 26, 2021 | Georgia State University

Among the rolling hills and open plains of the Balkans lies a nation, young, and fragile. Bosnia sits, safe, for now, guarded from...

Don’t Trust the Mass Media! Don’t Trust Misinformation! Don’t Trust?

Mar 25, 2021 | Georgia State University

The specter of the mainstream media is worrisome and even more so when hearing about the growing concentration of media under a few corporations[1]. There are also issues of misinformation and...

Myanmar’s Fight for Democracy Won’t End Easily

Mar 25, 2021 | Georgia State University

Myanmar’s military carried out a promissory coup Feb. 1, 2021 ending a brief five year run of democracy that began in 2015. A promissory coup, as described by Nancy Bermeo in On Democratic...

Vladimir Putin, Alexei Navalny, and The Russian State

Mar 25, 2021 | Georgia State University

A headstrong statesman and former KDB operative, Vladimir Putin continues to show unwavering strength in the face of recent political protest in the Russian Federation. Within the first month of...

Facebook’s Gradual Assault on Democracy

Mar 24, 2021 | Georgia State University

Communication and social interactions are critical tools that can either solidify polarization or depolarize democracies at risk. Social relations inherently trickle down into the political...

Is Social Media Expediting Democratic Erosion in the US?

Mar 24, 2021 | Georgia State University

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Myanmar: The Illusion of Change

Mar 23, 2021 | American University

The military coup in Myanmar on February 1st signifies a reversal of liberalization that had slowly been developing in the country since the end of the military dictatorship in 2010. However, the...