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.

Recommendations for Addressing Yemen’s Challenges

Oct 12, 2023 | School of Public Policy, Chiang Mai University

Introduction Yemen has undergone substantial economic, political, and social developments during the last four decades. Notably, there were uprisings in North Yemen in...

“Vietnam’s Ongoing Battle Against Corruption: Progress, and Challenges”

Oct 12, 2023 | School of Public Policy, Chiang Mai University

Introduction Vietnam introduced the Anti-Corruption Law, which came into effect on July 1, 2019, and forms the basis for the application of the Penal Code in relation to...

How the Sandinistas Lost Their Faith

Mar 5, 2021 | American University

Photo by Libertinus Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega has incrementally consolidated power through the FSLN (Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional), virtually making it his personal party. At...

What the Rise of the NSDAP Can Tell Us About Golden Dawn

Mar 5, 2021 | American University

Photo via Counter Extremism Project Golden Dawn was a political party in Greece that used racism, economic anxiety and fascist propaganda to rise in Greece. The question is, how did Golden Dawn grow...

Who Is Guarding the Gate? Donald Trump and Who May Follow

Mar 5, 2021 | American University

It is no secret that a fundamental shift has occurred in the Republican Party platform since Donald Trump announced his candidacy six years ago. His omnipresence has had effects at every level of...

White Supremacists Are the Best Stealth Authoritarians

Mar 1, 2021 | Northeastern University

The insurrection at the capitol and Trump’s second acquittal are proof that white supremacists are the best stealth authoritarians [1]. Their attempted coup is a clear example that our political...

Democratic Erosion in India: A Case Study

Feb 5, 2021 | Koç University

INDIA’S DEMOCRATIC BACKGROUND India’s experience with democracy dates back to 1947 when it gained independence from British colonial rule.[1]It declared itself a democratic state by adopting its...

Do President Moon’s Policies Point to the Abolition of The National Security Law ?

Jan 19, 2021 | Koç University

After the World War II, Korean peninsula occupied by the two superpowers. The United States occupied the South side of the country, and the USSR occupied the North side of the country. After...

WhatsApp Drives a Double-Edged Sword Through Nigerian Democracy

Jan 19, 2021 | Brown University

Social media and democracy often share a love-hate relationship in the Global South. In many cases, the blessing of free communication arrives alongside an infectious misinformation curse. In...

After Mahathir Mohamad’s Resignation, Is Malaysia Returning to the Old Political Strategy? Has the ‘Pro-Democracy’ Movement Ended?

Jan 16, 2021 | Koç University

Photo by Chris Jung/NurPhoto via Getty Images In 2018, the opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan (The Pact of Hope) won the elections for the first time in Malaysia's political history. However,...

Bolivia & Morales

Jan 16, 2021 | Koç University

Bolivia is multi-ethnic, multi-linguistic and has many religions. It has a tough land locked geography and has had a turbulent colonial past. It’s name comes from a popular Latin American hero of...