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.

Ongoing Tensions and Ceasefire Efforts in the Israel-Palestine Conflict

Oct 10, 2023 | School of Public Policy, Chiang Mai University

Fire and smoke rise following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City.Credit: Fatima Shbair/AP Recent Condition in the Israel-Palestine Conflict As the conflict between Israel and...

Courts and Populism in Poland: Guardians of Democracy or Reinforcing the Status Quo?

Oct 5, 2023 | School of Public Policy, Chiang Mai University

In recent years, populism has surged onto the global political stage, becoming a formidable political force (Guttieri, 2019). It draws its strength from its appeal to the...

Niger’s Upcoming Election Cycle: Falling Back on Old Authoritarian Habits

Dec 18, 2020 | Georgia State University

Niger’s general elections are quickly approaching. Scheduled for December 27th, the elections will decide who replaces presidential incumbent Mahamadou Issoufou of the Nigerien Party for Democracy...

Did COVID-19 Rescue American Democracy?

Dec 17, 2020 | Sabanci University

American democracy is in a state of democratic decline. Once rated 93 by Freedom House’s Freedom in the World index in 2013, the U.S.’s score dropped to 86 by 2019 (Repucci 2020). This regression...

Deep-Rooted Social Cleavages Present a Threat to Nepali Democracy

Dec 16, 2020 | James Madison University

Deep social cleavages polarize society into antagonistic identity groups. These groups have become so deeply rooted that politicians are appealing to the base group. Citizens usually vote for...

Fighting for Democracy: Thailand Protests in 2020

Dec 16, 2020 | James Madison University

Throughout 2020, Thailand has experienced mass protests over the dissatisfaction with the monarch and constitution. Many of these protestors include demands for the monarch of the resignation of the...

Georgia’s Representation Problem: Will This Democratic Success Story Soon Crumble?

Dec 16, 2020 | James Madison University

Georgia is heralded by the European Union as one of the successes of democratic transition among the post-Soviet states during the late 20th century, but is this success overestimated? Not only has...

Democracy for the Indigenous People of Chile

Dec 16, 2020 | James Madison University

The Mapuche Indians were once one of the biggest indigenous groups in South America. Today, there are around 1 million Mapuche people living in Chile, and a smaller amount in Argentina. They...

Not So Fast: Student-Led Protests Stop Coup in its Tracks

Dec 16, 2020 | Northeastern University

On Monday, November 9th, Peruvian congress voted to impeach President Martín Vizcarra and remove him from office. Congress accused Vizcarra of accepting bribes from companies during his time as...

Femicides in Mexico: The War on Women

Dec 15, 2020 | James Madison University

What is a Femicide? The intentional murder of women, because they are women.- The World Health Organization I do not want them to kill me According to an official report, at least 10 women are...

China’s Uyghur Gulag

Dec 15, 2020 | James Madison University

Ethnic Injustice in China The injustice plaguing the Uyghur minority in China is not new, China’s efforts to keep their repressive actions hidden not just within its borders but across the globe...