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 2025 Belarus Presidential Election: Another Rigged Vote Under Lukashenko

Feb 12, 2025 | Boston University

On January 26, 2025, Belarus once again went through the steps of a presidential election, but the outcome was never in doubt. According to The Guardian, Alexander...

Pushing out the Opposition: How President Trump is Unraveling the Democratic System from Within

Feb 11, 2025 | Boston University

On Monday, January 25th, President Trump was sworn into office for the second time, and he has been very busy since then. His controversial candidacy and, ultimately, his...

Cutting the Head Doesn’t Kill the Snake: Bolsonaro’s Autocratic Legacy

Jun 25, 2024 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

Authoritarianism is already a menace in the history of the world; however, the recent wave of autocratization has allowed for the birth of a different type of monster that is harder to...

Nayib Bukele is the Rodrigo Duterte of Latin America. He just won a second term.

Jun 25, 2024 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

by Julian Matthew Formadero and Lance Carlo Mendoza In May 2016, with 16 million votes, the Philippines elected Rodrigo Duterte as its 16th president. The foul-mouthed former mayor of Davao, who was...

The Spring Before the Fall: Civil Society and Resistance in Myanmar

Jun 24, 2024 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

Myanmar has been experiencing a turbulent phase in its political and social strata brought about by the Burmese Spring Revolution, a “wave of resistance” after the country’s military coup in 2021....

Sword of Justice or Shield for Criminality? Navigating Anti-Corruption in India’s Democracy

Jun 24, 2024 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

Political power, a vital yet oftentimes insidious force, corrupts even the most representative of political parties. However, democratic institutions are our greatest arsenal against this...

Thailand after “Thaksinocracy”: Treading through tenacious turmoil of Thai politics post-Thaksin

Jun 21, 2024 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

Divide and conquer – it is the ultimate strategy to bring downfall to a rather mighty opponent. Empires past have fallen to the same tactic; facing their ruin fragmented, alienated, and apart from...

UniTeam Division: Marcos-Duterte Fallout and Its Democratic Ramifications

Jun 20, 2024 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

"Uniteam has formally been dissolved and she has just become the leader of the opposition… Harry Roque, former spokesperson for Rodrigo Duterte, on Sara’s resignation from Marcos Cabinet. Rifts in...

Navigating The Polarization of Female Political Representation in the Philippines

Jun 18, 2024 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

Unequal gender representation has always been apparent in Philippine politics. Being predominantly Catholic, the Philippine electorate has historically sided with conservative...

Election Denialism: A Comparison of American and Brazilian Tendencies in Public Trust Scandals, Misinformation, and Political Violence

Jun 5, 2024 | Arizona State University

American and Brazilian politics are intimately interconnected, and as a result have comparably similar social trends with misinformation, public trust, and violent tendencies. Following the 2020...

UniTeam Alliance Break-Up: Political Rifts between Marcos and Duterte

Jun 2, 2024 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

In the Philippines, the late 2010s and early 2020s is a pivotal stage, to say the least, in terms of political mobility, activism, and administrative competencies. The Rodrigo Duterte administration...