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.

How Claims of Fraudulent Elections Threaten Trust in American Democracy

May 3, 2023 | University of Utah

Trump supporters at a 'stop the steal' protest in Atlanta, Georgia In the past few years, the United States has experienced unprecedented levels of claims of a fraudulent or...

How Gerrymandering Happens and the Threat it Poses

May 3, 2023 | University of Utah

Gerrymandering is one of the most divisive issues in the United States, and for good reason. In fact, in 2021 CNN reported that voters consider gerrymandering to be biggest...

America’s Two-Party Political System is Leading to Democratic Erosion

Dec 3, 2020 | University of Georgia

The United States of America needs a multi-party for the survival of its democracy, or it will continue its escalation of democratic erosion. The past two presidential elections in 2016 and 2020...

A 21st Century Threat: How Social Media Censorship Is Impacting Democracy in America

Dec 3, 2020 | University of Georgia

From the conception of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, freedom of speech has been a pillar of democracy in the United States. The rise of social media as a source of news information has...

Polarization: Does It Have to End Badly?

Dec 3, 2020 | University of Georgia

The Case of Chile North and south. Black and white. Up and down. Opposites do not always attract, and this is especially true in politics. Polar opposites typically leave no room to budge. Yet when...

Terrorism and Democracy in Burkina Faso

Dec 3, 2020 | University of Georgia

Rising terrorist attacks are continuing to threaten the fledgling Burkinabè democracy. After Burkina Faso overthrew its authoritarian leader Blaise Compaoré in 2014 and elected Roch Marc Christian...

How the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 Strips Filipinos of Their Freedom of Speech

Dec 3, 2020 | University of Georgia

President Rodrigo Duterte and his administration enforce the CPA and continue to arrest and endanger the lives of Filipinos all over a battle of free speech. The freedom of speech is a right that is...

The Aftermath of a Populist Leader in a Democracy

Dec 3, 2020 | University of Georgia

Populist leaders have had great success in democracies around the world throughout the past decade, including in the United States, where Donald Trump had great success in defining himself to his...

Labels Like “Correista” and “Trump Supporter” Increase Polarization Because They Enhance Populist Rhetoric

Dec 3, 2020 | Brown University

Increasing polarization in Ecuador As the Ecuadorian election draws closer, it is unclear who will become the next president. Incumbent President Lenin Moreno will not be seeking reelection, facing...

The Impact of Technology on U.S. Democracy: Beneficial, Harmful, or Neutral?

Dec 2, 2020 | Brown University

Many historic political events that occurred in the United States in 2020, such as the video of George Floyd’s arrest that sparked Black Lives Matter protests, the malfunctioning reporting app at...

The Power and Limitation of Civil Resistance in Uganda

Dec 2, 2020 | Brown University

Civil protests broke out in Uganda after the arrest of Bobi Wine, a 38-year-old singer turned politician, who is challenging the longtime leader President Yoweri Museveni in the presidential...