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.

Generational Divide: How US Politicians Cater to Seniors, Leaving Younger Voters Behind

May 3, 2023 | University of Utah

The United States is a country with a rapidly aging population. According to the United States Census Bureau, the percentage of the population aged 65 years or older is...

Discussing Gerrymandering in the United States

May 2, 2023 | University of Utah

Many Americans take no note of the redistricting process that takes place every ten years within each state; but I argue that we should be paying close attention....

Kaczyński Causes Decline of Polish Democracy

Dec 1, 2020 | University of Georgia

After the fall of the communist Soviet Union in 1991, Poland was left to be a free country. Poland was at peace with their neighbors and had the opportunity to build a country off of democratic...

Anti-Immigration Rhetoric and Its Threat to Dutch Democracy

Dec 1, 2020 | University of Georgia

Some threats to democratic health might not be as blatant as one might think. Rather they could accompany regular developments such as a country’s immigration status. In recent years the Netherlands...

U.S. Trust on Elections

Dec 1, 2020 | University of Georgia

In the last 20 years, the United States has seen an increasing rise in the lack of trust in election results. Public trust in elections began to erode with the Supreme Court's decision in Gore v....

Aid War: Can Great Power Rivalry Be A Breeding Ground for African Democracy?

Dec 1, 2020 | Brown University

After decades of Cold War-era proxy conflicts between the United States and Soviet Union that ravaged nations across the developing world, an unofficial consensus emerged: Great power rivalries are...

Young Thai Protesters Risk it All for Democracy

Dec 1, 2020 | University of Georgia

Despite the eroding track record of so-called democracies across the globe, many nations are experiencing increased support for pro-democracy movements. Such is the case in Thailand, where a...

Corruption in Mexico Under AMLO

Nov 30, 2020 | University of Georgia

No one likes corruption. If there was one topic every voter, no matter the political ideology, could agree upon it would be their disdain for corruption. So, why is it still around in countries like...

“We Do Not Agree with Offering Congratulations in Advance”: Similarities Between the 2020 American and 2006 Mexican Presidential Elections

Nov 30, 2020 | University of Georgia

A Reluctant Recognition Standing alongside the likes of Vladimir Putin, Jair Bolsonaro, and Kim Jong-Un, Mexican President Andres...

The Power of Perception: Trump’s Lawsuits May Not Have a Legal Basis, but Still Harm Democracy

Nov 30, 2020 | University of Georgia

Election lawsuits are nothing new in the United States, but President Donald Trump’s legal action and refusal to concede are bordering on unprecedented territory. While the legal remedies he seeks,...

4 Authoritarian Tendencies In Just 5 Days: Trump During the Longest Week of 2020

Nov 30, 2020 | University of Chicago

From not conceding the election to calling the election “the greatest fraud in the history of our country” Donald Trump has seemingly gone out of his way to attack the norms and institutions that...