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.

These are student blog posts written by student participants in the Democratic Erosion Course. These posts were not written by nor represent the views of the Democratic Erosion Consortium.

Trump’s Press Ban and The Courts Response

Access to unbarred media is fundamental to maintaining the integrity of a democratic country. Without independent media, the stream of information to voters is disrupted making people's understanding of their political environment inaccurate. If the media...

Trump’s Use of the SAVE Database May Threaten Democratic Participation

On Friday, September 25th, the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to make use of the Department of Homeland Security's Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database to screen state voter lists for possible noncitizens temporarily. The...

The Press and the Limits of Presidential Power

On September 25, 2026, The Atlantic published Quinta Jurecic’s article, “The Two-Year Temper Tantrum to Come,” about President Donald Trump’s recent fight with the White House press. Just one day earlier, a federal judge had ordered the White House to restore access...

Authoritarianism in Singapore: Challenging Narratives of a Benevolent British Empire

May 14, 2025 | James Madison University

Britons are feeling nostalgic for empire. In response to a 2019 YouGov survey asking Britons to indicate whether countries that were formerly colonized by Britain were...

Has Kuwait Abandoned What’s Left of Its Democracy?

May 13, 2025 | James Madison University

Kuwait's Emir has recently dissolved the country's parliament citing corruption and the parliament's poor performance as his reasoning. While this is not unprecedented in...

North Macedonia: A Nation Haunted by the Shadow of Gruevski

Jan 17, 2022 | Koç University

Despite the ousting of the corrupt Gruevski, North Macedonia’s successor has been just a change of the guard, further kicking the nation’s accession into the EU down the road North Macedonia for the...

Victory of Populism: Belarus

Jan 17, 2022 | Koç University

Although populism, whose word originates from Latin, has become one of the most used concepts in today's politics, Cambridge Dictionary declared populism the word of the year in 2017. In addition to...

Politics of Emotion and Populist Nostalgia in Brazil

Jan 16, 2022 | Koç University

Democracy is facing serious challenges. Authoritarian politicians are gaining more power and the democratic indicators are declining in various parts of the world, showing certain patterns in...

Spain: A Totalitarian Foothold in Europe Again

Jan 9, 2022 | Koç University

Spain insists that the Francoist era is long gone and buried. Despite the broad recognition of the harm endured under the nacional-sindicalista, Spain is again haunted by the shadow of...

How Did Covid-19 Strengthen the Anti-Immigrant Ideology in Italy?

Jan 9, 2022 | Koç University

Italy has been one of the countries that heavily suffered from the impacts of Covid-19. The serious consequences of this deadly disease were not only felt in the health sector, Italy’s economy...

Senegal’s Heart Beats in Jail: Ousmane Sonko

Jan 7, 2022 | Koç University

Senegal was shaken by the most violent protests in its recent history at the beginning of March. After the arrest of Ousmane Sonko, a member of parliament and major opposition leader, the protests...

The Effects of COVID-19 on the Democratic Backslide in The Philippines

Jan 6, 2022 | Koç University

The detrimental effects of COVID-19 have been prevalent globally however, it is also observed to be contributing to the continuing democratic backslide in the Philippines. Through the guise of...

The Most Polarized Chilean General Elections: Will Democratic Backsliding Be Halted by Gabriel Boric Winning in 2021?

Jan 5, 2022 | Koç University

On November 21, 2021, Chile conducted general elections, which included presidential, parliamentary, and regional elections. The general elections were conducted in the midst of a democratic...

Political Crisis Ascended After Interim President of Bolivia Jeanine Ánez Got Arrested

Jan 5, 2022 | Koç University

Jeanine Ánez, the interim president after Evo Morales' resignation in 2019, was arrested in Bolivia. She is charged with "terrorism" and "incitement to riot" in the investigation of “Coup...