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.

COVID-19: A Pandemic of Misinformation

Apr 25, 2023 | University of Utah

The COVID-19 pandemic was not only a pandemic of a virus, but also a pandemic of misinformation and disinformation. During the year 2020, it was not uncommon to log onto...

A Defamation Lawsuit Against Fox News and What That Means Moving Forward

Apr 24, 2023 | University of Utah

Dominion Voting Systems has created a court filing in a lawsuit against Fox News under a defamation claim regarding the 2020 presidential election. The lawsuit, which was...

Political Awareness Post-Election

Nov 21, 2020 | Suffolk University

Following election day, it is fair to say anxiety levels were high. As my friend and I spent hours glued to the television, we watched history write itself as voter turnout soared and swing states...

Young Voters and Division: What Should America Be Worrying About?

Nov 20, 2020 | Suffolk University

Young voters around the country have faced unprecedented circumstances in voting during a historic election. As many students continue their lives from behind a computer screen, Suffolk University...

Donald Trump: The Best Worst President in Democratic History

Nov 20, 2020 | Suffolk University

Throughout the past four years, the Trump Administration has been among the most confusing cases of revolving doors and executive disorder in the history of the United States. Before this, the...

Suburban White Women, Polarization, and Democratic Erosion

Nov 20, 2020 | University of Chicago

It has long been established that party polarization can contribute to democratic erosion. As Steven Levitsky and Deniel Ziblatt have pointed out, when extremists emerge as serious electoral...

The Political Dismay That Entangles Around the Nation’s Main Political Parties

Nov 19, 2020 | Suffolk University

The date of November 3rd, 2020 has been anticipated to come for over four years now due to the uprile and the call from the masses to urge citizens and voters to vote for what they believe to be a...

Connecting the Dots Between Duterte and Trump

Nov 19, 2020 | University of Chicago

Many countries have experienced leanings and developments suggesting democratic erosion, backsliding, and general shifts towards authoritarianism in the past decade, despite a global trend towards...

Is the Longevity of the American Two-Party System in Question?

Nov 19, 2020 | University of Chicago

What does it mean to be a Republican or Democrat in 2020? What did it mean in 2016, or in 2012? How has the meaning changed between the last three presidential elections? Debate over the two party...

Jammu and Kashmir as an Example of Extreme Populism in India

Nov 19, 2020 | University of Chicago

In 2014, Narendra Modi ran as the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and won the position of Prime Minister. The major theme of the BJP is Hindutva, which is an ideology that seeks to...

Organized Crime and Stealth Authoritarianism in Albania

Nov 19, 2020 | University of Chicago

Like many European nations that have seen the erosion of democratic norms and institutions, Albania faces a majority party that has curtailed media independence and horizontal...