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 US Populace and Bureaucracy: A Surprisingly Positive View

Apr 11, 2023 | Rollins College

Bureaucracy, what many consider the fourth branch of the United States government, is not typically viewed as popular among Americans. Indeed, in her book, The Politics of...

The Future of Labor: Immigration or Automation?

Apr 11, 2023 | Rollins College

An article titled "People Over Robots (The Global Economy Needs Immigration Before Automation)," [1] written by Lant Pritchett and published in the March/April 2023 issue of...

How the Trump Base Represents the Danger that Populism Continues To Pose to American Democracy

Nov 18, 2020 | University of Chicago

On November 7th, 4 days after Election Day, Joe Biden was projected to have defeated President Donald Trump and declared to be the 46th President of the United States by all major news sources,...

Media Independence? Lessons From Putin

Nov 18, 2020 | University of Chicago

The 2020 election has brought to light the vast extent of misinformation, doubt of the validity of electoral outcomes, and divisions on even the role of facts within the United States media coverage...

Georgia: Unintended Runoff Consequences

Nov 18, 2020 | University of Chicago

The two Georgia runoff elections for senate positions are key events contributing to the ongoing democratic erosion going on in the United States with regards to the discrediting of the national...

Abolish the Electoral College

Nov 18, 2020 | University of Chicago

For the seventh time out of the last eight presidential elections, the Democratic Party has once again managed to win the popular vote but, despite these repeated victories, they have only won five...

Conspiracy and Right-Wing Populism: The Lasting Threat QAnon Poses to U.S. Democracy

Nov 18, 2020 | University of Chicago

Since the presidential election, QAnon followers have been forced to reckon with an identity crisis. “Q” failed to post for over a week after the election, and in that time questions about his...

Big Tech and Misinformation: How Increased Government Regulation of the Industry Can Safeguard Democracy

Nov 18, 2020 | University of Chicago

Despite their pivotal function as distributors of news, politics, and commentary to millions of users, technology companies have recently faced increased scrutiny and criticism for promoting...

Inaction Leading to Erosion

Nov 18, 2020 | University of Chicago

The European Migration Context Since September 2015, Open Arms -a Barcelona-based NGO working in the Mediterranean- has rescued 61.058 people that would have otherwise drowned in...

The Subtle (But Dangerous) Demagogues of Thailand

Nov 18, 2020 | University of Chicago

In Thai politics, hostility is not a good look. Trump-style demagoguery of directly bashing opponents can almost never be found among political leaders in Thailand. However, that does not mean that...

Media Influence on American Politics

Nov 18, 2020 | University of Chicago

As the aftermath of the presidential election continues to unfold, many citizens both in the United States and abroad are nervous about the fate of the American democracy. Trump’s refusal to accept...