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.

Trump, Narrative, and Public Perception: How to Erode Democratic Guardrails

Apr 11, 2023 | Rollins College

Narrative is reality and the recent arraignment of President Trump shows just how powerful populists' use of it can be. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)...

Drilling into Democracy: How the Willow Project Exposes US Democratic Erosion

Apr 11, 2023 | Rollins College

Despite widespread concern about climate change and environmental degradation, President Biden’s approval of the Willow Project in Alaska has alarmed young people and...

3 Reasons Why the Media Needs To Act as a “Gatekeeper” To Protect America’s Democracy

Nov 18, 2020 | University of Chicago

Although Trump was narrowly defeated in the most recent elections, his presidency in the past four years has raised an important question about who is supposed to be the guardians of democracy....

Post-Trump: Doubt and Democracy

Nov 18, 2020 | University of Chicago

In recent weeks, President Trump lost re-election and subsequently refused to concede. He claimed he won and levied unsubstantiated accusations that the election was stolen. Against this backdrop,...

Unintentional Propaganda: How Flagging Fake News Might Help Demagogues

Nov 18, 2020 | University of Chicago

There is growing research on how belief in false information can damage democracy by promoting dangerous demagogues. As a response, companies like Facebook and Twitter have been creating new tools...

Compounding Crises Threaten Democracy in Peru

Nov 18, 2020 | University of Chicago

Peru’s interim president Francisco Sagasti finds himself surrounded by peril – a fragmented congress in which half the legislators are under investigation for alleged crimes, a series of deadly...

Is Donald Trump Actually a Populist?

Nov 18, 2020 | University of Chicago

In some academic literature regarding the definition of populism, a politician like Bernie Sanders could never be considered a populist. These scholars argue that modern day, right wing populism is...

How Trump Has Set the Stage for Democratic Erosion through the Supreme Court

Nov 18, 2020 | University of Chicago

President Trump has left a legacy that is more impactful than several presidents. However, this might not necessarily be due to his demagogic rhetoric or political blunders, but because of the...

Fostering Distrust: The Corrosive Nature of Trump’s Widespread Accusations of Voter Fraud

Nov 18, 2020 | University of Chicago

When Joe Biden was announced the President-elect of the United States, sitting President Donald Trump promptly filed multiple lawsuits in states regarding how elections were held and how ballots...

Can “Executive Aggrandizement” Come from the Legislative Branch? Peru Says Yes.

Nov 18, 2020 | University of Chicago

Peru has a history of morally dubious and corrupt politicians, in fact “the past five presidents, who together governed for 33 years, have each been investigated or jailed for corruption.” But this...

The US – An Unequal Democracy

Nov 18, 2020 | University of Chicago

In 2018, Barack Obama said, “We’re the only advanced democracy that deliberately discourages people from voting.” This is incredibly problematic and unfortunately incredibly true. Political...