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.

Israel’s Judicial Reforms: A Potential Danger to Democracy?

Israel’s suggested judicial reforms pose a risk to democratic checks and balances by undermining the independence of the judiciary, centralizing executive authority, and potentially weakening democratic principles, similar to what has been observed in countries like Poland.

Arresting Opposition and Squashing Protests: Democratic Backsliding in Turkey Under Erdoğan

Turkey has been inching towards autocracy under Erdoğan and the AKP for the last 22 years.

2025 Romanian Elections: An Election Redo and a Barred Candidate

Only two weeks out from Presidential Elections, Romanian voters face a tough decision in deciding on the next leader of their country. The latest opinion polls show that nearly 40% of voters are still undecided on who to vote for. After all, most voters already cast...

“Vietnam’s Ongoing Battle Against Corruption: Progress, and Challenges”

Oct 12, 2023 | School of Public Policy, Chiang Mai University

Introduction Vietnam introduced the Anti-Corruption Law, which came into effect on July 1, 2019, and forms the basis for the application of the Penal Code in relation to...

Unstable Politics in Myanmar: A Wicked Problem for ASEAN?

Oct 12, 2023 | School of Public Policy, Chiang Mai University

Introduction The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has faced an enormous challenge as a result of the military coup in Myanmar in February 2021. The group has...

A Civil President

Nov 21, 2020 | Suffolk University

It was the afternoon of Saturday November 7th I was walking down the street when I unexpectedly got involved in the most exciting civic engagement of recent days. It was an unusually warm,...

How Mis/Disinformation Plagues Political Protests

Nov 21, 2020 | Suffolk University

Speaking as a teenager in the United States, it is safe to say I spend a lot of my time on social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etcetera. Currently, I have been seeing many...

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...