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.

Show Us, Don’t Tell Us: Poll Working and How It Can Increase the Gen-Z Vote

Jan 20, 2023 | Georgia State University Perimeter College

In the 2022 Midterms, young voters nationally had the second highest turnout in history with 27% of people 18-27 showing up to the polls. Some ask for the reason of the...

Supporting the Workforce of Democracy

Jan 14, 2023 | Georgia State University Perimeter College

In the US, we have a large and organized workforce that otherwise goes unnoticed during the elections. The workers on election day are composed of volunteers and government...

As a Nation, We Must Reexamine and Reimagine Our Conceptions of Democracy and Justice

Oct 24, 2020 | University of Chicago

The America of today is ready to change her conceptions of Democracy and Justice for the future, but she must be cognizant of her history and equipped for the path ahead. The truth of the matter is...

Presidential Debates, Legitimate Opposition, and Democratic Erosion in the U.S.

Oct 24, 2020 | University of Chicago

Masks off. Insults exchanged. Microphones muted. The events of this year’s presidential debates have grabbed a significant portion of the US presidential election news cycle, with controversies,...

USPS Crisis as a Case of Stealth Authoritarianism

Oct 24, 2020 | University of Chicago

In the 2016 U.S Presidential election, approximately 33 million voters cast their ballots by mail, which accounted for one quarter of all ballots cast. With the COVID-19 pandemic, an unprecedented...

Wisconsin: A State Reflective of the United States’ Eroding Democracy

Oct 24, 2020 | University of Chicago

On April 7th, 2020, states all around the nation watched as the implosion of Wisconsin’s government occurred as there was a tug of war between a conservative state Supreme Court and a democratic...

The Issue With Court Packing

Oct 24, 2020 | University of Chicago

Since the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Congress and indeed the rest of the country has been grappling with how we should proceed in filling the late justice’s seat. The Republican and...

Authoritarianism vs. USPS

Oct 24, 2020 | University of Chicago

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has offered essential services to the people of the United States for more than 240 years. Among these services include the secure delivery of absentee...

Rewriting the Russian Constitution: A Lesson in Stealth or Overt Authoritarianism?

Oct 24, 2020 | University of Chicago

In late June of 2020 the Russian government held a nation-wide plebiscite on a series of constitutional amendments proposed earlier this year by President Vladimir Putin. Among a myriad of changes...

Does a Summer of Political Violence Spell Authoritarianism for the US?

Oct 23, 2020 | University of Chicago

In How Democracies Die, Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt outline parameters which serve as warning signs regarding the erosion of democracy, one of them being the “toleration or encouragement of...

Does This Florida Legal Battle Spell the End of American Democracy?

Oct 23, 2020 | University of Chicago

On September 11th 2020, a federal court of appeals decided that Florida’s former convicts must pay all court fines before they can vote. This blunted the effect of Amendment 4, which passed in 2018,...