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.

Is There Any Hope Left for Belarus? 2020 Election Protests in “the Last Dictatorship in Europe”

Jan 6, 2023 | Sabanci University

Following the 2020 presidential election results in favor of Lukashenko, Belarusians move to the streets demanding free and fair elections and democracy. However, this...

Turkey’s New “Media Disinformation Law” is a Threat to democracy

Jan 5, 2023 | Sabanci University

Turkey has recently enacted a new law on media disinformation, which has sparked widespread concern and criticism from human rights organizations, media freedom advocates,...

Executive Aggrandizement in the Time of COVID-19

Oct 23, 2020 | University of Chicago

Since the start of 2020, the COVID-19 virus has rapidly enveloped the world, creating crises across nations. For many governments, crises offer the perfect environment for aspiring autocrats to...

Revolutions in Belarus: A New Strategy for Fighting New Authoritarians?

Oct 23, 2020 | University of Chicago

On August 8, 2020, Belarusians flocked to the polls to vote in their most contested presidential election since 1994. Going into the election, the incumbent, Alexander Lukashenka received a torrent...

Polarization in the Media

Oct 23, 2020 | University of Chicago

Many US citizens currently live in the era of slanted media. Citizens question the legitimacy of the US government and opposing parties, and this has caused the quality of democracy to decline. The...

International Trade: The Looming Executive

Oct 23, 2020 | University of Chicago

In 2016, the election of Donald Trump heralded in an age of unprecedented domestic anxiety. The electorate was bitterly divided between the perception of the president as the downfall and the savior...

Why Gerrymandering Is a Danger to American Democracy

Oct 23, 2020 | University of Chicago

On June 27, 2019, the US Supreme Court gave its ruling on two significant cases called Lamone v. Benisek and Rucho v. Common Cause. The reason why I am linking these two Supreme Court cases together...

Interference at the Ballot Box: Why Voter Suppression Isn’t Just a Swing State Problem

Oct 23, 2020 | University of Chicago

News stories on voter suppression have been a common sight during this election cycle. In early October, Texas governor Greg Abbott (R) ordered that each county will have only one ballot drop box...

Tipping the Scales: The Judicial System as an Inadequate Safeguard Against Democratic Erosion

Oct 23, 2020 | University of Chicago

All eyes are on Amy Coney Barrett and Congress this week as the Senate prepares to confirm a Supreme Court justice just days before the election. This would be the third Trump SCOTUS nominee to...

“Court-Packing” and Saving American Democracy

Oct 23, 2020 | University of Chicago

On December 21, 2018, news organizations ran abuzz with a bomb report — Ruth Bader Ginsburg had been re-diagnosed with cancer. The BBC published this headline: Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Liberal America...

Threats to the Judiciary in the United States: Looking Beyond the Executive

Oct 23, 2020 | University of Chicago

Despite not having grown up in the US, for virtually all my life I’ve heard about the robustness of American democracy, including –...