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.

The Erosion of an Already Weak Democracy: The Rise and Fall of Jovenel Moïse

Jovenel Moïse's presidency marked a dangerous shift from Haiti's already shaky democracy to overt authoritarianism. Delayed elections, unchecked abuse of executive power, and violent suppression of resistance became the norm. By the time of his assassination in 2021,...

Undermining the Feedback Loop: How Trump’s Educational Policies Hinder Democratic Accountability

In a larger trend of censoring opinions which the Trump administration views as undesirable, the Trump administration’s actions towards schools and universities has a negative impact on democracy as a whole. Such a system depends on the free transmission of...

Democracy Six Feet Under: How Disinformation is Burying Philippine Democracy Alive

Philippine democracy is in great danger once again now that the two families who benefited the most from disinformation – the Marcoses and Dutertes, are in power and have turned against one another. As both camps sling disinformation against each other, the...

Gender inequality decline the Democracy in India

Oct 23, 2023 | School of Public Policy, Chiang Mai University

Democracy is not merely a form of government but also a way of life, an order of society, a way of social and economic relations, and above all, a belief system (Saikia...

Democracy Backsliding and Myanmar Migrants in Thailand

Oct 23, 2023 | School of Public Policy, Chiang Mai University

Myanmar experience long lasting civil war and many people escape to the neighboring countries to find safety life and seek to refuges. According to the International Labor...

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...

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...