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.

Japan: Its Democracy and Freedom of Expression

Jan 5, 2023 | Sabanci University

It is described that the freedom of expression, one of the indispensable elements to remain the nation democratic, in Japan has gradually restricted. Especially in recent...

Serbia: A case of Competitive Authoritarianism

Jan 5, 2023 | Sabanci University

Serbia: A case of Competitive Authoritarianism After the fall of Milosevic in 2000, democratization process started in Serbia. Along with institutional reforms and...

The Election of Yoshihide Suga: Gatekeeping in Japan

Oct 21, 2020 | University of Chicago

During the chaotic year of 2020, many Americans can be forgiven for missing a recent transition of power in Japan, but it represents a worrying case of democratic erosion with lessons for our own...

The Promises and Perils of Judicial Reform

Oct 21, 2020 | Williams College

Since 2015, Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party has engaged in a systematic effort to remake their courts in the name of unrooting corruption and promoting the people's interest. Many countries...

Political Circuses in the U.S. and Mexico: Avoiding the Coronavirus Pandemic and Embracing Democratic Erosion

Oct 20, 2020 | Williams College

Headline stories such as President Trump banning TikTok in the U.S. and President Andrés Manual Lopéz Obrador commenting on high profile Mexican elites’ scandals have taken over the media and these...

Catalonia and Madrid: Has Democracy Prevailed?

Oct 20, 2020 | Williams College

Under what circumstances does a region have a right to secede from its nation? To what degree can a nation democratically go to keep its regions from seceding? Spain and its famous region to the...

Rise of CyberSecurity Challenges Due to Covid

Oct 20, 2020 | Suffolk University

Early this year around April, I noticed that I was receiving a lot more spam mail than usual. I also received calls from unknown numbers more frequently, as well as scam applications for various...

Progressive Federalism in Practice: State Attorneys General As Safeguards Against Executive Aggrandizement

Oct 20, 2020 | Williams College

“Trump gets powerful new rival in Letitia James,” proclaimed one headline. “The thorn in Trump's side,” said another, soon after New York Attorney General Letitia James took office in 2019. Almost...

“Democratic” Elections in Cameroon

Oct 20, 2020 | Williams College

What does it mean when everyone already knows the results of an election months, or even years, before it occurs? The citizens of Cameroon, a country in Central Africa, expect the...

Partisanship: A Threat to American Judicial Independence

Oct 20, 2020 | Williams College

It is no secret to pro-democracy advocates and authoritarian rulers alike that an independent judiciary is a fundamental protection against authoritarian regression. Indeed, an independent judiciary...

American Exceptionalism or An Eroding Election?: Destructive Voting Procedures in the United States

Oct 20, 2020 | Williams College

During a Virtual Roundtable on Voting and Electoral Manipulation that occurred on Friday, September 25th, democratic erosion experts pointed to the unfortunate fact that voters in the United States...