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.

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...

Why Protecting American Democracy Means Coming Together In Protest

In the lead up to the 2020 presidential election, the Democratic Erosion Consortium's very own professors Robert Blair and Steven Rosenzweig wrote an article in The Boston Globe urging readers to “Get ready to protest like democracy depends on it.” The article was in...

Plan B: The Erosion of the Mexican Electoral System

May 1, 2023 | University of Utah

Last February, Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) received massive criticism for recently approved electoral reforms that seek to undermine Mexico’s most...

Voters Behind Bars: How Felon Disenfranchisement Weakens American Democracy

Apr 30, 2023 | University of Utah

The disenfranchisement of felons is paving the way for America’s democratic backsliding. Repealing these undemocratic laws will help to reinvigorate the American...

Election Manipulation Threatens U.S Democracy

Oct 22, 2020 | Brown University

One month before Election Day, Republican Governor Greg Abbott issued two executive orders altering the newfound role of Texas as a swing state in the 2020 federal elections. First, he restricted...

Political Violence, Donald Trump, and the Alt-Right

Oct 22, 2020 | University of Chicago

By introducing the threat of violence through his refusal to condemn violent Alt-Right groups such as the Proud Boys, Donald Trump is undermining a fundamental norm behind the US electoral system:...

The Presence of Sub-National Stealth Authoritarianism in a Democratic Stronghold

Oct 22, 2020 | University of Chicago

As the election season comes into full swing, Trump and the GOP, have become noticeably worried about the outcome of this election year – especially as the means of voting has become more...

When Democratization Becomes an Important but Dangerous Endeavor

Oct 21, 2020 | Brown University

On April 2nd 2018, Dr. Abiy Ahmed became the 4th Prime Minister of Ethiopia in the midst of growing protests. His inauguration speech sparked a sense of joy and optimism about the future of...

Black Lives Matter: How a Modern Civil Rights Movement Became a Symbol of American Democracy

Oct 21, 2020 | Suffolk University

The year of 2020 has been nothing short of long, strange and tumultuous. Americans have been dodging punches from all corners of the ring and are undoubtedly tired. One of the most sorrowful and...

Democratic Erosion at the State Level: Felony Disenfranchisement in Florida

Oct 21, 2020 | University of Chicago

Two years ago, I voted for the first time. I’m from Florida, so I was particularly interested in voting for the ratification of Amendment Four of the state constitution. It called for the...

Is Thailand Experiencing Democratic Erosion?

Oct 21, 2020 | University of Chicago

On October 15, when escalating protests led to thousands of demonstrators gathering publicly on the anniversary of a student-led uprising against a military dictatorship, Prime Minister Prayut...

Black Lives Matter: The Good, the Bad, the Powerful

Oct 21, 2020 | Suffolk University

Photo credit: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/23/us/teens-protest-black-lives-matter.html The Black Lives Matter movement has once again gained some serious momentum this past summer with the...

Has Social Media Become Not Only Incompatible With Democracy, but the Main Culprit Behind Its Demise?

Oct 21, 2020 | Williams College

The technology and social media that we are seeing today have made it more possible for coordinated and uncoordinated state actors to influence the minds of individuals to a greater degree, with...