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.

Rishi Sunak and the Post-Post-Racial Politics of Identity

Dec 22, 2022 | Skidmore College

Can Britain's trailblazing new prime minister be more than a wolf in sleek clothing? On October 24th, following the historically short-lived reign of Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak...

Democracy and Climate: The United States and COP27

Dec 21, 2022 | Skidmore College

From November 6 to 18, the United Nations is meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt for the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate...

LGBTQ+ Rights in Cuba: A Farce

Oct 14, 2020 | University of Georgia

For the last sixty or so years, Cuba has been portrayed worldwide as an autocratic regime that regularly restricts the movement, speech, and overall rights of its citizens. So why is it in Cuba, an...

Killing in the Name of Giants

Oct 14, 2020 | Northeastern University

Assassinations are tools of the trade for many global actors. Even if not always successful, they can send a strong message to the international community. With Russian opposition leader Alexei...

Pay To Vote: The New Costly Reality for Felons in Florida

Oct 14, 2020 | Northeastern University

What is being called a “modern-day poll tax” has found its way to The Sunshine State. Since the 2018 referendum to grant automatic re-enfranchisement to over a million of their citizens with felony...

Partisan Polarization’s Latest Victim: Mail-in Ballots

Oct 14, 2020 | Northeastern University

Voter suppression is one of the United States’ most shameful yet open secrets. Beyond voter ID laws, voter roll purges, and polling place closures, the right to vote by mail during a pandemic is now...

The “Right” to Vote in the South

Oct 14, 2020 | Northeastern University

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about unprecedented changes in the world, leaving the right to vote in the United States under siege. One of the pandemic’s most significant impacts will be on the...

A Crisis of Legitimacy for Democracy in Mali

Oct 14, 2020 | Northeastern University

Malian democracy is facing a crisis of legitimacy. Or perhaps, more accurately, Mali is no longer a democracy but it faced a crisis of legitimacy - before the recent coup. The question remains if...

The Trump Presidency: An Incremental Retrogression Towards Authoritarianism

Oct 14, 2020 | Brown University

On September 23, 2020, Donald Trump refused to commit to a peaceful transition of power in the event that he loses the 2020 election to Democratic nominee Joe Biden. The Trump Presidency has been...

The Criminalization of Dissent: Alarming Signs of Democratic Backsliding in Hong Kong

Oct 14, 2020 | Brown University

A subtle revision to official media guidelines has caused an outcry over the state of democracy in Hong Kong. On Wednesday September 23rd, the Hong Kong police force announced their decision to...

Democratic Breakdown Turns Violent in Venezuela

Oct 14, 2020 | University of Georgia

The sweeping reforms of Hugo Chávez not only initiated democratic breakdown within Venezuela, but also signaled a rise in opposition against the increasingly authoritarian regime that remains...