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.

These blogs reflect the views of the student authors, and not those of the Democratic Erosion Consortium.

History Repeats: Why Strong Global Defense is Key to Preventing Autocracy

A strong and consistent global defense by democratic nations is crucial to preventing the rise of autocratic regimes, as history shows—from the Cold War doctrines to the failed democratization of Afghanistan—that without committed follow-through and structural reform, authoritarian forces will exploit weaknesses and reclaim power.

Women in Political Dynasties: The Illusion of Choice and Democratic Erosion in the Philippines

Political dynasties have long controlled Philippine politics, with powerful families passing down leadership positions across generations. Despite the imposition of term limits discouraging dynastic rule, these families have found their way around the constitutional...

From Stardom to Senate: The Alarming Trend of Celebrity Politics in the Philippines

The intersection of celebrity and politics in the Philippines is nothing new. The phenomenon of celebrity politicians—actors, athletes, and other public figures who go from the big screen or stage to the corridors of power—has become a defining aspect of the country's...

What the Removal of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy means for American Democracy

Oct 16, 2023 | Boston University

Despite once being hailed as a pillar of democracy and freedom, democracy in the United States has been under threat for a while. Political circumstances threaten American...

Is Guatemala’s Democratic Backsliding Reaching a Tipping Point?

Oct 16, 2023 | Boston University

There is great fear that Guatemala’s democracy is weakening beyond the point of return. Amid election fraud, Guatemala has turned into a country of chaos. The protests are...

The Paradox of Trump’s Middle Class Supporters

Oct 23, 2020 | University of Chicago

In his 1959 book “Some Social Requisites of Democracy,” American sociologist and democratic theorist Seymour Lipset advanced a model of what made certain democracies stable and others unstable. He...

Even Justice Under Law

Oct 23, 2020 | University of Chicago

After the passing of Justice Scalia in 2016, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that the Senate would not consider any nomination until a new president was elected. Democrats were...

Packing the Court and the Future of Voting Rights in the U.S.

Oct 22, 2020 | University of Chicago

On Monday, the Supreme Court split four to four in a decision on whether Pennsylvania absentee ballots received up to three days after election day could be counted, allowing...

COVID-19 and the Serbian Case

Oct 22, 2020 | University of Chicago

“One of the great ironies of how democracies die is that the very defense of democracy is often used as a pretext for its subversion.” This line from Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt’s book How...

Will Ukraine’s President Zelenskiy Learn From His Predecessors?

Oct 22, 2020 | University of Chicago

The Ukrainian people have been through a lot. According to a 2019 Pew Poll, 81% of Ukrainians see a fair judicial system as one of the most important priorities, nevertheless, promises of judicial...

Political Polarization and the American Democracy

Oct 22, 2020 | University of Chicago

In the United States, the people want democracy. In fact, recent work by the Pew Research Center finds that "while Americans generally agree on democratic ideals and values [...] they see the...

The Youth Vote, or Lack Thereof

Oct 22, 2020 | Suffolk University

My first experience with our democratic system was the 2012 Presidential Election. Though only ten or eleven at the time, and not having a single clue what was going on, I very distinctly remember...

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:...