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.

The End of an Era: It May be Time to Let Twitter Go

Dec 17, 2022 | Skidmore College

Elon Musk has started to run Twitter into the ground. He has laid off about half of the company’s full-time employees, caused chaos after making blue check mark...

Winter Is Coming, But We Are Already in a Cold Civil War

Dec 17, 2022 | Skidmore College

Since the recent polarization of American political life, voter suppression and anti-democratic sentiments have been on the forefront of a war against democracy. America is...

Lawless and Unjust Media: Poland Under Siege

May 15, 2020 | Georgia State University

Poland’s Law and Justice party has infamously peeled back layers of democracy year by year since their surprise majority win in 2015. Using their control of both houses of the legislative branch,...

Portugal: Corruption Threatens Democracy

May 15, 2020 | Koç University

The concept of corruption is associated with least developed countries, but also in developed countries corruption is widespread. There are several examples of corruption in Portugal which is a...

COVID-19 in Spain: Dark Days Ahead for Sánchez Government?

May 15, 2020 | Koç University

COVID-19 has surrendered the world within a few months. Spain was by no means an exception; furthermore, along with Italy, the country has been experiencing one of the worst cases of the coronavirus...

“Moral Clarity”, Social Identity Theory, and Political Polarization: How Morality Politics Are Used By Populists to Erode Democratic Processes

May 15, 2020 | Rollins College

Many of us in the United States rely on our values to guide our everyday decisions. In addition, morality has always played a role in American politics, and is a key player in many of the social...

Democratic Erosion University Course Student Blog

Donald Trump the Nazi Reincarnate?: Godwin’s Law and How This Phenomenon is Counterproductive to Understanding Democratic Erosion

The Russia-Ukraine War Bodes Poorly for Democracy, But Not in the Way You Think

The Trump Administration’s Attack on USAID

The End of an Era: It May be Time to Let Twitter Go

Winter Is Coming, But We Are Already in a Cold Civil War

Lawless and Unjust Media: Poland Under Siege

Portugal: Corruption Threatens Democracy

COVID-19 in Spain: Dark Days Ahead for Sánchez Government?

“Moral Clarity”, Social Identity Theory, and Political Polarization: How Morality Politics Are Used By Populists to Erode Democratic Processes

Belgians, Belgium Citizens and the Others…

South Korea’s Democratic Facade

Democratic Erosion in Romania

¡Juntos haremos historia!: The Case of AMLO and Mexican Populism

Is Argentina’s Democracy in Danger?

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