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.

South Korea’s President Moves Forward with Plan to Fulfill Anti-Feminist Campaign Promises

Dec 17, 2022 | Suffolk University

The Blue House, Home of South Korea's Executive Office - Source: Unsplash The success of Yoon’s appeals to anti-feminism reflects the rise of reactionary gender politics...

A New Far-Right in Israel: The Descent into Authoritarianism in Jerusalem

Dec 17, 2022 | Skidmore College

On November 1st, Israel held parliamentary elections for the fifth time in 3 years. Results are pointing towards another victory of Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party. His...

Virtual Town Hall Meeting on the Battle against COVID – 19

May 5, 2020 | Suffolk University

COVID – 19 has been dominating the news cycle as of late on the national scale, but what efforts are being made locally to combat this virus? Virtual town halls have been the way to go as of late...

COVID-19 through the Eyes of an Employee of a Retirement Community: What We Are Doing

May 5, 2020 | Suffolk University

In a small city of rural New Hampshire, a small retirement community is home to over a hundred senior citizens. As COVID-19 expands across the world, leaving no small town untouched, everyone is...

Is COVID-19 the Savior of Democracy?

May 4, 2020 | Suffolk University

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a future marked by economic deterioration, social unrest, and volatile public health issues, and the United States needs its citizens to become more civically...

Death (of Democracy) by Mainstream Media by Tory Bouchillon

May 4, 2020 | Georgia State University Perimeter College

If there is one thing history teaches us, it is that societies are more vulnerable during a time of crisis. Widespread panic is the quickest way to make people give up their rights voluntarily, and...

“Let My People Go Surfing ”- Social Distancing

May 3, 2020 | Suffolk University

Can Coronavirus Lead to Terrorism in a Consociational Democracy? Case of Lebanon

May 1, 2020 | Bilkent University

For a long time, Lebanon has been synonymous for civil conflicts and sectarian clientelism; Lebanese citizens never had a high level of solidarity and sympathy across their various sects and...

Ramadan and COVID19 – troublesome times for Niger

May 1, 2020 | Georgia State University

Niger had already been grappling with insecurity and poverty, not it has been dealt severe blows stemming by the coronavirus. Primarily, Niger is one of the poorest nations in the world. Many...

Jamaica’s decline in democracy: Who is responsible?

Apr 30, 2020 | Georgia State University

Jamaica’s democracy experienced three declines between 2010 and 2019. Specifically these declines began in 2011, 2015, and 2017. Within each decline Jamaica experienced either: vertical corruption,...

Political Corruption Sparks Civic Engagement in the Dominican Republic

Apr 29, 2020 | Georgia State University

The Dominican Republic is a fairly new democracy, emerging as recently as the late nineties through collaboration between the Christian Reform Party and the Dominican Revolutionary Party. In 1994...