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.

How Algorithms Are Reshaping Political Reality

Democracy is often judged by whether a country holds elections, maintains courts, and allows political competition and debate. Yet in many modern political systems, these institutions continue to exist while their ability to provide meaningful accountability is...

The Yadan Law and Its Potential Harm to Freedom of Expression in France

France’s Assemblée Nationale was set to debate an important bill for freedom of expression on April 16th. Though it was withdrawn before the debate, the government plans to introduce a similar law in June. The bill, dubbed the Yadan Law after its proposer, MP Caroline...

Bulgaria’s Democratic Backsliding and the Upcoming Election

Communist Bulgaria fell in 1989, being replaced by a democratic system with severe economic challenges and deep political reforms. In 2007, Bulgaria joined the EU hoping to strengthen democratic institutions and economic growth. However, Bulgaria still faces lots of...

La Ultraderecha: Is Spain’s Vox an Example of Right-Wing Populism?

Oct 9, 2024 | Brown University

On December 17, 2013, Santiago Abascal established the Spanish political organization Vox, which the New York Times describes as “nationalism at its finest” (Source). The...

Unions and Their Importance in the 2024 U.S. Election

Oct 8, 2024 | Ohio State University

It was inspiring to see a group of people come together to learn more about unions and the important role they play in the United States. Ohio State College Democrats hosted...

Albania: The State Of Corruption

Nov 22, 2020 | Suffolk University

The state of Albania has struggled with corruption for a majority of its modern history. The corruption in Albania has gotten to the point of slowing down the state's democratic growth. The small...

Corrupting the Youth, Destroying the Future

Nov 22, 2020 | Suffolk University

Cyprus is a small country in the Mediteranian with a relatively new Democracy. In the early 1900’s Cyprus was a British colony but it gained independence in 1960. In 1960 Greek and Turkish...

Sunset on the Golden Dawn: The Rise and Fall of Neo-Fascism in Greece

Nov 22, 2020 | Suffolk University

Photo by Massimiliano Donghi on Unsplash Earlier this fall Greek courts handed down rulings that changed its political landscape. The leaders of the Golden Dawn party were convicted...

A Civil Liberty For All?: The Truth About Voter Suppression

Nov 22, 2020 | Suffolk University

Voter turnout has been studied for decades. Demographics of voting and registered voters changes with every election, presidential or not, each vote is counted for a statistic. Now, in saying that,...

Trump and Democratic Backsliding in the United States

Nov 22, 2020 | Northeastern University

President Trump is a major source of democratic backsliding in the U.S.; it is time that he accepts defeat in the 2020 election. “What they’re doing is using COVID to steal an election. They’re...

The Slow Decline of Tunisian Democracy

Nov 22, 2020 | Suffolk University

On December 18th, 2010, a Tunisian street vendor named Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire in response to the confiscation of his wares and the harassment and humiliation inflicted upon him by...

Is the Electoral College Truly a Representation of the United States People?

Nov 22, 2020 | Suffolk University

On November 3rd, the entire United States and other countries looked towards the government, focusing on President Donald Trump and Candidate Joe Biden. Ballot counting, electoral college votes, and...

The Electoral College and Why It Has To Go

Nov 22, 2020 | Suffolk University

On September 17th, 1787, delegates of the Constitutional Convention ratified the United States Constitution, making it the official framework for the United States Government. Though the term...

Democrats vs. Republicans Shouldn’t Be a Sports Match, and Yet…

Nov 22, 2020 | Northeastern University

Donald J. Trump lost his re-election campaign for President of the United States. This is a fact. As of now, former Vice-President Joe Biden has received almost 80 million votes to Trump’s nearly 74...