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.

Arresting Opposition and Squashing Protests: Democratic Backsliding in Turkey Under Erdoğan

Turkey has been inching towards autocracy under Erdoğan and the AKP for the last 22 years.

2025 Romanian Elections: An Election Redo and a Barred Candidate

Only two weeks out from Presidential Elections, Romanian voters face a tough decision in deciding on the next leader of their country. The latest opinion polls show that nearly 40% of voters are still undecided on who to vote for. After all, most voters already cast...

Why Protecting American Democracy Means Coming Together In Protest

In the lead up to the 2020 presidential election, the Democratic Erosion Consortium's very own professors Robert Blair and Steven Rosenzweig wrote an article in The Boston Globe urging readers to “Get ready to protest like democracy depends on it.” The article was in...

Florida’s Censorship of History Puts Their Democracy at Risk

Apr 4, 2023 | University of Utah

Discomfort is a vital tool used in change. People learning about history that makes them uncomfortable forces them to understand the importance of their actions and keeps...

Show Us, Don’t Tell Us: Poll Working and How It Can Increase the Gen-Z Vote

Jan 20, 2023 | Georgia State University Perimeter College

In the 2022 Midterms, young voters nationally had the second highest turnout in history with 27% of people 18-27 showing up to the polls. Some ask for the reason of the...

The Curse of the Weimar Republic

Jul 31, 2020 | University of California, Davis

World War II is regarded as the deadliest war in history, showing the abominable consequences of totalitarian regimes and establishing global tensions that still exist today. The war ended more than...

Grappling with the Legacy of Evo Morales and the Future of Bolivian Democracy

Jun 9, 2020 | Arizona State University

On November 10, 2019, facing claims of election fraud and demands from the country’s military for his resignation, Bolivian President Evo Morales stepped down, after almost 14 years at the head of...

Mexico Streets on Covid-19 Days

Jun 8, 2020 | Koç University

Mexican people have been facing the abuse of power by Military and Police Brutality for many years. They have more than one reason to be sensitive about the disproportianate use of force. While the...

Senegal: Aid or Electoral Benefit?

May 29, 2020 | Koç University

Source: Le Quotiden Senegalese government initiated a nationwide food aid campaign under President Macky Sall to help citizens against COVID-19's implications. There were controversies directed to...

Rising Populist Parties in Finland: Immigration, Crime & Economy

May 29, 2020 | Koç University

Finland has always been a country that is referred to as an example of a healthy, stable, and functioning democracy. But in the last decade, there is a rise in the support for the far-right parties...

Disinformation in Democracies: Why Colombia’s Experience is a Dire Warning for the United States

May 28, 2020 | Arizona State University

Disinformation is everywhere, originates from anywhere, and threatens everyone. From Hillary Clinton’s “pizzagate”during the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election to 5G radio towers spreading the...

Anti-LGBT+ Attitude of PiS Government in Poland

May 28, 2020 | Koç University

A lot of emphasis has been made on the anti-democratic agenda of the Law and Justice Party (PiS) government in Poland [1]. Head of Poland Supreme Court says the country is moving towards an...

Romania’s Response To COVID-19 Pandemic

May 28, 2020 | Koç University

As the coronavirus pandemic spreads, many countries have taken up dramatic measures to contain the spread of the virus. The extent of these measures and the executive power granted to the leaders...

Kirchnerismo and Beyond: Politicization of Mothers and Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo

May 28, 2020 | Koç University

“We are children of the Mothers and Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo. And this is why we insist on permanently supporting the strengthening of the international system for the protection of human...