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.

Identity Survival Amongst Democratically Eroded Ethno-Religious Conflicts

When politics between religious governments turn into a contest for identity survival, democracy institutions stop being referees and start becoming weapons.

Poland’s Democratic Decline Was Reversible

In 2015, Poland experienced a significant decrease in democracy. The Law and Justice Party (PiS), under Jaroslaw Kaczyński’s leadership, secured victories in both the presidential and parliamentary elections. In a matter of months, the government acted to diminish the...

Selective Support of the Courts: How Elite Driven Narratives in Brazil Undermine the Courts Perceived Legitimacy

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

Mar 3, 2025 | The University of Alabama

The growing unpopularity for America providing foreign aid to Ukraine during its conflict with Russia signals a troubling shift towards isolationism. The United States, the...

The Trump Administration’s Attack on USAID

Feb 17, 2025 | Boston University

When President Trump campaigned for a second term in office, he promised to cut what he referred to as government waste, fraud and abuse. He tasked Elon Musk, shortly after...

China’s Uyghur Gulag

Dec 15, 2020 | James Madison University

Ethnic Injustice in China The injustice plaguing the Uyghur minority in China is not new, China’s efforts to keep their repressive actions hidden not just within its borders but across the globe...

Palestinians Further Forgotten in The Wake of a Pandemic

Dec 15, 2020 | Georgia State University

Palestine-Gaza, ever presently occupied by Israel, faces rising cases and concerning limits about their healthcare system. The territory, which has seen a sea, land, and air blockade from Israel and...

Amplify All Voices: The Power of Voter Outreach in Marginalized Communities

Dec 15, 2020 | Suffolk University

Marginalized communities are commonly neglected when it comes to having their needs met by legislators. However, these same legislators also ask the members of these communities for their support...

Crisis in Cameroon

Dec 14, 2020 | Georgia State University

#EndAnglophone is the current hashtag dominating Cameroon's Social Media after many killings of both children and civilians throughout the country. Over 3000 people have been killed since 2017, due...

Turkey’s Belligerent Foreign Policy Can’t Be Separated From Domestic Repression

Dec 14, 2020 | University of Georgia

Few political phenomena are as well known as the "Rally Around the Flag" effect. Tragic events or instances of conflict can shift public opinion in favor of ruling authorities. Much of the time,...

Teaming Up to Tear the Constitution Down: Pandemics and Institutional Oppression in the United States

Dec 14, 2020 | Georgia State University

As the United States faces a national reckoning over race relations and gears up for a presidential election this month, Black Americans still encounter systemic barriers to equally exercising their...

“Locking Down and Loaded: The Philippine Government’s Dogmatic Response to Coronavirus”

Dec 14, 2020 | James Madison University

With the coronavirus spreading across the globe, three interrelated issues have challenged President Duterte’s administration. First, the Philippines has had one of the worst Covid-19 outbreaks in...

Alexei Navalny: The Kremlin Treatment

Dec 14, 2020 | Georgia State University

Alexei Navalny is a name not dared to be spoken by sitting president, Vladimir Putin. The opposing force to Putin’s United Party proved to be a force despite many, some partially successful,...

Delay of Elections in Haiti are Contributing to Haitian Democratic Erosion

Dec 14, 2020 | James Madison University

Jovenel Moïse, Haiti’s current head of government, was supposed to hold presidential elections back in October of 2019. They have been continuously postponed. How are Haitians reacting to this and...