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.

Pulling the Alarm: From Washington to Rome, Experts Warn of Rapid Democratic Decline

The United States has long upheld an international reputation as the sword and shield of democracy, championing liberal ideals and warning other nations against the rise of authoritarianism. To such an extent, the U.S. has arguably played the role of a democratic...
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Who are supplying Guns for Haiti’s Escalating Violence?

  Although steps have been taken to restore democracy in Haiti with the appointment of a governing Transitional Presidential Council, violence continues to escalate in the nation’s capital, Port-au-Prince, and surrounding regions.  Therefore, many may ask where...
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Serbia, Serbian Orthodox Church and Twin Tolerations

The relationship between religion and democracy is a complex one, which makes the interaction between religious communities and the state particularly nuanced. At times, churches act as pillars of authoritarian stability; at other times, they become the loudest voices of opposition. The Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) offers a particularly interesting example in this regard—both similar to and distinct from other historical cases of alliance and conflict between altar and state.

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