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.

History Repeats: Why Strong Global Defense is Key to Preventing Autocracy

A strong and consistent global defense by democratic nations is crucial to preventing the rise of autocratic regimes, as history shows—from the Cold War doctrines to the failed democratization of Afghanistan—that without committed follow-through and structural reform, authoritarian forces will exploit weaknesses and reclaim power.

Women in Political Dynasties: The Illusion of Choice and Democratic Erosion in the Philippines

Political dynasties have long controlled Philippine politics, with powerful families passing down leadership positions across generations. Despite the imposition of term limits discouraging dynastic rule, these families have found their way around the constitutional...

From Stardom to Senate: The Alarming Trend of Celebrity Politics in the Philippines

The intersection of celebrity and politics in the Philippines is nothing new. The phenomenon of celebrity politicians—actors, athletes, and other public figures who go from the big screen or stage to the corridors of power—has become a defining aspect of the country's...

China in Cambodia: Threat to Regional Stability

Oct 15, 2023 | School of Public Policy, Chiang Mai University

The shrinking of Cambodia’s civic and political space mirrors the elections and authoritarian consolidation of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP). Since 2021, Cambodia’s...

Aspects for Deliberation: Can Democracy Truly Foster Gender Equality and Dismantle Patriarchy’s Structural?

Oct 15, 2023 | School of Public Policy, Chiang Mai University

Introduction Gender equality and the dismantling of the patriarchal system are essential components of social progress. While democracy is often viewed as a system that...

Instability in Kyrgyzstan

Oct 15, 2020 | University of Georgia

In its 29 years of independence, Kyrgyzstan has seen more than its fair share of political turmoil. A former colony of the Russian empire, Kyrgyzstan gained its independence for the first time with...

Forget or Acknowledge? Can Spain Move Forward Without Acknowledging the Past?

Oct 15, 2020 | Brown University

What happens when a military coup fails? A possible answer, a nation can be thrown into civil war. In July 1936 a coalition of the Spanish Military attempted to swiftly overthrow the democratically...

Are Human Rights at Risk? A Deeper Look at Tennessee’s Newly Implemented Anti-Protest Law

Oct 14, 2020 | Northeastern University

Tennesseans have been protesting against systemic racism and police brutality since June, joining other states in demanding justice for George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, two Black Americans killed by...

The Implications of the Increasing Politicization of Science in the U.S.

Oct 14, 2020 | Brown University

As an increasingly broad spectrum of issues start to become topics of partisan debate, it is important to examine the significance and implications of forcing these previously-neutral matters into...

Belarus: The Tale of the Stealthy Autocrat

Oct 14, 2020 | University of Georgia

Stalin. Hitler. Kim Jong-Il. These are all names that easily come to mind when one thinks of a dictatorship. People usually do not associate good things with these names. When someone says...

French Revolution Part II?

Oct 14, 2020 | Northeastern University

Photo above is a statue of Marianne, one of France’s biggest symbols who was considerably damaged during the yellow vest protests in 2018. Photo taken from the Huffington Post. France’s democratic...

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is Openly Whittling Away at Democracy

Oct 14, 2020 | Brown University

Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is no friend to open democracy as exemplified by his interference with the judicial branch, meddling in elections, and his latest authoritarian actions in...

How the Polarizing Two Party System Will Put an Unfit Candidate in Office

Oct 14, 2020 | Northeastern University

The first debate between President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, seemed like it was a shouting match between twelve year olds arguing at the playground. It has come to the point in the...

Ethiopia is Prosecuting the Opposition as the U.S. Turns a Blind Eye

Oct 14, 2020 | Northeastern University

Ethiopia’s democracy has been slowly backsliding. What started as a successful new era for leader Abiy Ahmed with sweeping government reforms and even a Nobel Peace Prize has dissolved into near...