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...

Americans Care About Their Vote: A Student’s Perspective On Poll Working

Jan 11, 2023 | Georgia State University Perimeter College

By: Kimberly Brown Georgia State University With political polarization levels being higher than ever seen, citizens are divided on almost every belief: except voting. The...

What has PiS done to the one-time democratic-front runner, Poland, in the name of Democracy?

Jan 6, 2023 | Sabanci University

Democracy has been specified as the fundamental reason for the long-unseen historical record of the reign of peace. Today, the world is experiencing a major threat to...

Another Chance for Slovakia to Avoid Corruption

May 19, 2020 | Koç University

Image retrieved from https://www.ntv.com.tr/galeri/yasam/ulkelere-gore-maske-gorunumleri,vSK_G2EGakuSNoH9rauA7w Slovakia is facing the issues of corruption until 2018. On 15th of November 2018,...

Rise in Religious Conservatism Drives Polarization in Indonesia

May 15, 2020 | Georgia State University

Islam has always played a pivotal role in Indonesia’s culture, history, and politics. Home to the largest population of Muslims within the world, it is no surprise to see the religion’s imprints...

Lawless and Unjust Media: Poland Under Siege

May 15, 2020 | Georgia State University

Poland’s Law and Justice party has infamously peeled back layers of democracy year by year since their surprise majority win in 2015. Using their control of both houses of the legislative branch,...

Portugal: Corruption Threatens Democracy

May 15, 2020 | Koç University

The concept of corruption is associated with least developed countries, but also in developed countries corruption is widespread. There are several examples of corruption in Portugal which is a...

COVID-19 in Spain: Dark Days Ahead for Sánchez Government?

May 15, 2020 | Koç University

COVID-19 has surrendered the world within a few months. Spain was by no means an exception; furthermore, along with Italy, the country has been experiencing one of the worst cases of the coronavirus...

“Moral Clarity”, Social Identity Theory, and Political Polarization: How Morality Politics Are Used By Populists to Erode Democratic Processes

May 15, 2020 | Rollins College

Many of us in the United States rely on our values to guide our everyday decisions. In addition, morality has always played a role in American politics, and is a key player in many of the social...