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.

Donald Trump the Nazi Reincarnate?: Godwin’s Law and How This Phenomenon is Counterproductive to Understanding Democratic Erosion

What do we hope to accomplish when comparing President Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler, a tyrannical perpetrator of genocide?

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

The Russia-Ukraine War is a serious threat to global democracy through the growing wave of isolationism in the United States, an entity that has typically been at the forefront of fighting authoritarianism across the world.

The Trump Administration’s Attack on USAID

The Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle USAID, increase concerns about democratic backsliding as it could result in a trend with the executive undermining institutional legitimacy.

Free Speech, Social Media, and Elections: A Factor Analysis

Dec 8, 2022 | Boston University

Context On December 2nd, Elon Musk retweeted a thread which was posted at Musk’s behest by Matt Taibbi, called The “Twitter Files.” The thread details the censorship Twitter...

The Uphill Battle for Democracy in Vietnam

Dec 8, 2022 | Boston University

On June 23rd 2022, Phan Huu Diep Anh, a Facebook user living in Ho Chi Minh City, was sentenced to one and a half years in prison on the charge of “abusing democratic...

Washington Saving Face and Not Its People: The Dismissal of Navy Captain Crozier and Other Cases

Apr 19, 2020 | Suffolk University

Navy Captain Brett Crozier addressing his crew in 2019 As of today, the world continues to be shut down as the entire international community scrambles to fight COVID-19, a fight that has become a...

Joe Kennedy: Middlesex Virtual Town Hall meeting on Zoom

Apr 17, 2020 | Suffolk University

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic all public events have been cancelled. Millions of Americans are now working from home and it hasn’t been...

California’s response to COVID19

Apr 17, 2020 | Suffolk University

There are several levels to which California responded to the crisis. The state, the county, and national guidelines have differed from each other. The President has been trying to go against what...

A Threat to the Integrity of Institutions Is a Threat to Legitimacy

Apr 16, 2020 | Suffolk University

In this modern age, legitimacy faces two major threats. Political authority overreach and cyber attacks are the modern threats to legitimacy. A threat to the integrity of institutions is a threat to...

The Powers of the Imperial Presidency

Apr 15, 2020 | Georgia State University

The current political state of American politics has resulted in an overall concern that our democracy is in crisis. Contemporary concern of an unresponsive political system aimed towards addressing...

Unprecedented Times of the Novel Coronavirus: How’s New Hampshire handling it?

Apr 14, 2020 | Suffolk University

We are all in the midst of unprecedented, uncertain, and worrisome times with the transition to remote learning for high schools and universities, business closures, and the implementation of...

CHILE: This generation is calling for more. Are you listening??

Apr 14, 2020 | Georgia State University

“Education is not for sale” The recent, collected activism of Chile’s dedicated and ambitious students and young adults stands in confident contradiction to the nation’s recently-earned reputation...

Physical Distancing: Virtual Town Halls

Apr 13, 2020 | Suffolk University

Without a doubt, the world is changing. Day by day, hour by hour, and minute by minute there is always something different happening. Social distancing is now the most heard term out there. However,...

The New Era of US Campaigning in Times of Covid-19

Apr 13, 2020 | Suffolk University

Today campaigning is in full swing, and unfortunately, so is COVID-19. Prior to coronavirus, campaigning involved the standard handshake and "baby kissing" as well as usual crowded political...