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.

“Make Spain Great Again”… Sounds Familiar?

Nov 30, 2022 | Suffolk University

Vox leader Santiago Abascal during campaign rally in Seville 2019 | Cristina Quicler/AFP via Getty Images Vox has risen towards becoming Spain’s third strongest political...

How Twitter’s Free Speech Policy for Populists Hurts American Democracy

Nov 29, 2022 | Boston University

On Thursday, October 27, 2022, Elon Musk officially closed his $44 billion deal to purchase the social media site Twitter. In the following weeks, he fired several of...

Death Sentence: Wisconsin’s Democratic Primary Spells Trouble for American Democracy

Apr 8, 2020 | Boston University

As the 2020 Democratic Primary season ramped up, the bloated field of candidates quickly collapsed to two as frontrunners Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders ran away with the race. After Biden’s...

The Latest Battle Over Voting: Vote By Mail

Apr 8, 2020 | Boston University

Earlier in the year and in late 2019, the Republican party in the US has been suppressing voters and voter turnouts through voter roll purges and the passage of voter ID laws. Since then, attempts...

Federal Judges as Trump’s Political Agents: What Does this Mean for the Future of American Democracy?

Apr 8, 2020 | Boston University

The Trump Presidency, over the last three years, has continuously attempted to destroy democratic norms that have existed for much of the country’s existence. Some of these attempts may have already...

Emerging Technology and Eroding Democracy?

Apr 8, 2020 | Utah State University

The rapid expansion of technology has, generally, been viewed as a positive development for global communication. Technological growth is expected to increase public accessibility and help citizens...

A Dangerous Game: Campaigning for The Expansion of Executive Power

Apr 8, 2020 | Utah State University

The United States democracy has been upheld by the Constitution and within it the separation of powers. Those powers were created by the Framers to uphold the Constitution and to bring forth a more...

How Religious Representation Erodes Democracy in Lebanon

Apr 7, 2020 | Utah State University

After decades of sectarian rule, the people of Lebanon have had enough. Since the end of the First World War, and the beginning of the French presence in the country, they have been living in a...

Trump’s Authoritarian Tendencies and its Relation to Covid-19

Apr 7, 2020 | Boston University

With 330,891 current cases of Covid-19, this virus has affected people in every aspect of life from elections to employment. Trump has engaged in various activities that can be considered...

Democracy’s enemy within

Apr 7, 2020 | Rollins College

The Economist August 31st 2019 Democracy’s enemy within Cynicism is gnawing at Western democracies Democracies are generally thought to die at the barrel of a gun, in coups and revolutions. These...

Combatting Cynicism: The Great Threat to American Democracy

Apr 7, 2020 | Rollins College

The United States has always been characterized by optimism and progress, embedded in our unalienable rights to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Unfortunately, negativity has been slowly...