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.

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...

Strong Parental Guidance?: How Film Censorship in the Philippines Affects Democracy

While cinema is often dismissed as mere entertainment, censoring it poses significant threats to information accessibility and, by extension, to democracy.

Checking The Vitals Of Philippine Democracy: Symptoms Of Fatigue Or Frustration?

Are Filipinos truly experiencing democracy fatigue, or are they simply frustrated with a system
that caged their role to the ballot box?

Bolivian Opposition Leader Fernando Camacho’s Arrest Exemplifies Bolivia’s Polarization

May 3, 2023 | University of Utah

On December 28, 2023, prominent Bolivian right-wing opposition leader Fernando Camacho was arrested in the city of Santa Cruz on terrorism charges. Camacho’s arrest...

Japan, The United States, and Democracy: A Push into Modernization

May 3, 2023 | University of Utah

Democracy is what the United States prides itself on and the very base of every political decision, using it as justification for foreign affairs like Afghanistan,...

Tale of the Tape: Catalonia vs. Spain

Apr 29, 2020 | Georgia State University

In 1978, the death of the execrable dictator Francisco Franco left Spain at a crossroads: either embrace ethnolinguistic regionalism and form several independent states or unite under a common flag....

Was the Election Petition in Ghana a Blessing in Disguise?

Apr 28, 2020 | Georgia State University

For this analytical blog, an assessment of the election petition that took place during Ghana’s Presidential election in 2012 can provide a glimpse into the country’s transition to establishing a...

Consequences of Political Corruption in Bolivia

Apr 28, 2020 | Georgia State University

My blog post is based on how the Bolivia Crisis demonstrated aspects of democratic backsliding. After reading the article by Anria and Roberts (2019), the crisis in Bolivia stems from the...

What Happens After an Autocrat Dies? Legacies of The Country Once A Democracy

Apr 28, 2020 | Bilkent University

As the democracies around the world started to take a regressive turn, the academic literature and policy agenda of many pay more attention to the subject of de-democratization. As more and more...

Fight Fire with Fire? – Hostage Diplomacy between the US and Iran

Apr 28, 2020 | Bilkent University

Coronavirus pandemic had impacted our daily lives as well as the international relations today. The impact of the pandemic, the fueling of democratic backsliding in certain liberal and electoral...

Some Monsters are Created by Good Will: How can South Korea’s Digital Surveillance Contribute Democratic Backsliding Overseas?

Apr 28, 2020 | Bilkent University

South Korea’s fight against the Covid-19 turns out to be worrisome! Not for being ineffective in combating the virus, but for a different story that I would like to tell. As a part of the fight...

Democratic Erosion University Course Student Blog

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

Strong Parental Guidance?: How Film Censorship in the Philippines Affects Democracy

Checking The Vitals Of Philippine Democracy: Symptoms Of Fatigue Or Frustration?

Bolivian Opposition Leader Fernando Camacho’s Arrest Exemplifies Bolivia’s Polarization

Japan, The United States, and Democracy: A Push into Modernization

Tale of the Tape: Catalonia vs. Spain

Was the Election Petition in Ghana a Blessing in Disguise?

Consequences of Political Corruption in Bolivia

What Happens After an Autocrat Dies? Legacies of The Country Once A Democracy

Fight Fire with Fire? – Hostage Diplomacy between the US and Iran

Some Monsters are Created by Good Will: How can South Korea’s Digital Surveillance Contribute Democratic Backsliding Overseas?

The Ill Fate of Nicaragua

Social media as a tool to shape the government policies during the Covid-19 pandemic

What the Pandemic can’t change: Turkey’s enduring crackdown on media

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