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.

Puerto Rican Statehood

Nov 27, 2022 | Boston University

Since the beginning of territorial rule in Puerto Rico, there have been arguments for and against statehood. Currently, Puerto Rico is under Commonwealth status. This gives...

Midterm 2022 Elections and Beyond: The Impact and Influence of Donations in American Politics

Nov 27, 2022 | Boston University

As most of the Midterm Election races have been decided, it is important to ask how we got here. Left leaning media have given much of the credit of the Democratic party to...

Gerrymandering Takes Part in Eroding Our Country’s Democracy

Mar 21, 2020 | Georgia State University

"Of all times to abandon the Court's duty to declare the law, this was not the one. The practices challenged in these cases imperil our system of government. Part of the Court's role in that system...

How Attacks on Press Freedom in Bulgaria Spell Trouble for Democracy

Mar 19, 2020 | American University

On October 6th, 2018, Bulgarian journalist Viktoria Marinova was found murdered in a park along the Danube. 30-year old Marinova had been a television journalist on Bulgarian channel TVN whose final...

Trumpism and Stealth Authoritarianism in Mexico?

Mar 18, 2020 | Georgia State University

When looking at Mexico's current president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, or AMLO for short, one may confuse him with our current president Donald Trump. Current president AMLO undermines...

Policy and Plagues: Warning Signals for Gay Poland

Mar 18, 2020 | American University

In How Democracies Die, Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt offer a list of warnings. Four red flags that signal when anti-democratic politicians’ behavior has become so dangerous that a bipartisan...

How the Trump Administration is Eroding American Democracy

Mar 17, 2020 | Georgia State University

America has long been thought of by much of the world, and certainly by Americans, as the highest example of liberal democracy, a state governed by its people with overriding emphasis on individual...

The Disappointment of George Weah

Mar 13, 2020 | American University

The 2017 Liberian Presidential election had all the trappings of a major step in the process of democratization, but instead opened a period of democratic decay and tyranny. Since the end of the...

Bernie Sanders: Modern Day Robin Hood

Mar 10, 2020 | Suffolk University

Recently, Bernie Sanders held a rally in the Boston Commons to promote his presidential campaign in which he addressed issues such as affordable housing, healthcare, and childcare. Yet how can the...

Feeling the Bern

Mar 6, 2020 | Suffolk University

Drawing crowds over thirteen thousand people, Bernie Sanders entertained a lot of people. This was very first experience at a rally for a presidential candidate and I will never forget it. I felt...

Are Americans okay with a lack of universal healthcare? The ones that are not are getting out and voting.

Mar 5, 2020 | Suffolk University

A lack of universal healthcare looks different to every American. For some, it means skipping doctor appointments routine check-ups. For others, it means ignoring medical help when its an urgency,...