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.

First 100 Days, More Like First 100 Hours: How Trump’s First 100 Days Played Out Against Trump’s Second 100 Hours

Indiana Senator Jim Banks, a staunch Trump ally, predicted that President Trump’s return to power would be characterized by “shock and awe.” In many ways, the events of President Trump’s first 100 hours in office during his second term have lived up to that promise....

History Repeats: Why Strong Global Defense is Key to Preventing Autocracy

A strong and consistent global defense by democratic nations is crucial to preventing the rise of autocratic regimes, as history shows—from the Cold War doctrines to the failed democratization of Afghanistan—that without committed follow-through and structural reform, authoritarian forces will exploit weaknesses and reclaim power.

Women in Political Dynasties: The Illusion of Choice and Democratic Erosion in the Philippines

Political dynasties have long controlled Philippine politics, with powerful families passing down leadership positions across generations. Despite the imposition of term limits discouraging dynastic rule, these families have found their way around the constitutional...

Discussing Gerrymandering in the United States

May 2, 2023 | University of Utah

Many Americans take no note of the redistricting process that takes place every ten years within each state; but I argue that we should be paying close attention....

Brazil: Democratic Erosion and State-Sponsored Political Violence

May 2, 2023 | University of Utah

Researchers posit that increases in certain types of political violence can encourage democratic erosion. Indeed, the analysis of one research study concludes that...

Campaigning in the time of coronavirus

Apr 12, 2020 | Suffolk University

Because of the global pandemic of COVID-19, everything has changed. Now people have to practice physical distancing and stay at home if you are not an essential worker. With this big change, a lot...

Is Maine Doing Enough?

Apr 12, 2020 | Suffolk University

April 9th, the Maine CDC held a live-streamed briefing about the virus, and the steps they will continue to take to ensure the virus is controlled. As of Wednesday, April 8th, there are now 537...

Killingly Board of Education relies on technology for meetings

Apr 12, 2020 | Suffolk University

On April 8th, 2020, the Killingly Board of Education members met over Zoom to discuss certain items on their agenda. Certain points include the transition to remote online learning and an update,...

Every Vote Counts: Unless You’re a Minority

Apr 12, 2020 | Georgia State University

Voter suppression tactics have been used in elections for decades but has been widely ignored until recently. Why did it take the outcome of the 2016 election to bring light to the subject and why...

Security Lapse or Security Breach: The latest on the list of struggles for Israeli voters

Apr 12, 2020 | Georgia State University

Imagine if your social security card was posted online. Now, imagine every citizen’s social security number, address, and phone number were posted online. This also occurs only a few weeks before...

Felon Disenfranchisement and the Right to Vote

Apr 12, 2020 | Georgia State University

In 2018, 1.4 million people were granted the ability to vote. Florida passed legislation to restore voting rights, and people all over the United States deemed this to be a step towards a stronger...

Can holding politicians and lawmakers accountable help in the fight against Human Trafficking?

Apr 12, 2020 | Suffolk University

With slavery being abolished in 1865, one would think that there are no slaves in the United States in the 21st Century. However, this is a misconception held by many. Human trafficking is a modern...

The Downfalls of Gate-keeping: What Bernie Sanders Dropping out of the election says about the Pitfalls of American Democracy

Apr 12, 2020 | Boston University

Trump’s tumultuous election in 2016 left half of the country shell shocked. However, the election was not as abnormal as it was originally depicted as but rather the result of years of two party...

The Politicization of The US Judicial System Empowers Authoritarianism

Apr 12, 2020 | Georgia State University

When the Founding Fathers created the U.S. government, they wanted to remove the chance of a tyrannical king ever taking hold of the government. An important stopgap from this...