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.

The Erosion of an Already Weak Democracy: The Rise and Fall of Jovenel Moïse

Jovenel Moïse's presidency marked a dangerous shift from Haiti's already shaky democracy to overt authoritarianism. Delayed elections, unchecked abuse of executive power, and violent suppression of resistance became the norm. By the time of his assassination in 2021,...

Undermining the Feedback Loop: How Trump’s Educational Policies Hinder Democratic Accountability

In a larger trend of censoring opinions which the Trump administration views as undesirable, the Trump administration’s actions towards schools and universities has a negative impact on democracy as a whole. Such a system depends on the free transmission of...

Democracy Six Feet Under: How Disinformation is Burying Philippine Democracy Alive

Philippine democracy is in great danger once again now that the two families who benefited the most from disinformation – the Marcoses and Dutertes, are in power and have turned against one another. As both camps sling disinformation against each other, the...

Why the ATF’s Pistol Brace Ruling Hurts

Apr 10, 2023 | University of Utah

On the January 13th, 2023 the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives signed a new rule that could make millions of Americans felons overnight. Rule 2021R-08F...

The Isolation of Successful Immigrants by Isabel Canamary Otoch

Apr 10, 2023 | Rollins College

Why So Many Children of Immigrants Rise to the Top [1] by Peter Coy reflects on the findings of two economists, Professor Abramitzky and Professor Boustan, displayed in...

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...

Targeted Political Ads Aren’t the Only Thing Social Media Uses to Affect Politics

Apr 6, 2020 | Rollins College

A response to “Policing Propaganda.“ The role of social media in politics came to the forefront during the 2016 United States presidential election. Instead of waiting for the headlines and watching...

Social Media Manipulation: The Threat to Democracy and How to Correct it

Apr 6, 2020 | Rollins College

In the Economist article, “Policing Propaganda,” one of the major threats to democracy stems from one of its key supporting agents, the news, or rather through its manipulation, which can alter the...

How digital politics regulation by lawmakers could affect democracy.

Apr 6, 2020 | Rollins College

About a hundred years ago the invention of the telegraph not only facilitated long-distance communication but also did “a lot to clean up politics” as mentioned in the New York Times. It...