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.

Arresting Opposition and Squashing Protests: Democratic Backsliding in Turkey Under Erdoğan

Turkey has been inching towards autocracy under Erdoğan and the AKP for the last 22 years.

2025 Romanian Elections: An Election Redo and a Barred Candidate

Only two weeks out from Presidential Elections, Romanian voters face a tough decision in deciding on the next leader of their country. The latest opinion polls show that nearly 40% of voters are still undecided on who to vote for. After all, most voters already cast...

Why Protecting American Democracy Means Coming Together In Protest

In the lead up to the 2020 presidential election, the Democratic Erosion Consortium's very own professors Robert Blair and Steven Rosenzweig wrote an article in The Boston Globe urging readers to “Get ready to protest like democracy depends on it.” The article was in...

A New Far-Right in Israel: The Descent into Authoritarianism in Jerusalem

Dec 17, 2022 | Skidmore College

On November 1st, Israel held parliamentary elections for the fifth time in 3 years. Results are pointing towards another victory of Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party. His...

6 Arrows: Does Modern Turkey Still Follow the Ideology of Ataturk?

Dec 16, 2022 | Suffolk University

Kemalism, also Ataturkism, is the ideology of Turkish nationalism put forward by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. It is still considered to be the official ideology of the Republic of...

Minority Parties Win Power, Not Inclusion, in Lithuania

Mar 30, 2020 | American University

In 2016, the populist Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (LVŽS) took center stage in Lithuanian politics after unexpectedly winning a plurality in the legislative Seimas (Navickas 2017). The...

Gerrymandering – Democratic erosion from the bottom up?

Mar 29, 2020 | Georgia State University

Last summer, the supreme court refused to strike down the practice of partisan gerrymandering. While it is widely considered one of the least democratic aspects of the United States, it is also one...

What Happens When Freedom Erodes?

Mar 28, 2020 | Georgia State University

What Happens When Freedom Erodes? The issue of democracy in the United States has been very much debated. The issues has gained significant popularity during the current presidential...

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Reshuffle Is Step Away From Democracy

Mar 27, 2020 | American University

The recent resignation of Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and the ensuring political turmoil in Malaysia is a step backwards for the country’s democracy. Indeed, initial indicators are...

The Self-Preservation Society

Mar 27, 2020 | Rollins College

Intolerant India

Mar 26, 2020 | Rollins College

Policing Propaganda

Mar 26, 2020 | Rollins College

Democracy Enemy Within

Mar 26, 2020 | Rollins College

US Voter ID Laws: Democratic or Discriminatory?

Mar 24, 2020 | Georgia State University

Within the past decade states across the US have increasingly pushed for voter ID laws in an attempt to minimize voter fraud. This seems optimal, however voter fraud has not been proven to be a...