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.

Precursors to Democratic Erosion in Mali

Nov 26, 2022 | Boston University

Beginning with French occupation in the late 19th century, Mali has had a long history of...

The Far-Right Goes Mainstream: France’s National Rally in Parliament

Nov 25, 2022 | Boston University

The National Rally (RN), France’s far-right party, gained a record high of 89 seats in the lower house of Parliament in France’s June 2022 elections. The party’s gains...

Are Boris Johnson’s Actions Surrounding Brexit a Cause for Worry?

Feb 12, 2020 | Boston University

An attack on the freedom of the press and can easily be seen as an attack on democracy. Of the many key features of truly democratic countries, freedom of the press is often viewed as essential. In...

Democratic Erosion in India: The World’s Largest Democracy No More?

Feb 12, 2020 | Boston University

India is considered by most to be the world’s largest democracy with a voting population of about 900 million people; however, since the election of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister in 2014, there...

Wilted Democratization in the Persian Gulf: Iraq

Feb 12, 2020 | Boston University

by Nick Haller The Persian Gulf has been a region of intense western scrutiny over the past half century. With the once Westernized cultures of populations in Iraq reverting to landscapes closely...

Is India Turning into an Authoritarian State?

Feb 11, 2020 | Georgia State University

Even though India has had an established constitution for over seventy years which should protect all its citizens with inalienable rights, a most recent bill has been pushed and can be seen as an...

Voting Through Self-Interest is a Primary Driver of Democratic Erosion

Feb 11, 2020 | Boston University

I am an American citizen, white, straight and male. All of these factors would, by any metric, make me more predisposed to expressing my political values through a generally more conservative lens....

The Wake of Impeachment: A Spotlight on Splintering Democratic Norms & Dual Legitimacy

Feb 11, 2020 | Boston University

The lasting impacts of President Trump’s impeachment are still emerging, notably in ways that threaten our already malnourished democratic norms. Democratic norms are the unspoken rules governing...

Breaking (Fake) News

Feb 11, 2020 | Boston University

Enshrined in the United States Constitution, freedom of the press is integral to the success of democracy. The press serves as the people’s watchdog, a voice for the voiceless, and a check on the...

An Exposition of Democratic Erosion in America at the 2020 State of the Union

Feb 11, 2020 | Boston University

As the American president finished delivering his 2020 State of the Union Address, the highest-ranking member of the opposing political party got to her feet and ripped the President’s speech into...

The price of Indigenous lives

Jan 1, 2020 | Sacramento State University

Brazil is currently facing a number of struggles. One of those struggles is that indigenous Brazilians are facing the loss of their land and threats on their lives. A series of events have garnered...