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.

Ala-kachuu

Nov 22, 2022 | Suffolk University

Ala-kachuu was once a beautiful, thoughtful practice. The so-called practice right now isn't the tradition in its proper form; it is a horrible crime masked under the...

Flexing My Civic Muscles: Contributing to Effective Voter Turnout Methods

Nov 22, 2022 | Suffolk University

Political canvassing is the backbone of all campaigns. Canvassing is imperative in the initiation of direct contact with individuals who may be inclined to support a...

Xi Jinping’s Concentration Camps

Dec 2, 2019 | Salem State University

A humanitarian crisis is ongoing in the Chinese province of Xinjiang under President Xi Jinping. According to several reports, upwards of a million ethnic Muslims, the Uighurs, are detained in...

You Can’t Impeach a Messiah

Dec 2, 2019 | Salem State University

You Can’t Impeach a Messiah Officials from the Trump administration and the President himself have made fairly outlandish claims since Trump’s...

Are we looking at a future populist in the Philippines?

Dec 2, 2019 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

What was once crowded with huge amount of trash and foul-smelling sidewalks, the Divisoria district in the Philippines’ capital city, Manila, was cleared of street vendors just two days after Mayor...

Is There Judicial Independence in Duterte’s Philippines?

Dec 2, 2019 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

A review of salient cases that have been considered by the Supreme Court suggests a judiciary largely unwilling to rule against the president. Three years in his term, President Rodrigo Duterte has...

Beyond the Yellow and Red Politics of the Philippines

Nov 27, 2019 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

In the Philippine Politics, you either belong to a “Dilaw” [Yellow] camp or to a DDS [Diehard Duterte Supporter] camp. “Dilaw” is the disparaging term for the critics of the country’s leading...

South Africa’s Democracy is facing a Quarter-Life Crisis and the ANC is at fault

Nov 27, 2019 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

"We once more look to the ANC to provide leadership in creating the circumstances for our people to enjoy and exercise the democratic rights for which we all fought so bravely and with so much...

Where Do Trump Supporters Draw the Line?

Nov 26, 2019 | Salem State University

The public phase of the impeachment hearings started on November 18th. Trump’s time in office has created a divide in politics far greater than ever before. Not surprisingly, the president’s...

Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery: Poland’s “Frankenstate”

Nov 25, 2019 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

Source: Rzeczpospolita The Law and Justice Party in Poland is taking both Law and Justice into its own hands. After winning a Parliamentary majority in 2015, the PiS seized control of the Polish...

Anti-Immigrant Policies and Democratic Erosion in Hungary

Nov 24, 2019 | Salem State University

Hungary’s prime minister Viktor Orban is a well-established populist and a wolf in sheep’s clothing when it comes to democratically elected leaders. His reputation and recent actions as an...