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.

Fighting Fake News: Lessons from the World’s Top Target

2018 was a year of awakening in Taiwan. Two high-profile events threw the consequences of fake news into relief. First, Su Chii-cherng, the envoy to Osaka for the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, took his own life in September 2018 after false reports about him...

Can Democracies Wait Another 2,500 Years to Meet Today’s Needs?

In 500 BC, during Athens' golden age of democracy, the voting age was set at 18. Over 2,500 years later, this threshold remains the same in the vast majority (90%) of countries. However, as democracies grapple with rising populism, authoritarianism, marginalization of...

Présidence Impériale: Executive Aggrandizement in Macron’s France

Amidst significant challenges to France’s democracy, President Emmanuel Macron has ignored democratic norms and abused constitutional articles to expand his own power—periling France’s democracy.

Local Governments Still Embody What it Truly Means to be Democratic

Ohio State University

As Americans who value democracy, we frequently want to be able to directly sit down with our representatives and voice our opinions and be able to have civil discussion on...

Redrawing Our Future: Issue One and the End of Gerrymandering in Ohio

Ohio State University

Issue One will be on the ballot this November for Ohioans. I spoke to Catey Wolfe, the Campaign Manager for Representative Beryl Brown Piccolantonio, about the importance of...

Can Workplace Democracy Save American Democracy?

Northeastern University

United States work stoppages and organized labor activity in 2023 are reaching a level not seen in decades, as hundreds of thousands of workers across the country take to the picket line. Meanwhile,...

The Erosion Threat of the Venezuelan Crisis

University of Memphis

The shape of the Venezuelan nation has been suffering for decades now. What was once a booming country has been on a rapid decline. The petrostate quality of the nation has switched from a saving...

A Win for Democracy in Poland: How the Opposition Overcame the Authoritarian PiS Party in October Elections

Northeastern University

In their past eight years of control, the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party has eroded judicial and constitution checks and balances while centralizing media ownership. These attacks on democratic...

The Danger of Political Disinformation Within the United States

University of Memphis

Political Disinformation is one of the greatest threats facing the United States today. It not only makes some question their...

Here is One Turkey That Needs to be Saved This Thanksgiving

University of Memphis

Recep Erdogan has just won his third consecutive term as Turkey's president, so what does this mean for Turkey's democracy? What was once a thriving example of a steady democracy to its neighboring...

Death of Journalists in Mexico Sign of Democratic Backsliding

Northeastern University

Journalists are being killed in Mexico and they’re taking the country’s democracy with them. The increasing assassination of journalists in Mexico is a sign of liberal democracy backsliding in the...

Social Media and the Spreading of Disinformation. The Influence of the Digital Age and How Media is Aiding the Spread of Disinformation.

University of Memphis

What is social media truly for? Is it a free place for a political candidate to promote their ideas on social media freely? A platform for tyrants to spread disinformation? Is it simply a place for...

The Consequences of McCarthy’s Ousting on American Democracy

Northeastern University

On January 7th 2023, Representative Kevin McCarthy was elected as the new Speaker of the House of Representatives after a record-breaking 15 rounds of voting. To achieve this, McCarthy had to make...

Stealth Authoritarianism being an American Compromise.

University of Memphis

The Democratic Erosion Project exist to help shed light on how democracy falls apart and ways to preserve it as the rise of authoritarian states spread across the democratic world. However in the...

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