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.

Democratic Backsliding in South Korea: Controlling the Media

Nov 22, 2022 | Boston University

What is Media Control? South Korea is a fairly new democratic country that was formed after the Korean war in the 1950s. Despite its extraordinary rise to become a democracy...

The Problem with Venezuela’s Elite

Nov 22, 2022 | Boston University

Since Hugo Chávez's ascension to power, Venezuelan elites have allowed for, and enabled the country's descent into authoritarianism. In September 2022, Governor Ron DeSantis...

China Hates “Sharp Power,” but the Feeling Is Unfounded

Nov 9, 2019 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

China is unhappy with the growing use of the term “sharp power” to describe its overseas influence activities. Unfortunately, its criticism is unfounded. China is unhappy with the growing use of the...

The New Populism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky

Nov 4, 2019 | Sacramento State University

To the detriment of democracy, populism has returned in force with a new face in many countries of the world, and Ukraine is no exception. (Freedom House 2018) The election of Volodymyr Zelensky to...

Moving forward together

Nov 2, 2019 | University of Memphis

I was able to attend to Erica's Sugarmon campaign talk, from there I learned that Erica could be the solution for Memphis issues on crimes, poverty and specially on education as well.Â She is...

Local Politics Trumps Pop Politics

Oct 29, 2019 | University of Memphis

The Importance of Local Representation As the U.S. continues to embrace the spectacles of political performances on the biggest stages of American politics, it is important to remind ourselves of...

MATA: A Brighter Future Costs Money

Oct 28, 2019 | University of Memphis

The Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) is the public transportation provided in Memphis, Tennessee. The system was founded in 1975 to help serve the Greater Mid-south. September 25, 2019, Jim...

How Does Women’s Political Participation Affect Democracy?

Oct 27, 2019 | University of Memphis

The political event I attended related to how sex shapes governance in the world, but I particularly focused on the United States and how women were involved in politics. From the colonial period,...

Elections Are Coming

Oct 27, 2019 | University of Memphis

The school district in my county has been a ripe source of conflict as of late. The district is predominantly failing, with the exception of one or two upper class predominately white schools. The...

Climate Change, Performance, and Soft Democratic Breakdown

Oct 27, 2019 | University of Memphis

My event related to global democracy is best described as a relatively small part of a large movement. Namely, the Memphis portion of the Global Climate Strike, which kicked off on September 20th...

Democratic Town Hall on LGBTQ Rights: Real Possibilities or a Bunch of Boloney?

Oct 27, 2019 | University of Memphis

Source: CNN During Friday Follies, Fox News Laura Ingraham describes the Democratic town hall on LGBTQ rights from the previous night as an event of shameless pandering by Democrats to the social...