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...

Malaysia: Political Crises in the Face of COVID-19

Nov 27, 2022 | Boston University

The Malaysian electorate has come to the spotlight in recent weeks with the general election that occurred on November 19 with the results stuck in a stalemate as no...

Puerto Rican Statehood

Nov 27, 2022 | Boston University

Since the beginning of territorial rule in Puerto Rico, there have been arguments for and against statehood. Currently, Puerto Rico is under Commonwealth status. This gives...

The Suspected Role of Russian Money in German Democratic Erosion by Shiva Kangeyan

Jun 1, 2019 | University of Chicago

The general consensus is that Russia is at present an illiberal democracy. What is also at present occurring is a wave of right-wing populism and democratic erosion in Western Europe in the US. I...

2019 EU Elections: Is this the Beginning of the End for Democracy? by Thomas McLees

Jun 1, 2019 | University of Chicago

On May 26th polls for the European Union’s ninth parliamentary elections closed all over Europe. As votes were counted and results were posted, it became more and more apparent that there was a...

Is Portugal truly on the Path to Stability? by David Christopher Couto

May 18, 2019 | Sacramento State University

Since Portugal renewed it’s democracy in 1976, economic instability and government ineffectiveness have plagued the country. Leaders and government change often while progressive...

The Chipping Away of Democratic Institutions and Norms by Baylee Gunnells

May 11, 2019 | Georgia State University

Many democratic institutions and norms are chipped away to rid the citizens and the government of basic democratic rules. Leaders chip away each aspect that reflects a common standard in their...

From the Ice Caps to Energy: Polarized by Alex Kendrick

May 8, 2019 | Georgia State University

Moderates. Independents. These words seem to have lost their meaning in modern American politics, just something politicians talk about. The idea of those who don’t fly the red or blue flags proudly...

Mass Shootings are Becoming too Normalized in the U.S.

May 8, 2019 | Georgia State University

I had a hard time deciding which U.S event I wanted to write about, however, I found one event that really struck emotionally to...

American Media Produces Biased News Just As Well As State-Led Media Regimes by Ryan Fleishman

May 8, 2019 | University of Chicago

Rampant “Fake” news and politically skewed information are an inevitable product of the current state of news in American society in a way much more dominant and insidious than Putin’s control of...

Voter Turnout in the US

May 8, 2019 | Suffolk University

Signs say "Let Every Vote Count" And "This is America. Count every vote." CD Davidson-Hiers/Florida Phoenix The globe is in the midst of election season — India, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Turkey,...

Erdogan Persists, With Turkey’s Blessing, by Ronen Schatsky

May 8, 2019 | University of Chicago

When Turkey’s voters upended expectations and favored the opposition in the March 31 municipal elections, the question was not how they pulled it off, but how long it would take President Recep...