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.

The house is burning from the inside out: American democracy is dying

” There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide” - James Adams. If the average empire fails at 250 years and America is 248 years old, could we say that the death of democracy was something foreseeable and the uprise in authoritarian form of government...

Demagogues: Turning America into the Child Left Behind

The emergence of technofascist demagogues in American politics pose a significant threat to democracy and education, highlighting the urgent need for critical thinking and informed choices to protect the nation’s future.

Germany’s Defense of Democracy

Populism is rising in Germany, with the far-right political party, Alternative for Germany, gaining more and more popularity that echo dangerous anti-democratic trends from Germany, raising concerns about the future of Germany’s democracy.

Trump and The Fight for Immunity

Feb 14, 2025 | Boston University

The Trump administration has settled into the White House for less than a month, taking action on several issues that America is facing. With many problems to tackle, it...

America Demoted to a “Flawed Democracy”

Feb 14, 2025 | Boston University

No longer the "Shining City Upon a Hill" as President Reagan proudly claimed in his parting note in 1989, the U.S. has been demoted from a "full democracy" to a "flawed...

Bridging the Moral Chasm: Understanding the Increasing Polarization in the Philippines

May 23, 2024 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

Dubbed by analysts as the “most significant election in the Southeast Asian nation’s recent history”, the last 2022 national elections was the most polarized and most participated with a voter...

Tyranny? You mean, Unity?: The Fateful Alliance of the Marcos-Duterte Clans in the Philippines

May 23, 2024 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

“Bagong Pilipinas, Bagong Mukha!”, (trans: New Philippines, New Face) the battle cry of the 2022 Marcos-Duterte campaign jingle echoed throughout the nation as the resurging Marcoses and the...

All the Web’s a Stage: New Media, Micro-Celebrities, and Fake News in the Philippines

May 21, 2024 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

“Celebrity” in Philippine politics can manifest in more ways than one. Most notoriously, celebrity makes itself evident when film and television stars participate in politics as candidates during...

Political Attitudes, Polarization, and Their Consequences in the United States

May 10, 2024 | William Jewell College

The United States has been facing political polarization since the early 1970s - but the uprise of technology, media, and freedom of expression has demonstrated how a dramatic shift in political...

A 2024 Rematch: Will it be the Authoritarian or the Genocide-Enabler?

May 10, 2024 | American University

With the grim results of Super Tuesday, we face the catastrophic choice between Trump, espousing authoritarian ideology, and Biden, a now genocide-enabler. “Democracies don’t fall apart — they’re...

Democracy in Decay:

May 8, 2024 | American University

Analyzing Democratic Backsliding in Narendra Modi’s India India is one of the world's most diverse and populated nations, with a revolutionary past and a promising future of endless development,...

Populism or Dictablanda? A look at Strongmen in Latin America

May 8, 2024 | Ursinus College

When we consider strongmen or populist leaders in Latin America, Nayib Bukele and Evo Morales stand out. Bukele was raised in El Salvador by the children of immigrants and Morales was raised in the...

The Only Tzar in the Castle: The Consolidation of Putin’s Rule

May 8, 2024 | Ursinus College

When most think of strongmen, it is often the caricature of Vladmir Putin that comes to mind. A ruthless leader who invokes a rhetoric of nationalism, “traditional values”, and who has continuously...

What Do the 2024 Indian Elections Mean for the Future of the World’s Largest Democracy?

May 8, 2024 | Ursinus College

On April 19, 2024, citizens of India, the world’s largest democracy, will start to participate in the Lok Sabha elections. The Lok Sabha is the lower of the two houses that make up India’s...