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.

The Media Politician: Marcos and the Philippines’ Democratic Erosion

Nov 1, 2022 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

Despite the appearances and active updates on social media of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., his plan for the Philippine government to provide a solution for...

Mahsa Amini and Protests in Iran

Oct 31, 2022 | Skidmore College

For the past seven weeks, Iran has seen national protests with the gravitas to suggest the possibility of revolution. The protests were ignited by the death of 22-year-old...

Refugee and Immigrant Crises by Geetika Badhan

May 2, 2019 | Georgia State University

We hear about refugees and immigrants a lot more in the news than we used to before. Who are refugees anyway? By standard definition, a refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her...

The Road Ahead: Democratic Reconstruction in a Post-Transition Venezuela by Colton Wade

May 2, 2019 | Georgetown University

Under the world’s gaze, two individuals have spent the last three months engaged in a binary struggle for power in Venezuela—Juan Guaidó, the interim president, and Nicolás Maduro, the de facto...

Democratic Backsliding in the Visegrad Group Threatens European Union’s Future by Simon Machalek

May 2, 2019 | Georgetown University

The Visegrad Group, also known as V4 — a cultural and political alliance of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia — used to be seen as a prime example of how countries with an...

Coup or Rescue? Juan Guaido’s Bid for the Venezuelan Presidency by Meghan Ward

May 1, 2019 | University of Chicago

“The moment is now” — this was the rallying cry Juan Guaido issued to the people of Venezuela in a video he released on Tuesday. Standing alongside military supporters who defected to him from...

Brexit: a Symptom of Democratic Erosion

Apr 30, 2019 | Georgia State University

The term “Brexit” refers to the decision made by the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. This decision was made in June of 2016. The European Union is a group of 28 European Countries that...

Gaining Power Through Corruption: A Threat to Democracy in Elections

Apr 30, 2019 | Georgia State University

by Kyli Powe In democratic elections, voters have the right to voice their disapproval of the government freely and to bring different procedures as well as candidates to the forefront. When these...

Pernicious Polarization and Disappearing Centers– The Subsequent Democratic Backsliding Impact in Turkey

Apr 30, 2019 | Sacramento State University

By Maya Ramirez Turkey these days, in particular, is one of the most socially and politically polarized societies in the world. The secular versus the religious conservatives being the most...

Dream Big, Fight Hard: Strengthen American Democracy Through Voting and Reform

Apr 30, 2019 | Georgia State University

by Kyli Powe Democracy is a type of government in which power is entrusted in the hands of the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation by holding free...

The Legislatures’ Map by Ashley Agyekum

Apr 30, 2019 | Georgia State University

The institution of democracy is one that allows its people the freedom to choose their leaders without fear of repercussion or the leaders’ ability to reject election results. Although these...