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.

These are student blog posts written by student participants in the Democratic Erosion Course. These posts were not written by nor represent the views of the Democratic Erosion Consortium.

Trump’s Press Ban and The Courts Response

Access to unbarred media is fundamental to maintaining the integrity of a democratic country. Without independent media, the stream of information to voters is disrupted making people's understanding of their political environment inaccurate. If the media...

Trump’s Use of the SAVE Database May Threaten Democratic Participation

On Friday, September 25th, the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to make use of the Department of Homeland Security's Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database to screen state voter lists for possible noncitizens temporarily. The...

The Press and the Limits of Presidential Power

On September 25, 2026, The Atlantic published Quinta Jurecic’s article, “The Two-Year Temper Tantrum to Come,” about President Donald Trump’s recent fight with the White House press. Just one day earlier, a federal judge had ordered the White House to restore access...

Erosion of Media Freedom is a Sign of Things to Come in Zambia

Nov 4, 2024 | Ohio State University

Over the past decades, Zambia has been met with democratic erosion that has spread around the globe. Many aspects of a once functioning democracy are being pulled back such...

Democracy Hijacked: Sudan’s Descent from Prospective Democracy into Authoritarian Rule

Nov 4, 2024 | Ohio State University

Sudan was a country with a prosperous democratic future in 2019, yet today the nation remains worse off than it initially began. With significant military violence and a...

What the Pandemic can’t change: Turkey’s enduring crackdown on media

Apr 28, 2020 | Bilkent University

Turkey was already notorious for its growing liquidation in the country's media outlets. Erdogan’s strong men regime was pretty determined to not to provide even a glimmer of hope for the...

A Two Headed Lion: COVID-19 in Singapore

Apr 28, 2020 | Bilkent University

The coronavirus outbreak raises some interesting questions for the social scientists and the general public. Most importantly, why are some countries more successful than the others? Differentiation...

Virtual Town Hall: A New Means of Politics During the Pandemic

Apr 27, 2020 | Suffolk University

In a chaotic and confusing time like now, everything seems to be on hold. The COVID-19 pandemic has rattled the nation in ways no one could have ever imagined. Thousands of universities and schools...

Consolidating Power in a ‘Pandemic Democracy’: The Case of India

Apr 27, 2020 | Bilkent University

On 24th March, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a major announcement, declared a nationwide lockdown for three weeks, adding that “Every state, union territory, village and district will be a part...

How Renewable Energy can Lessen Putin’s Grip on Russia

Apr 27, 2020 | American University

President Vladimir Putin is more vulnerable than some may realize. By over-relying on oil and natural gas production to fund social welfare programs, Putin has exposed that his grip on power is...

If not During the Pandemic Then When? Accelerating Polarization over Women Rights in Turkey

Apr 27, 2020 | Bilkent University

In 2018, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime announced the home to be the most dangerous place for women as femicides are mostly committed by their closest family, or partners.[1] However, in strange...

When COVID-19 Becomes a Political Ally: Abortion in Poland

Apr 27, 2020 | Bilkent University

On April 15, the Polish Parliament enacted the “Stop Abortion” bill. Although the Sejm[1] decided to redirect the bill for further review in parliamentary committees, the government was criticized...

2020 Iowa Caucus debacle. An undemocratic process?

Apr 27, 2020 | Georgia State University

The final results rolled in for the 2020 Iowa Democratic caucuses this past Sunday ending a turbulent and arguably “disastrous” week for the Democratic party and its bid to prevent President Donald...

Polarization through Targeting: The 2016 US General Elections

Apr 27, 2020 | Bilkent University

The fragmentations in society on religious and ethnic divisions, educational and cultural differences, and socioeconomic status lay the groundwork for polarization. Once it is planted, the...