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.

Populism and Nationalism: Global Threats to Democracy

Oct 17, 2022 | Boston University

Populism and nationalism are two separate concepts, yet simultaneously they are deeply interconnected ideologies. Populism, as defined by Jan Mueller, is where a political...

Democracy in Puerto Rico

Oct 17, 2022 | Boston University

This past September, Puerto Rico was hit by Hurricane Fiona which left many parts of the island without power. In 2017, Hurricane Maria, a category 5 storm hit the island,...

Deliberately Missing the Point: How Russia’s Electoral Institutions Aid in Vote Manipulation, by Matthew Sparks

Apr 22, 2019 | University of Chicago

On paper, at least, Russia has all of the necessary institutions of a functioning liberal democracy, with regular elections and even bodies specifically devoted to overseeing the election process....

New Legislation Attempts to Regulate “Fake-News” in Singapore by Clara Fong

Apr 22, 2019 | University of Chicago

Singapore’s newly proposed anti-fake news legislation, The Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Bill, follows in the footsteps of several countries, such as France passing a law last...

The Populist Threat to the European Union

Apr 22, 2019 | University of Chicago

The European Union is often regarded as one of democracy’s largest triumphs. But as countries all over Europe face an increasingly threatening movement from the extreme right, should we be worried...

Questioning the Validity of the Immigration National Emergency by Leon Chin

Apr 22, 2019 | University of Chicago

There are currently 32 active national emergencies in effect in the United States. Most of those 32 active national emergencies are to continue imposing sanctions on various foreign entities....

Felon Disenfranchisement and the Implementation of Amendment 4 in Florida by Sammy Elmasri

Apr 22, 2019 | University of Chicago

Last November, 64.6 percent of Florida voters voted in favor of Amendment 4, which restores voting rights for felons “who have completed all terms of their sentence, including parole or probation,”...

Felon (Dis)enfranchisement in the United States by Aimee Hwang

Apr 22, 2019 | University of Chicago

Political theorist Robert Dahl argues that one of the characteristics of democracy is “the continuing responsiveness of the government to the preferences of its citizens, considered as political...

Partisan Justice by Thomas Martino

Apr 22, 2019 | University of Chicago

Tolerant Democracy American democracy is built upon the preposition that the political opposition is not the enemy. In their book How Democracies Die, Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt describe...

What Happens When Norms Are Eroded with Popular Support? by Carter Squires

Apr 22, 2019 | University of Chicago

In How Democracies Die, Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt spend Chapter 6 assessing norms in American politics. In particular, they characterize norms as unwritten rules which mediate, "The...

Will India Re-elect a Potential Authoritarian Leader? An Analysis of Modi’s Authoritarian Behavior by Julia Fischer

Apr 22, 2019 | University of Chicago

In the world’s largest democracy, India, a five-week election is currently underway to determine the next lower house of Parliament. In this country where 900 million people are eligible to vote,...