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.

Who’s Suppressed Next? Partisan Polarization and Voter Suppression in Post-Trump America

Oct 17, 2022 | Boston University

One of the most notable weaknesses of American democracy is its system of voting. Claims of widespread fraud following the 2020 presidential election perpetrated by one of...

How Democrats Undercut Biden’s September 1 Speech

Oct 17, 2022 | Boston University

As midterm election season began in September this year, President Biden gave a speech that strove to unite the rest of the country against Trump and MAGA Republicans, and...

Is Reforming the Supreme Court Possible? by Emily Morrison

Apr 21, 2019 | University of Chicago

Since his election in 2016, President Trump has had the opportunity to appoint not one, but two Supreme Court justices. If re-elected in 2020, the probability of another vacancy on the Court is very...

The Anti-Federalists’ prediction: The Founding Fathers’ Fears of Executive Encroachment on Checks and Balances may have been Warranted. By Joseph Libertin

Apr 21, 2019 | University of Chicago

Anti-Federalist Concerns A country still wrought with polarization and disagreement was unsurprisingly born out a similar form of disagreement. This dispute arose from contemplation over the makeup...

The Varying Difficulties of Constitutional Modification: A Threat or Benefit to Democracy? By Ian Henson

Apr 21, 2019 | University of Chicago

Constitutions are widely recognized as a critical or essential component to a well-functioning democracy. Although many would agree that the U.S. Constitution is not a perfect document, it has...

American Authoritarian Populism Analysis by Anjali Nahata

Apr 21, 2019 | University of Chicago

Americans are constantly hearing phrases such as “Drain the Swamp” from right-wing politicians and concerns about “the rise of populism” in our country from leftist political scientists. Is...

Does the Ukrainian presidential election demonstrate the erosion of democratic norms?

Apr 21, 2019 | University of Chicago

(The Associated Press) Current Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko and future Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky at the first and only presidential debate. The Ukrainian...

Anti-Refugee Sentiment in Germany by Ruth Selipsky

Apr 21, 2019 | University of Chicago

Since Germany’s reunification in 1990, the former East and West have been united under a single constitution: the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany. It was first passed in West Germany...

Is Trump’s Declaration of a National Emergency at the Border a Threat to American Democracy? by Emily Young

Apr 21, 2019 | University of Chicago

On February 15th, 2019 President Trump held a national press conference announcing his declaration of a National Emergency at the Border with Mexico. This declaration allowed him to utilize his...

Erosion by the Polarized Judiciary: Has the United States Supreme Court already failed? by Kenneth Coleman

Apr 21, 2019 | University of Chicago

The Bush v. Gore (2000) decision has been scrutinized as the most partisan decision by the Supreme Court, arguably in history, but certainly for the last several decades. Justice John Paul Stevens...

Legal Methods for Jair Bolsonaro to Engage in Democratic Erosion in Brazil By Shiva Kangeyan

Apr 21, 2019 | University of Chicago

On October 28, 2018, Jair Bolsonaro of the Social Liberal Party was elected President of Brazil. Despite the party's name, politically Bolsonaro can be categorized as espousing several authoritarian...