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 blogs reflect the views of the student authors, and not those of the Democratic Erosion Consortium.

History Repeats: Why Strong Global Defense is Key to Preventing Autocracy

A strong and consistent global defense by democratic nations is crucial to preventing the rise of autocratic regimes, as history shows—from the Cold War doctrines to the failed democratization of Afghanistan—that without committed follow-through and structural reform, authoritarian forces will exploit weaknesses and reclaim power.

Women in Political Dynasties: The Illusion of Choice and Democratic Erosion in the Philippines

Political dynasties have long controlled Philippine politics, with powerful families passing down leadership positions across generations. Despite the imposition of term limits discouraging dynastic rule, these families have found their way around the constitutional...

From Stardom to Senate: The Alarming Trend of Celebrity Politics in the Philippines

The intersection of celebrity and politics in the Philippines is nothing new. The phenomenon of celebrity politicians—actors, athletes, and other public figures who go from the big screen or stage to the corridors of power—has become a defining aspect of the country's...

Populist Reforms in Mexico

Dec 6, 2022 | SUNY-Binghamton

Another populist attempts to strengthen their power through eliminating electoral institutions in Mexico. Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador has used his power in...

The Republican Party Has a Viktor Orbán Problem

Dec 5, 2022 | Skidmore College

On August 4, 2022, Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán spoke at CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas, Texas. CPAC is a...

The Wavering Voice and Belief of the “Future” by Kayode Babatunde

Apr 28, 2019 | Georgia State University

How can the most compassionate and diverse largest bloc of voters in the United States be the least participant in a country that seems to be digressing from its roots? Based on common knowledge of...

The Nuclear Option: Explosive Partisan Relations by Emily Maercklein

Apr 28, 2019 | University of Chicago

A Brief Look into Previous Senate Bipartisanship Early leaders of the United States attempted to imbue the Senate with values of bipartisanship and restraint in order to protect it from the...

Trump and Bolsonaro: How Populist leaders in the United States and Brazil Rose to Power Despite Unpresidential Practices. By Joseph Libertin

Apr 28, 2019 | University of Chicago

Rise of Populism in the United States and Brazil Populist leaders tend to claim that they represent the common people, and, as Mueller explains, populists tend to pin themselves against a common...

Bribery, Backsliding, and the Rule of Law in Trudeau’s Canada by Warren Casey Epstein

Apr 28, 2019 | University of Chicago

The Difference between Scandal and Democratic Backsliding. Trudeau’s SNC-Lavalin scandal while undermining the rule of the law is not sufficient to claim that Canada is experiencing Democratic...

Populism in the United States by Max Krause

Apr 28, 2019 | University of Chicago

Donald Trump has not drained the swamp, and it is debatable whether or not the DC establishment can be stripped of its power at all. All of Trump's campaign promises and rhetoric, combined with the...

MILLENNIALS AND CIVIC ACTIVISM BY MALCOLM MCDOWELL

Apr 28, 2019 | Georgia State University

When it comes to America’s youth or millennials and their politics, it’s easy to call many of their ideas and opinions incoherent. But one thing the majority of young Americans can agree upon, is...

How Artificial Intelligence Becomes a Friend of Populists? by Josie Lui

Apr 28, 2019 | University of Chicago

"Even if we are true believers in the power of technology, in the benefits of creative destruction, we should not kid ourselves: the fourth industrial revolution, if left untamed, could increase...

Black Political Organizers Summit by Janice Williams

Apr 28, 2019 | Georgia State University

The political event I decided to go to was the “Black Political Organizers Summit”. The main goal of the event was made for African American women in the world who all wanted to come together...

What the Election Result Dispute Means for Indonesian Democracy by Jenny W. Xiao

Apr 28, 2019 | University of Chicago

Early results of the 2019 Indonesian elections indicate that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has secured a second term in office. A quick vote count on April 17 shows that Widodo won 55% of the vote,...