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.

US Democracy: Racism Has Always Been the Problem

Oct 16, 2022 | Boston University

Republican rallies supporting candidates for the upcoming US midterm elections have campaigned on increasingly blatant racist rhetoric. Some media outlets have claimed that...

How Biden and Harris Have Not Seen the Big Picture Surrounding their Debt Relief Plan

Oct 16, 2022 | Boston University

Just last night on October 14th, Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness Plan...

Shizno Abe Rewriting Japan by Alexander Holt

Apr 12, 2019 | Utah State University

Is Prime Minister Shizno Abe leading Japan towards a more authoritarian identity? This might seem like a strange question, as Japan has been considered a democracy since US occupation of the islands...

Same Battle, Different Ground – Sustainability and Civic Engagement in Taiwan and the US

Apr 12, 2019 | Suffolk University

Borders, democracy, nothing will matter once the planet is dead, so citizens across the world start their battle for sustainability. Unlikely allies US and Taiwan have very similar ways of action...

President Trump and Democracy

Apr 12, 2019 | Boston University

by Mykala Jordan From the beginning, Donald Trump has been ruthless. Now that he has been serving as our President for over...

Foreign aid hinders the construction of Democracy in Africa by Hoang Nguyen

Apr 12, 2019 | Suffolk University

Foreign aid: a transfer from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries _Dean Acheson_ The issues of foreign aid have always involved in corruption and inefficiency since the...

The Ethics of War: Regional Tension Flares up between India and Pakistan by Emily Betancourt

Apr 12, 2019 | Suffolk University

Although going to war is controversial, many countries deem it necessary. However, war tends to be more destructive than beneficial. What is war? How are wars caused? Why go to war? Is war...

Italian Democracy: A Premonition to the Future of Democracy Across Europe by Brynn Kooyenga

Apr 12, 2019 | Suffolk University

This time last year, Italy’s political system suffered dramatic changes when, for the first time since the beginning of its democracy, a coalition of ultra nationalist parties won. The Five Star...

Azerbaijan: Anti-LGBT Crackdown by Logan O’Neil

Apr 11, 2019 | Suffolk University

Wednesday - March 14, 2019. Massachusetts House legislators overwhelmingly passed bill H.140 concerning the banning of practicing gay conversion therapy on minors. In a landslide decision (147-8)...

A Saving Grace: Why the Left Must Reclaim Patriotism by Heather Marshall

Apr 11, 2019 | Suffolk University

Crowded into Old North Church in Boston, the site where the beacon was lit to spur on Paul Revere’s ride, John Shattuck discussed the populism and nationalism plaguing this nation and poisoning the...

Recreational Marijuana in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by Amy Gagnon

Apr 11, 2019 | Suffolk University

On February 21, 2018, I attended a Cannabis Control Commission meeting for the city of Boston hosted by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. The mission of the CCC is to honor the will of the voters...