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.

Is Niger a Democratic State? Not Yet.

Oct 14, 2022 | Ohio State University

Is Niger a democratic state? Three years ago, the answer would’ve been a solid no. Niger's current condition after last year’s presidential election renders today’s answer...

Weaponizing Misinformation Laws: Turkey’s Crackdown on Opposition Media

Oct 14, 2022 | Ohio State University

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan The parliament of Turkey has passed a media anti-misinformation bill proposed by the country’s authoritarian president, Recep Tayyip...

The Rise of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the Polarization of the U.S. by Amber Chan

Apr 8, 2019 | Boston University

The political climate of today is more than just a little tense. Even before the 2016 presidential election, the liberal and conservative sides of the American political realm were strong opposers...

The Turkish Devolution by Aram Martirosyan @ Boston University

Apr 8, 2019 | Boston University

The concept of democratic erosion implies a former, more democratic state of affairs that is giving way to its corruptions. For this reason, the Turkish case is of much import, as the high rate of...

The Brazilian Version of Hochschild’s “Deep Story” by Eugênia Álvares Affonso

Apr 8, 2019 | Boston University

While reading chapter nine of Hochschild’sStrangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right , I couldn’t help but think about how the “Deep Story” she proposes to explain the...

On the Border of Democracy by Emilie Larsen

Apr 7, 2019 | Boston University

On February 15th, 2019, following the longest ever government shutdown, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency over what he refers to as the security crisis on the Southern border....

Why The Election of Jair Bolsonaro is the First Step in the Erosion of Brazil’s Democracy by Felicia Gordon

Apr 7, 2019 | Boston University

Jair Bolsonaro was elected into power to serve as Brazil’s President on January 1, 2019. While the brief amount of time since his Presidency began limits Bolsonaro’s role thus far in forming new...

Mueller’s Failed Indictment: An Agent for Democratic Erosion by Huy Do

Apr 7, 2019 | Boston University

This past week, the Mueller investigation’s preliminary findings sprung across American news outlets, indicating that neither President Trump, nor any of his aides conspired or coordinated with the...

A False Sense of Hope: Thailand’s Recent Election – By Dean Weeden

Apr 6, 2019 | Boston University

Many observers were looking toward the Thailand elections in late March as a sign of changing times; the country has been governed by a military junta for the past five years. However, as the...

Fake News: How Trump’s Attack on the Media is an Attack on Democracy

Apr 4, 2019 | Utah State University

Madison R. Wadsworth It seems as though every day there is another article about the United States President, Donald Trump, calling reporters foul names, trying to bar partisan press from press...

Murder of Polish Mayor Highlight’s Hostile Political Divisions by Isa Colyer

Apr 4, 2019 | Saint Louis University

On Sunday, January 13th of this year, hundreds of Polish residents flocked to an outdoor stage in Gdansk to attend the Great Orchestra of Christmas, Poland’s largest annual charity event. It was the...