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.

Talks of a Potential Third Term Plagues Indonesia

Oct 14, 2022 | Ohio State University

As we continue to feel the effects of the Covid-19 virus, Indonesia faces a looming dilemma regarding their next important election coming in 2024. The country's current...

Femicides In Ecuador Weaken Foundations of Democracy

Oct 14, 2022 | Ohio State University

“Police kill, femicidal state” read the sign of a protestor standing outside of the Quito Police Headquarters on September 21st. The protest came as a response to news that...

Reparations, Apologies, and the Spanish Conquest by Taylor Williams

Apr 4, 2019 | Saint Louis University

Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador is the current president of Mexico, elected in 2018 as part of the National Regeneration Movement party. In attempts to facilitate the national recognition and subsequent...

It Wasn’t Always This Way: How Republicans Went from Gatekeepers of Democracy to Promoters of Populism by Kyle Friant

Apr 4, 2019 | Utah State University

Antipathy to liberal democracy has become a staple of the modern incarnation of the Republican Party, a move that is detrimental to the entire international community. In a myriad of examples over...

A New Age of Politics in El Salvador by Olivia Kesselring

Apr 4, 2019 | Saint Louis University

37 year old Nayib Bukele, wearing his signature blue jeans and leather jacket, was democratically elected president of El Salvador in February of 2019, ushering in a new era of politics for the...

Evo Morales’s 2019 Presidential Run and How We Got Here by Brett Jones

Apr 4, 2019 | Saint Louis University

Not many would disagree, international observers and Bolivians alike, that this upcoming election in Bolivia will be a fork in the road for the country and the state of its democracy. The election...

Tunisia, the Exception or the Expected? By Paige Cook

Apr 4, 2019 | Saint Louis University

Tunisia was the first of all the Arab states to experience popular uprisings and political upheaval in 2011. In fact, it was the initial domino to the Arab uprisings. On December 17, 2010 a young...

EU Suspends Hungary’s Fidesz Party from European Parliament by John Barrett

Apr 3, 2019 | Saint Louis University

Since Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz party took control of Hungary’s government in 2010, they have increasingly made strides towards limiting the prospects of democracy in the country....

Freedom of the Press: A Political Super Power

Apr 3, 2019 | Utah State University

The media is the main source of information concerning current events and politics, because of this it has a lot of power to influence the minds of its viewers, for better or for worse. In the...

How Rap Battles Factored into The Thai Election by: Susmitha Chinni

Apr 3, 2019 | Saint Louis University

Hip hop and rap in its origins is about fighting for the under-dog, economic struggles, and being direct with messages. As a genre of music, rap is founded for young people who can think critically,...

Pelosi’s Statement of Impeachment Has Farther Reaching Implications than Originally Thought by Collin Swords

Apr 3, 2019 | Rollins College

Under Article I of the Constitution, the House of Representatives has the sole power to impeach and the Senate the power to try and judge the case. The case of impeachment can only extend to the...