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.

Let’s Be Cautious of Jail Bolsonaro as Brazil Enters Round Two of Voting

Oct 14, 2022 | Ohio State University

Brazil's incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro utilized populist rhetoric and disinformation to help win his 2018 election campaign. At the beginning of this month, Bolsonaro...

Democratic Backsliding in Mali?

Oct 14, 2022 | Ohio State University

While democratic backsliding has become a question in some of the world’s biggest and most successful...

Green Old Deal

Mar 31, 2019 | Rollins College

A country where there is no pollution, and everyone has a job sounds like a perfect place to live. This utopian vision of a state is the end game for the Green New Deal that is presented by the...

Ignoring Constitutional Obligations by Sydney Willis

Mar 31, 2019 | Rollins College

How hyper polarization has led to politicians in the United States ignoring their constitutional obligations Ever since...

Donald Trump vs The Media: A Threat to Our American Democracy? By Samuel Reeder

Mar 31, 2019 | American University

President Donald Trump has been consistently undermining and discrediting the news media in the United States since the start of his campaign back in 2016. The president, who has famously...

What Impeachment Means by Evangelina Wong

Mar 31, 2019 | Rollins College

The presidential election of 2016 was one that stirred the nation. The way that a businessman and television personality, Donald Trump, took over the Republican party and later the presidential...

The Implications of a Trump Impeachment, or Lack Thereof by Maria Psarakis

Mar 30, 2019 | Rollins College

Cries for impeachment have echoed across the country since the day Donald Trump was elected the 45th President of the United States of America. Admittedly, a lot of these cries arose before any...

Democracy Working With Businesses By Matthew Bellow

Mar 30, 2019 | University of Memphis

The decisions and negotiations that City Hall makes with both local and major businesses try to advocate for change. Change that attempts to provide the best impact for the greatest amount of...

Implications of Impeachment by Emily Curran

Mar 28, 2019 | Rollins College

Impeachment of a President has only happened twice in United States history; once with Andrew Johnson in 1868 and once with Bill Clinton in 1998. Impeachment is the legislature's ability to check...

The Oldest Continuous Democracy in Africa is Reported to be on a Negative Governance Trajectory by Dylan Gleeman

Mar 28, 2019 | Boston University

Botswana gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1966 and, since its liberation, has had free and fair elections. It has also averaged an 8.7% annual economic growth rate until 2008...

Charter Schools, Vouchers, and School Choice- We Want to Know Where We’re Headed… Right? by Cedric Williams

Mar 26, 2019 | University of Memphis

This past February I had the that opportunity to attend a legislative breakfast hosted by the Tennessee Charter School Center and in it, realized one very important thing- no one there knew what the...