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.

Fighting Fake News: Lessons from the World’s Top Target

2018 was a year of awakening in Taiwan. Two high-profile events threw the consequences of fake news into relief. First, Su Chii-cherng, the envoy to Osaka for the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, took his own life in September 2018 after false reports about him...

Can Democracies Wait Another 2,500 Years to Meet Today’s Needs?

In 500 BC, during Athens' golden age of democracy, the voting age was set at 18. Over 2,500 years later, this threshold remains the same in the vast majority (90%) of countries. However, as democracies grapple with rising populism, authoritarianism, marginalization of...

Présidence Impériale: Executive Aggrandizement in Macron’s France

Amidst significant challenges to France’s democracy, President Emmanuel Macron has ignored democratic norms and abused constitutional articles to expand his own power—periling France’s democracy.

Fighting for Redistricting Reform in 2024

Ohio State University

In the heart of a pivotal election season, I had the opportunity to attend a redistricting reform meeting hosted by Common Cause Ohio. With the stakes at an all-time...

Populism and Gender: What’s the correlation?

Brown University

It is no secret that populists — charismatic, strong-willed, and skilled at agitating a base — are increasingly consolidating political power. Today’s headlines are riddled...

The Price of Populists in Power: a Look Back at Benjamin Netanyahu’s Populist Attitudes in Light of Israel’s Recent Tragedy

Boston University

Benjamin Netanyahu has single-handedly been eroding his country’s democracy since he came into power. He is the country’s longest-serving prime minister, representing a parable of modern politics: a...

The Underlying Importance to McCarthy’s Removal as Speaker

Boston University

On October 3rd, 2023, an unprecedented political event occurred when the house voted 216-210 to remove California Republican Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House. With the House entering its...

What the Removal of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy means for American Democracy

Boston University

Despite once being hailed as a pillar of democracy and freedom, democracy in the United States has been under threat for a while. Political circumstances threaten American democracy because of three...

Is Guatemala’s Democratic Backsliding Reaching a Tipping Point?

Boston University

There is great fear that Guatemala’s democracy is weakening beyond the point of return. Amid election fraud, Guatemala has turned into a country of chaos. The protests are threatening lives; as road...

The Current Rise of Populism: Weaponizing Elections

Boston University

Who does one think of when talking about populism and authoritarianism? The common names that come to mind are those of Hitler, Hugo Chavez, Juan Perón, Alberto Fujimori, and others. However, there...

Tunisia’s current democratic backslide

Boston University

Africa as a whole has faced many challenges, notably colonization, which impeded the progress of many of its nations. The legacy of colonization persists, with numerous African countries still...

Hong Kong’s Autonomy Eroding: The Impact of the National Security Law

School of Public Policy, Chiang Mai University

Hong Kong, once hailed for its "One country, two systems" framework that promised a high degree of autonomy in various aspects of governance, has been witnessing a gradual decline in its autonomy,...

Democracy Decline in India: Worth Compromising for the West and the U.S.

School of Public Policy, Chiang Mai University

The rise of China’s assertions around the world and the fall of liberal values among political stakeholders in the United States and the West had been married to the increasingly divided world...

Australia: Constitutional Recognition of the Indigenous People Fails at the Polls

School of Public Policy, Chiang Mai University

Australia is a nation that has, since its founding as a British colony in the late eighteenth century, struggled with the recognition and inclusion of its indigenous Aboriginal population. A recent...

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