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.

These blogs reflect the views of the student authors, and not those of the Democratic Erosion Consortium.

First 100 Days, More Like First 100 Hours: How Trump’s First 100 Days Played Out Against Trump’s Second 100 Hours

Indiana Senator Jim Banks, a staunch Trump ally, predicted that President Trump’s return to power would be characterized by “shock and awe.” In many ways, the events of President Trump’s first 100 hours in office during his second term have lived up to that promise....

History Repeats: Why Strong Global Defense is Key to Preventing Autocracy

A strong and consistent global defense by democratic nations is crucial to preventing the rise of autocratic regimes, as history shows—from the Cold War doctrines to the failed democratization of Afghanistan—that without committed follow-through and structural reform, authoritarian forces will exploit weaknesses and reclaim power.

Women in Political Dynasties: The Illusion of Choice and Democratic Erosion in the Philippines

Political dynasties have long controlled Philippine politics, with powerful families passing down leadership positions across generations. Despite the imposition of term limits discouraging dynastic rule, these families have found their way around the constitutional...

Has the Italian Parliamentary Election Signaled Democratic Backsliding?

Nov 27, 2022 | Boston University

In late September of 2022, Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party won a plurality of the votes in the parliamentary elections to secure control of the government in Italy....

South Africa: Lack of Political Participation Enables Democratic Backsliding

Nov 27, 2022 | Boston University

South Africa is a well-known country around the world that is often studied by political scientists because of its complicated history under apartheid and segregation and...

The Uighurs Are Proof that China is Growing more Undemocratic by the Day by Brooke Wayment

Apr 16, 2019 | Utah State University

The Uighurs are an ethnic minority group in China that speaks a different language and are generally unique in their cultural practices from the majority Han Chinese group. However, what...

Threats to State Level Democracy by Charles Mahoney

Apr 16, 2019 | Rollins College

This article was written mainly in response to the New York Times article "Wisconsin, Ground Zero for 2020 Politics, Looks Like a Tossup Again" written by Trip Gabriel, published April 4, 2019 The...

A Deepening Division in Liberal Democracy by Evangelina Wong

Apr 16, 2019 | Rollins College

Liberal democracy, as a fragile system of government, is being threatened and eroded in the United States by continued polarization and deep divisions between people that hinges on cultural and...

Use of discriminatory Voter Policy to suppress African Americans

Apr 15, 2019 | Rollins College

by Rajdeep Singh In response to: “The Black-White Wealth Gap Is Unchanged after Half a Century”, The Economist A liberal democracy is one that not only acts upon the desires of the...

The Danger of Populism – Lessons from Rwanda by Matt Willis

Apr 15, 2019 | Rollins College

For this post, I have read an article by Kennedy Ndahiro for The Atlantic, titled "In Rwanda, We Know All About Dehumanizing Language." The concepts elucidated by Ndahiro, a native Rwandan himself,...

The Israel Effect: What Netanyahu’s Election Says About Trump’s America by Emily O’Malley

Apr 15, 2019 | Rollins College

Many Democrats suspect that, given Trump’s performance thus far, his defeat in 2020 is inevitable, which is perhaps why the Democratic field is replete with challengers hoping to win the presidency....

WHY THE PARTIES ARE INCREASING POLARIZATION AND ITS INFLUENCE ON DEMOCRATIC EROSION BY COLLIN SWORDS

Apr 15, 2019 | Rollins College

Article in reference: https://www.economist.com/united-states/2019/04/13/for-the-first-time-ever-a-majority-of-democrats-identify-as-liberals An article published in the Economist titled...

Attending a City Council Meeting by Sydney Willis

Apr 15, 2019 | Rollins College

Attending a city council meeting is one of the easiest ways to be involved in local politics, but many people don’t attend them because they have a reputation of being long and boring. When I...

The Fragmented State of the Democratic Party by Jacob Buckelew

Apr 15, 2019 | Rollins College

A recent article by David Frum of The Atlantic titled “Democrats Are Falling Into the Ilhan Omar Trap” argues that President Trump is making Representative Omar into the face of the party as the...