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.

Retrogressive Reform: Poland’s Judicial Creep Backwards

Oct 14, 2022 | Ohio State University

Since the fall of communism in Poland in 1989, no single party has won an outright majority of seats in parliamentary elections - until the PiS (Law and Justice) Party...

Purging Democracy: Voter Roll Purges and the Undermining of US Democracy

Oct 14, 2022 | Boston University

From 2014 to 2016, 16 million voters were removed from voter registration lists. Voter roll purges keep voting rolls accurate by canceling the registration of people who...

Can the opposition parties in Namibia overcome the political dominance of the SWAPO party? by Katrina Ramkissoon

Mar 11, 2019 | Suffolk University

Can a country who has only had democracy for less than three decades already begin facing democratic backsliding? Unfortunately, yes. This is the case for the African country Namibia which just...

Alexis Tsipras Is Smarter Than You Think: A Response by Marianna Moulis

Mar 11, 2019 | Suffolk University

In January of 2019, journalist Yiannis Baboulias published an article titled: Alexis Tsipras Is Smarter Than You Think. The crux of his argument being that “Greece’s prime minister has...

How Corruption in Jamaica is Demoralizing Democracy by Amy Gagnon

Mar 10, 2019 | Suffolk University

In 2016, the Economist Intelligence Unit rated Jamaica as a “flawed democracy,” and since then has struggled to lose that title. This is mainly due to the rising corruption levels facing the...

Wanting to be like Europe: Albanian student movement offers hope for the future by Stiv Mucollari

Mar 10, 2019 | Suffolk University

Three decades ago students in Albania demanded change and protested the totalitarian communist regime that had ruled Albania since 1945. The student movement swelled and paralyzed the Albanian...

The Prespa Agreement: How North Macedonia’s Name Change is a Step Forward for Democracy by Emily Dichele

Mar 10, 2019 | Suffolk University

As of February 2019, Macedonia has officially changed their name to the Republic of North Macedonia after the signing of the Prespa agreement. The agreement between Greece and Macedonia required the...

The Putin Internet Paradox; Decreased Internet Freedom Could Lead to Liberalization in Russia by Jonathan Eckel

Mar 10, 2019 | Suffolk University

Putin’s reign of power in Russia has been augmented, in part, by his ever-increasing vice grip on independent media outlets and oppositional voices. Currently, Russia ranks 148th out of 180...

China’s “One country, two systems” policy: A threat to Taiwan’s democracy by Hoang Nguyen

Mar 10, 2019 | Suffolk University

From left to right: Chinese President Xi Jinping, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and US President Donald Trump. Photo: Financial Times Xi Jinping’s Ambition At the 19th Party Congress of the...

Taiwan’s Road to Freedom by Anna Meomutli

Mar 10, 2019 | Suffolk University

Republic of China, another name of Taiwan, is a quasi-independent state in the East Asian region that is showing the world that one can and will make it to freedom if people are connected by the...

Nickel and Dimed by Gabriel Moran

Mar 10, 2019 | Suffolk University

What does democratic backsliding mean for the U.S. economy when looking through the scope of other nondemocratic/backsliding countries? With abject poverty on the decline, and industrialization of...