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.

How the CAA and Religious Tensions Threaten India’s Democracy

In 2019, India’s government passed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which offers non-Muslim religious minorities from neighboring countries a fast-track pass to Indian citizenship. Prime Minister Narendra Modi claims that this policy intends to give sanctuary to people fleeing from religious persecution in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. However, this policy is inherently anti-democratic and is a serious concern for the state of democracy in India.

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Copy-and-Paste: Why Latin America is Using El Salvador as an Anti-Crime Template

Mano dura translates to “iron fist,” broadly defined as strong-armed, anti-crime policies that much of Latin America has implemented over recent decades in response to massive rises in gang violence. The presence of gangs has long dominated the quality of life in much...
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Controlling the Narrative and Weakening Democracy in Hungary

In 2023, the Hungarian government passed the Defense of National Sovereignty Act, a law that grants the newly established Sovereignty Protection Office the authority to investigate individuals or organizations allegedly acting under foreign influence. Introduced by...
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The independence of central banks

Apr 15, 2019 |

It’s been a long time since a political-economic article has grabbed my attention like The Economist’s “The independence of central banks is under threat from politics.” The article opens with “This...

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ACLU: An Important Resource

Apr 15, 2019 |

I recently attended a lecture given by Rahsaan Hall, director of Racial Justice Program for the ACLU of Massachusetts. I found this lecture to be extremely interesting and relative to the current...

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