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.

Nepal’s New “Press Office” Is Pressing Democracy

Oct 13, 2022 | Ohio State University

By now we’re all familiar with the term “fake news”. While perceptions of its magnitude and implications vary, any champion of democracy recognizes the importance of free...

How Much Longer Will Corruption Persist in Honduras?

Oct 13, 2022 | Ohio State University

Honduras continues to fight a never ending battle against corruption. In a country with perpetual stories of corruption from politicians and law enforcement, this type of...

Town Halls and Cooperation by Brett Jones

Feb 27, 2019 | Saint Louis University

Often when we talk about the democratic processes in this country, most discussion dissects politics at the national or international level. Occasionally there are conversations, particularly in the...

Xi’s China or Chinese Xi: Critical Evaluations of Charisma among Chinese Leaderships by Zitian Sun

Feb 27, 2019 | American University

Did Chinese Constitution Revision Make Xi A Dictator? On March 11, 2018, a CNN reporter, Matt Rivers, called the latest Chinese constitutional revision the “coronation of a brand-new...

Can Reversion and Retrogression Work Together to Topple a Democracy?: Ortega’s Nicaragua by Riham Amin

Feb 26, 2019 | American University

When Daniel Ortega won his first term of presidency in 1984, he won as a champion of Nicaragua’s then newly established...

The Politicization of the Cabinet and Agencies: How Trump’s Appointments Bypass Democracy by Michael Caulfield

Feb 25, 2019 | Boston University

During Trump’s presidency, the appointments that he has made have been considered suspect at best. As opposed to the appointment of those who have the best interest of the country at heart,...

The Age of Outrage by Charles Mahoney

Feb 23, 2019 | Rollins College

The stability of our democracy is contingent not only on the legal safe guards outlined in the constitution, but on the maintenance of a tolerant, and well-educated electorate. Seymour Lipset argues...

Response to “Donald Trump: Challenging Democratic Norms, or Changing Democratic Norms?” by CKelly

Feb 22, 2019 | Rollins College

In the blog post by Taylor Williams of Saint Louis University, she addresses Donald Trump’s usage of executive power to declare a “national emergency” in order to circumvent congress and secure...

Why Too Many Democratic Candidates Will Give President Trump a Second Term by Collin Swords

Feb 22, 2019 | Rollins College

In 2016, presidential candidate Donald Trump lost the popular vote by 2,864,903 votes. Yet, on January 20, 2017, President Trump was sworn into office. Both sides of the aisle have publicly said...

The Threat of Presidential Pardoning Power on Democracy by Evangelina Wong

Feb 22, 2019 | Rollins College

The President’s power to pardon is particularly important when considering whether the President has the ability to excuse his own wrongdoing and corruption within the Executive Branch. The big...

The Presidential Pardon: Executive Privilege in Terms of Democratic Norms and Political Incentives by Matt Willis

Feb 22, 2019 | Rollins College

The following is a response to "The Impact of Presidential Pardoning on American Democracy" by Felicia Gordon. The language of Article II, Section 2 of the United States Constitution is very...