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.

Trump’s Evolved Form of Populism Works… and Hurts.

President Donald Trump’s second term in office has brought forth a more evolved form of populism; by incorporating authoritarian methods of governing with populist tactics, Trump is doing significant damage to America’s democracy.

The Judicial Branch’s Downfall

By ruling with bias, the Judicial Branch is overstepping its constitutional role and threatening the integrity of our separation of powers and system of checks and balances.

Israel’s Judicial Reforms: A Potential Danger to Democracy?

Israel’s suggested judicial reforms pose a risk to democratic checks and balances by undermining the independence of the judiciary, centralizing executive authority, and potentially weakening democratic principles, similar to what has been observed in countries like Poland.

Democratic Backsliding in the Massachusetts State House

Oct 17, 2022 | Boston University

As we well know, democracy is not a stable thing. It is fragile and easily threatened, yet idealized and strived for all around the world. In one moment it can be strong as...

Voice of a People: Is Trump’s Right-Wing Populist Shake-Up Detrimental to American Democracy?

Oct 17, 2022 | Boston University

“I alone can fix it”. Five simple words which have the power to jeopardize American democracy. With Trump’s use of such rhetoric at the Republican National Committee (RNC)...

Group Polarization by Jacob Murray

Mar 24, 2019 | University of Memphis

February 16, 2019, was a night to remember in Williamson County, Tennessee and a reminder of how partisan we can become if we surround ourselves with only people that agree with us. A sitting United...

Is Smaller Better? The Decision to Deannex South Cordova by Catherine Blackwood

Mar 24, 2019 | University of Memphis

I attended a nearly record breaking 5 hour Memphis City Council meeting on February 19th, where they voted to approve the deannexation of certain sections of the South Cordova area. Currently, those...

Is Government Special Treatment Always A Bad Thing? By Bruce Starnes

Mar 21, 2019 | University of Memphis

Arlington Tennessee was once believed to be the next big city in the Memphis area. It was expected to boom and grow rapidly. It so far has yet to do so but it might be on its...

The Uncertain Future of Democracy in India by Alison Gerzina

Mar 21, 2019 | American University

With a voting population of 900 million people, India is the world’s largest democracy. But since the election of Narendra Modi in 2014, critics are increasingly voicing concerns that India’s...

The Women’s March: Protest, Participation, and Polarization by Paige Cook

Mar 20, 2019 | Saint Louis University

I found myself standing – marching – down Market Street in St. Louis on a cold January day for the third year in a row. Although the crowds seemed smaller than years past, it was still filled with...

Mr. Bolsonaro Comes to Washington

Mar 19, 2019 | American University

by Sarah Ampolsk “It’s an honor to be here after decades of anti-American presidents,” Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro told U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office today. Bolsonaro, often...

The Lawyers Who Did Not Break

Mar 19, 2019 | Rollins College

The U.S. legal system is withstanding the Trump onslaught. By David Brooks The New York Times February 21, 2019 A crucial question of the Trump years has always been: Will our institutions hold?...

How the Left Embraced Elitism

Mar 19, 2019 | Rollins College

The progressives’ Green New Deal centralizes power. by David Brooks New York Times February 11, 2019 Over the past generation, global capitalism has produced the greatest reduction in human poverty...

Gatekeeping doesn’t work, at least not in Austria by Alec Wood

Mar 19, 2019 | American University

On 26 January 2017 Alexander Van der Bellen, former party spokesman and chairman of the Greens, became the 9th president of the Federal Republic of Austria. For many, this was a sign that the...