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.

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...

From Stardom to Senate: The Alarming Trend of Celebrity Politics in the Philippines

The intersection of celebrity and politics in the Philippines is nothing new. The phenomenon of celebrity politicians—actors, athletes, and other public figures who go from the big screen or stage to the corridors of power—has become a defining aspect of the country's...

Precursors to Democratic Erosion in Mali

Nov 26, 2022 | Boston University

Beginning with French occupation in the late 19th century, Mali has had a long history of...

The Far-Right Goes Mainstream: France’s National Rally in Parliament

Nov 25, 2022 | Boston University

The National Rally (RN), France’s far-right party, gained a record high of 89 seats in the lower house of Parliament in France’s June 2022 elections. The party’s gains...

The Brazilian Version of Hochschild’s “Deep Story” by Eugênia Álvares Affonso

Apr 8, 2019 | Boston University

While reading chapter nine of Hochschild’sStrangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right , I couldn’t help but think about how the “Deep Story” she proposes to explain the...

On the Border of Democracy by Emilie Larsen

Apr 7, 2019 | Boston University

On February 15th, 2019, following the longest ever government shutdown, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency over what he refers to as the security crisis on the Southern border....

Why The Election of Jair Bolsonaro is the First Step in the Erosion of Brazil’s Democracy by Felicia Gordon

Apr 7, 2019 | Boston University

Jair Bolsonaro was elected into power to serve as Brazil’s President on January 1, 2019. While the brief amount of time since his Presidency began limits Bolsonaro’s role thus far in forming new...

Mueller’s Failed Indictment: An Agent for Democratic Erosion by Huy Do

Apr 7, 2019 | Boston University

This past week, the Mueller investigation’s preliminary findings sprung across American news outlets, indicating that neither President Trump, nor any of his aides conspired or coordinated with the...

A False Sense of Hope: Thailand’s Recent Election – By Dean Weeden

Apr 6, 2019 | Boston University

Many observers were looking toward the Thailand elections in late March as a sign of changing times; the country has been governed by a military junta for the past five years. However, as the...

Fake News: How Trump’s Attack on the Media is an Attack on Democracy

Apr 4, 2019 | Utah State University

Madison R. Wadsworth It seems as though every day there is another article about the United States President, Donald Trump, calling reporters foul names, trying to bar partisan press from press...

Murder of Polish Mayor Highlight’s Hostile Political Divisions by Isa Colyer

Apr 4, 2019 | Saint Louis University

On Sunday, January 13th of this year, hundreds of Polish residents flocked to an outdoor stage in Gdansk to attend the Great Orchestra of Christmas, Poland’s largest annual charity event. It was the...

Reparations, Apologies, and the Spanish Conquest by Taylor Williams

Apr 4, 2019 | Saint Louis University

Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador is the current president of Mexico, elected in 2018 as part of the National Regeneration Movement party. In attempts to facilitate the national recognition and subsequent...

It Wasn’t Always This Way: How Republicans Went from Gatekeepers of Democracy to Promoters of Populism by Kyle Friant

Apr 4, 2019 | Utah State University

Antipathy to liberal democracy has become a staple of the modern incarnation of the Republican Party, a move that is detrimental to the entire international community. In a myriad of examples over...