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.

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.

Arresting Opposition and Squashing Protests: Democratic Backsliding in Turkey Under Erdoğan

Turkey has been inching towards autocracy under Erdoğan and the AKP for the last 22 years.

How Democrats Undercut Biden’s September 1 Speech

Oct 17, 2022 | Boston University

As midterm election season began in September this year, President Biden gave a speech that strove to unite the rest of the country against Trump and MAGA Republicans, and...

Exchanges of Stealth Authoritarianism Abroad: 2022 UK Elections Act

Oct 16, 2022 | Boston University

The US has for years used gerrymandering, felony disenfranchisement, voter ID, and many other measures to suppress the vote. Through these measures, US conservatives not...

Lessons in Democracy from Local Government by Caleb Logan

Feb 28, 2019 | Saint Louis University

On Tuesday, February 12, I attended the Maplewood City Council meeting. The City Council meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month in the Maplewood City Hall in Maplewood, Missouri. The...

Missouri’s Master Manipulators Amending Election Results, Again by Paige Cook

Feb 28, 2019 | Saint Louis University

When discussing democracy, it is often referred to in the national or international sense, more specifically, in the notion of an entire governmental system. The theory of democracy brings about...

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...