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.

When Will Sudan’s Promissory Coup End? Interview with Ruling General Provides Little Clarity for the Country’s Future

Oct 12, 2022 | Ohio State University

In the past three years, Sudan has experienced two promissory coups, plunging the country into ongoing political turmoil. Although outwardly intended to foster...

Hostage Situation Shines Spotlight Back on Backsliding Democracy in the Philippines

Oct 12, 2022 | Ohio State University

WHAT JUST HAPPENED? On October 9th, an ex-senator was used in a hostage situation while prisoners were attempting a jailbreak in the Republic of the Philippines. The...

Sitting In & Listening by Andrew Kim

Feb 12, 2019 | Rhode Island School of Design

On January 30, 2019 I had the opportunity to sit in on an open meeting with the City of Providence. The Economic Development Advisory Committee was meeting to progress their discussion regarding...

How The 2016 Presidential Election Shed Light on Democratic Backsliding by Sophie Secor

Feb 12, 2019 | Boston University

The 2016 Trump campaign was unlike any other campaign that America has ever seen. The highly publicized, and infamous candidate was anything but a politician. Rumors of Russian interference in the...

The “Trump of the Tropics”: How Much Danger Does Bolsonaro Pose? – by Dean Weeden

Feb 12, 2019 | Boston University

The global rise of nationalism in recent years has given rise to far-right movements across the globe, but its effects have been contained primarily in the United States, and the West (think...

Government Shutdowns and Democratic Legitimacy by H. Upchurch

Feb 12, 2019 | American University

The longest government shutdown to date ended on 25 January 2019, and unless Congress reaches a deal on the border, the government will shut down again in three days. Republican support for the last...

The United States Has Joined the Sad Roster of Backsliding Democracies by Nikki Tolenoa

Feb 12, 2019 | Boston University

Since the moment that current President Trump had been elected as the next President of the United States, the entire world has kept an eye on the United States with curiosity and hesitance at hand....

Revolutionary Piety (MLK Keynote Speaker Cornel West) by Kat Vizcardo

Feb 11, 2019 | Rhode Island School of Design

On January 23, 2019, the RISD community and I had the honor in attending a lecture by Dr. Cornel West at the Rhode Island School of Design for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Dr. West is an activist...

Brazilian democracy under threat: the pathway that led President Bolsonaro to power by Eugênia Álvares Affonso

Feb 11, 2019 | Boston University

On October 28, 2018, Jair Messias Bolsonaro, from PSL (Social Liberal Party), was elected president of Brazil with 55 percent of valid votes on the second round of the elections. Despite of having...

A Case of Democratic Erosion: How Georgia’s Exact Match Policy Compromises Free and Fair Elections by Emilie Larsen

Feb 11, 2019 | Boston University

Controversy over voter access is a reoccurring figure in American political debate, most recently revitalized by the 2018 midterm elections. While concerns over voter access were raised in...

South Africa Must Reflect on Its Past Before May Elections by Samantha Rip

Feb 11, 2019 | American University

South Africa’s General Elections will be coming after a period of rampant political corruption and decay of democratic institutions. The elections, which are being held in May, will elect members of...