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.

Felony Disenfranchisement Laws as Stealth Authoritarianism

Oct 1, 2022 | Ohio State University

Electoral laws are a common and necessary component of democratic regimes. However, these laws can undermine the democratic voting process through legal means. Restricting...

Corporate Authoritarianism in Ohio: How a Bribery Scheme Led to Widespread Subversion of Democracy

Sep 30, 2022 | Ohio State University

Within American democracy, politicians incorporate aspects of stealth authoritarianism into every level of politics. Often, the most brazen political stunts are...

Does Less Authoritarian Mean More Democratic? by Gwenyth Szabo

Feb 11, 2019 | American University

According to the Freedom House’s 2019 report of freedom levels around the world, it is clear that the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is one of the most suppressive countries in the world with a...

The Impact of Presidential Pardoning on American Democracy by Felicia Gordon

Feb 11, 2019 | Boston University

In the United States, the power to pardon is an executive power that is awarded to the President of the United States under Article II, Section II of the United States Constitution. Typically, a...

The Power of Direct Democracy in California by Zhuoyang Song

Feb 10, 2019 | Boston University

The power of direct democracy in California Initiative, referendum, and recall are the power of direct democracy and such process...

How the Republican Party has Failed American Democracy by Alison Gerzina

Feb 8, 2019 | American University

The story of the 2016 presidential election is not strictly one of failed gate-keeping. It is undoubtedly true that Republicans ignored their responsibilities, however gate-keeping, the...

The Impact of the Misinformation Online – Petition to Add Opioid Dependency as a Debilitating Medical Condition by Yunxuan Wang

Feb 8, 2019 | Rhode Island School of Design

Photo by Yunxuan On the morning of February 6th, I went to the Rhode Island Department of Health at 3 Capitol Hill to attend a public hearing of the petition to add Opioids dependency as a...

Democratic Erosion University Course Student Blog

Donald Trump the Nazi Reincarnate?: Godwin’s Law and How This Phenomenon is Counterproductive to Understanding Democratic Erosion

The Russia-Ukraine War Bodes Poorly for Democracy, But Not in the Way You Think

The Trump Administration’s Attack on USAID

Felony Disenfranchisement Laws as Stealth Authoritarianism

Corporate Authoritarianism in Ohio: How a Bribery Scheme Led to Widespread Subversion of Democracy

Does Less Authoritarian Mean More Democratic? by Gwenyth Szabo

The Impact of Presidential Pardoning on American Democracy by Felicia Gordon

The Power of Direct Democracy in California by Zhuoyang Song

How the Republican Party has Failed American Democracy by Alison Gerzina

The Impact of the Misinformation Online – Petition to Add Opioid Dependency as a Debilitating Medical Condition by Yunxuan Wang

Demystifying Democracy— Seeking Transparency in Rhode Island’s Legislative Process by Amy Wang

Dr. Cornel West keynote: Integrity, Honesty and Decency

What’s Your Calling? MLK Keynote Speaker Cornel West by Tiarra Bell

Art, Identity, and Activism: Cornel West MLK Keynote Speech by Natalie Ma

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