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.

Strong Parental Guidance?: How Film Censorship in the Philippines Affects Democracy

While cinema is often dismissed as mere entertainment, censoring it poses significant threats to information accessibility and, by extension, to democracy.

Checking The Vitals Of Philippine Democracy: Symptoms Of Fatigue Or Frustration?

Are Filipinos truly experiencing democracy fatigue, or are they simply frustrated with a system
that caged their role to the ballot box?

Emerging through the cracks: The Philippine opposition at the height of the Marcos-Duterte Split

In a period of political volatility, the opposition holds the coin to flip things in their favor. Strategically positioning itself as a genuine alternative the opposition has a chance to rebuild and become a stronger political force.

Can Civil Disobedience Save America’s Eroding Democracy?

Nov 22, 2022 | Suffolk University

“Forced motherhood is female enslavement” pleaded a pro-choice protester. Is slavery really what we are reverting to in 2022? In May of 2022, an initial draft of the Supreme...

Ala-kachuu

Nov 22, 2022 | Suffolk University

Ala-kachuu was once a beautiful, thoughtful practice. The so-called practice right now isn't the tradition in its proper form; it is a horrible crime masked under the...

Democracy Working With Businesses By Matthew Bellow

Mar 30, 2019 | University of Memphis

The decisions and negotiations that City Hall makes with both local and major businesses try to advocate for change. Change that attempts to provide the best impact for the greatest amount of...

Implications of Impeachment by Emily Curran

Mar 28, 2019 | Rollins College

Impeachment of a President has only happened twice in United States history; once with Andrew Johnson in 1868 and once with Bill Clinton in 1998. Impeachment is the legislature's ability to check...

The Oldest Continuous Democracy in Africa is Reported to be on a Negative Governance Trajectory by Dylan Gleeman

Mar 28, 2019 | Boston University

Botswana gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1966 and, since its liberation, has had free and fair elections. It has also averaged an 8.7% annual economic growth rate until 2008...

Charter Schools, Vouchers, and School Choice- We Want to Know Where We’re Headed… Right? by Cedric Williams

Mar 26, 2019 | University of Memphis

This past February I had the that opportunity to attend a legislative breakfast hosted by the Tennessee Charter School Center and in it, realized one very important thing- no one there knew what the...

Treating the Symptoms Doesn’t Cure the Democratic Disease by EJ Broker

Mar 26, 2019 | Rollins College

Democracy By Coincidence Referenda and recalls are some of the seemingly democratic solutions to the failures of the electoral system or the representatives within it. In the former, the...

Are Local Political Events Becoming A Product Of Democratic Erosion? By Kenneth Davis

Mar 25, 2019 | University of Memphis

On February 19th, 2019 I attended a rally sponsored by mayoral candidate Scott Conger and I immediately felt like a pawn. As I stand there watching fellow citizens waltz through the door with a...

Ranked-Choice Voting Threatens Election Result Legitimacy by Jacob Pollock

Mar 24, 2019 | University of Memphis

Deferred again, the Nashville city council punted on the issue of introducing ranked-choice voting in municipal elections. The proposal was brought forth by councilmember Rosenberg to limit the...

Tennessee Republicans Continue Legislative Overreach by Em Bennett

Mar 24, 2019 | University of Memphis

Following February 2017 shooting of Nashville resident Jocques Clemmons by Metro Police officer Joshua Lippert, Nashville citizens began to call, yet again, for an independent oversight board...

How Bipartisan Committees Resolve Polarization by Vielman Cruz

Mar 24, 2019 | University of Memphis

Mutual tolerance from people of different political ideologies is one of the most important cornerstones of true democracy. These guardrails of democracy are so engrained in the American psyche that...