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.

Voter ID Laws – A Solution to Voter Fraud or a Threat to Democracy?

Sep 30, 2022 | Ohio State University

If there is one democratic concept that has been emphasized time and time again, one idea that is vital for a state to even credit itself as democratic––it’s elections. Yet,...

Ohio Continues To Have a Districting Issue

Sep 30, 2022 | Ohio State University

As of 2022, the state of Ohio has yet to fix its gerrymandering issue. With the new census results showing clear drops in Ohio’s population, the state has lost a district...

On the Path of Spotting Hope in Our Democracy

Feb 5, 2019 | Rhode Island School of Design

Today, our democracy is more accessible to us than ever. While cases of exceptions to the political inclusion still exist, people of all races, beliefs, and genders are all given the rights to...

Mystifying Democracy by Summer Zheng

Feb 5, 2019 | Rhode Island School of Design

Are the speakers of the Rhode Island House dictatorial wolves concealed underneath a democratic sheep skin? Are the speakers of the Rhode Island House dictatorial wolves concealed underneath a...

Polish Polarization and Conspiracy: Social Media, Democratic Decay, and the Construction of Separate Worlds.

Feb 5, 2019 | American University

By Conor Gleeson The Polish authoritarian-friendly government led by the Law and Justice Party has created an environment conducive to spreading institutional distrust, anti-Semetic conspiracies,...

Democracy in Open Meetings of the City of Providence by Mook Lim

Feb 5, 2019 | Rhode Island School of Design

It is citizens’ own right and obligation to participate in state and local government. Citizens’ active engagement in the governance will be able to foster better changes in the environment of the...

Referral 3442- Petition to amend the definition of rehabilitation center in a regular meeting by Luna Kim

Feb 5, 2019 | Rhode Island School of Design

On January 29th, 2019 at 5:30 PM, the Committee on Ordinances held a regular meeting at 25 Dorrance Street, Providence City Hall to discuss various projects happening in the city as well as...

Power Imbalance and Representative Democracy in Rhode Island House of Representatives by Yifan Wang

Feb 4, 2019 | Rhode Island School of Design

On January 23rd, Common Cause Rhode Island held its “Demystifying Democracy” at the Dwares Jewish Community Center. Common Cause Rhode Island is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes...

Democracy and the Experience of Incarceration In The U.S. and Syria by Abbi Kenny

Feb 4, 2019 | Brown University, Rhode Island School of Design

Entering Brown University’s Stephen Robert Hall was an overwhelming ordeal, the hall was buzzing with activity from students, faculty, and guests as everyone prepared for the evening’s discussion....

A Defining Moment for Press in the United States by Eugene Rhee

Feb 4, 2019 | Rhode Island School of Design

Tensions between the press and figures in power, especially the wealthy, have always been present. However, after watching the documentary, “Nobody Speaks: Trials of the Free Press”, which was...

The Unwritten Rules in Rhode Island’s Speaker Dilemma by Lars Barstad

Feb 2, 2019 | Rhode Island School of Design

The state of Rhode Island has a severely imbalanced distribution of power within its House of Representatives. Specifically, the Speaker of the House never loses a vote. I only recently learned...