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.

History Repeats: Why Strong Global Defense is Key to Preventing Autocracy

A strong and consistent global defense by democratic nations is crucial to preventing the rise of autocratic regimes, as history shows—from the Cold War doctrines to the failed democratization of Afghanistan—that without committed follow-through and structural reform, authoritarian forces will exploit weaknesses and reclaim power.

Women in Political Dynasties: The Illusion of Choice and Democratic Erosion in the Philippines

Political dynasties have long controlled Philippine politics, with powerful families passing down leadership positions across generations. Despite the imposition of term limits discouraging dynastic rule, these families have found their way around the constitutional...

From Stardom to Senate: The Alarming Trend of Celebrity Politics in the Philippines

The intersection of celebrity and politics in the Philippines is nothing new. The phenomenon of celebrity politicians—actors, athletes, and other public figures who go from the big screen or stage to the corridors of power—has become a defining aspect of the country's...

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...

Flexing My Civic Muscles: Contributing to Effective Voter Turnout Methods

Nov 22, 2022 | Suffolk University

Political canvassing is the backbone of all campaigns. Canvassing is imperative in the initiation of direct contact with individuals who may be inclined to support a...

Mr. Bolsonaro Comes to Washington

Mar 19, 2019 | American University

by Sarah Ampolsk “It’s an honor to be here after decades of anti-American presidents,” Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro told U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office today. Bolsonaro, often...

The Lawyers Who Did Not Break

Mar 19, 2019 | Rollins College

The U.S. legal system is withstanding the Trump onslaught. By David Brooks The New York Times February 21, 2019 A crucial question of the Trump years has always been: Will our institutions hold?...

How the Left Embraced Elitism

Mar 19, 2019 | Rollins College

The progressives’ Green New Deal centralizes power. by David Brooks New York Times February 11, 2019 Over the past generation, global capitalism has produced the greatest reduction in human poverty...

Gatekeeping doesn’t work, at least not in Austria by Alec Wood

Mar 19, 2019 | American University

On 26 January 2017 Alexander Van der Bellen, former party spokesman and chairman of the Greens, became the 9th president of the Federal Republic of Austria. For many, this was a sign that the...

United States’ Democracy and its Ambivalent Future by Daniel Caissie

Mar 12, 2019 | Suffolk University

Photo retrieved from: https://www.vox.com/the-big-idea/2017/9/5/16227700/hyperpartisanship-identity-american-democracy-problems-solutions-doom-loop Democracy was born in ancient Greece and its...

Stochastic Terrorism in Poland

Mar 12, 2019 | American University

By Conor Gleeson Stochastic terrorism is a term that rose to prominence in 2018 to describe the use of mass, public communication, against a particular individual or group, which incites or inspires...

Lebanon’s Growing Economic Crisis & The Role of Democratic Backsliding

Mar 11, 2019 | Suffolk University

Can quantitative data be the best indicator of a destabilizing democracy? Lebanon’s growing economic crisis may be the icing on the cake in terms of diagnosing the country’s past and present...

Can the opposition parties in Namibia overcome the political dominance of the SWAPO party? by Katrina Ramkissoon

Mar 11, 2019 | Suffolk University

Can a country who has only had democracy for less than three decades already begin facing democratic backsliding? Unfortunately, yes. This is the case for the African country Namibia which just...

Alexis Tsipras Is Smarter Than You Think: A Response by Marianna Moulis

Mar 11, 2019 | Suffolk University

In January of 2019, journalist Yiannis Baboulias published an article titled: Alexis Tsipras Is Smarter Than You Think. The crux of his argument being that “Greece’s prime minister has...