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.

Is Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Actually Keeping Us Safe?

Voter fraud in the United States is almost nonexistent, with very little evidence suggesting that noncitizens are the ones committing it, if it does happen. Audits and research have repeatedly found only tiny numbers of such cases, often due to clerical errors rather...

Modern Gerrymandering and Its Damaging Effects on U.S. Electoral Democracy

Introduction Gerrymandering is the practice of drawing electoral maps to favor one political party over another. When redrawing maps, the party in power will use two strategies: packing and cracking. Packing is when a party tries to fit in as many of their likely...

Confusion and Control: New Voting Laws Weakening Democracy in America

A core component of democracy is representation through free and fair elections. Free and fair can be defined by who qualifies to vote and then by the actual ability of that group to vote. The SAVE Act, which presents stricter voter ID laws, with the intention of...

Tensions Escalate Following Terrorist Attack in Northern Kosovo

Oct 13, 2023 | Salem State University

By Luciano Hoxhaj On September 24, 2023, more than 30 armed Serbs attacked a monastery in Banjska, a village near Kosovo’s northern border with Serbia. The attack saw four...

Ghana Protests: Example of Democratic Backsliding

Oct 13, 2023 | Salem State University

In September, Ghana saw a wave of protests against the economic crisis that has been ravaging the country for the past five years. The protests happened in front of the...

Stealth Authoritarianism in the Bureaucracy: Prosecution of Wikileaks Threatens Democratic Norms

Apr 22, 2019 | University of Chicago

"Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people, who have a right . . . and a desire to know . . . the characters and conduct of their rulers.” – President John Adams [1]...

Who Counts As American? The Citizenship Question and the Census by Meghan Ward

Apr 22, 2019 | University of Chicago

In politics, the year 2020 is mostly talked about in relation to the presidential election. However, another important event for American democracy will happen that year and is stirring up its own...

The Mueller Report and Republican Gatekeeping by Kenjiro Lee

Apr 22, 2019 | University of Chicago

When it comes to Donald Trump, Republican gatekeeping has been somewhat lacking. Despite sexual assault allegations, racist rhetoric that made party members squirm, and a clear reluctance to accept...

Newton’s Third Law: Populism and Democracy by Selena Spencer

Apr 22, 2019 | University of Chicago

Populism as the equal and opposite reaction to American Democracy. Internationally populists and the populism are seen as generally undemocratic. The term populist itself is so broad it can...

Deliberately Missing the Point: How Russia’s Electoral Institutions Aid in Vote Manipulation, by Matthew Sparks

Apr 22, 2019 | University of Chicago

On paper, at least, Russia has all of the necessary institutions of a functioning liberal democracy, with regular elections and even bodies specifically devoted to overseeing the election process....

New Legislation Attempts to Regulate “Fake-News” in Singapore by Clara Fong

Apr 22, 2019 | University of Chicago

Singapore’s newly proposed anti-fake news legislation, The Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Bill, follows in the footsteps of several countries, such as France passing a law last...

The Populist Threat to the European Union

Apr 22, 2019 | University of Chicago

The European Union is often regarded as one of democracy’s largest triumphs. But as countries all over Europe face an increasingly threatening movement from the extreme right, should we be worried...

Questioning the Validity of the Immigration National Emergency by Leon Chin

Apr 22, 2019 | University of Chicago

There are currently 32 active national emergencies in effect in the United States. Most of those 32 active national emergencies are to continue imposing sanctions on various foreign entities....

Felon Disenfranchisement and the Implementation of Amendment 4 in Florida by Sammy Elmasri

Apr 22, 2019 | University of Chicago

Last November, 64.6 percent of Florida voters voted in favor of Amendment 4, which restores voting rights for felons “who have completed all terms of their sentence, including parole or probation,”...