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.

You Can’t Sit with Us: The Practice of Democratic Gatekeeping and How It Has Saved Democracies

At the 11th hour of the 2024 election many Republican politicians and members of congress took a stance against Republican candidate, Donald Trump. Through the “Republicans for Harris” tagline, they urged their supporters through various forms of appeals to vote...

The Erosion of an Already Weak Democracy: The Rise and Fall of Jovenel Moïse

Jovenel Moïse's presidency marked a dangerous shift from Haiti's already shaky democracy to overt authoritarianism. Delayed elections, unchecked abuse of executive power, and violent suppression of resistance became the norm. By the time of his assassination in 2021,...

Undermining the Feedback Loop: How Trump’s Educational Policies Hinder Democratic Accountability

In a larger trend of censoring opinions which the Trump administration views as undesirable, the Trump administration’s actions towards schools and universities has a negative impact on democracy as a whole. Such a system depends on the free transmission of...

Is There a Place For Anymore Growth In Argentina’s Democracy?

Nov 13, 2022 | Skidmore College

While the Vice president of Argentina, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner is awaiting her trials for corruption, it is her attempted assassination that has garnered the...

Youth Civic Engagement and The Future of Democracy

Nov 10, 2022 | Suffolk University

The importance of youth engagement in the democratic system, and ways that those who are not yet able to vote can still engage in civics. Our Issues, Our Voices, Our Votes:...

The Catalan Threat to Spanish Democracy by Joe Bodnar

Mar 9, 2019 | American University

General Francisco Franco’s dictatorship attempted to bury Catalan nationalism. After Franco’s death in 1975, Spain attempted to bury Francoism. With Franco’s remains settled in the Valley of the...

Why Aren’t the Swiss Voting? By Logan O’Neil At Suffolk University

Mar 9, 2019 | Suffolk University

Switzerland has often been thought of as a paragon of modern democracy, a position it has proudly held for a number of decades. The 2018 Freedom House report seems to agree as well, scoring the...

A Symptom and a Cause: Damaging Effects of Emigration on Moldovan Democracy by Heather Marshall

Mar 8, 2019 | Suffolk University

How can a country with a shrinking population hold its government accountable for corruption and fraud? How can a country with a corrupt and fraudulent government expect to keep its population?...

Communism in Nepal Threatens to Destroy the Democracy It Fought For by Salvatore Ragonese

Mar 7, 2019 | Suffolk University

Recent events in Nepal suggest that communism may be acting as an obstacle to the country’s democratic progress. According to the...

Japan Evades Populism but Sets the Stage for Future Trouble by Riham Amin

Mar 7, 2019 | American University

Over the past two decades nations around the world have collectively fallen into the hands of populist leaders. From the long-lasting global stronghold of the United States the developing upheaval...

Corruption and Constitutional Retrogression In Israel by H. Upchurch

Mar 5, 2019 | American University

At the end of February, Benjamin Netanyahu drew condemnations from all over the world for a deal that would bring a Kahanist party into the Knesset if his coalition prevails in the coming...

Authoritarians Fight to the Death by Gwenyth Szabo

Mar 4, 2019 | American University

Authoritarians do not just cling to power, they fight for it until their very last breath. President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is one of the many authoritarians currently ruling, and with elections...

Citizens Bring Controversial Issues to the Columbia City Council by Isa Colyer

Mar 3, 2019 | Saint Louis University

A defining feature of local democracies is that these smaller units of government can allow for more direct participation by the public. In Columbia, Missouri, each of the city council’s monthly...

Checks and Balances at the Local Level: Board of Adjustment Meeting by Olivia Kesselring

Feb 28, 2019 | Saint Louis University

On February 20th, 2018, I attended a Board of Adjustment meeting for the City of St. Louis, Missouri. The board is a part of the Building Division of city government, and hears appeals for any...