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.
The Erosion of an Already Weak Democracy: The Rise and Fall of Jovenel Moïse
Undermining the Feedback Loop: How Trump’s Educational Policies Hinder Democratic Accountability
Democracy Six Feet Under: How Disinformation is Burying Philippine Democracy Alive
Rewriting Democracy: Chile’s Triumph of Institutional Process
Nov 1, 2022 | Skidmore College
On September 4, 2022, Chileans were offered a new path forward for their country. A new constitution had been drafted to replace the Pinochet era version, and Chilean...
Disbelief in Democratic Systems Starts with Election Fraud
Nov 1, 2022 | Boston University
Trump’s election as president was historic for many reasons, not only in that he seems...
The Polish threat to the integrity of the European Union by Aram Martirosyan
Feb 13, 2019 | Boston University
The rise in the number of right wing nationalist governments over the recent years has not inspired an optimistic outlook on the prospect of the world affairs as it stands. The...
John Adams, Donald Trump, and the Painful Saga of American Authoritarianism by Eli Kramer
Feb 13, 2019 | Boston University
On January 27th of 2017, seated in front of the Presidential Seal, U.S President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 13769, barring any citizen from seven countries -- Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia,...
Unconfirmed and Unaccountable: Trump’s Embrace of Acting Agency Heads Erodes Democracy by Nicholas Bornstein
Feb 13, 2019 | Boston University
Just over a month ago, President Donald Trump remarked to a group of reporters that, “…my actings are doing really great… I sort of like ‘acting’. It gives me more flexibility; do you understand...
How the Republican Party Failed to Keep a Populist Demagogue off of the 2016 Presidential Ballot by Kendall Sirica
Feb 13, 2019 | Boston University
In the months leading up to and following Donald Trump receiving the official nomination as the Republican presidential candidate in 2016, it was obvious that Democratic politicians opposed him,...
How Britain’s Farewell to the EU Threatens the Irish Peace Process – by Brady Mokrzycki
Feb 13, 2019 | Boston University
On May 22nd 1998, a referendum determined that a majority of Northern Ireland’s population wished to remain a part of the United Kingdom. The Good Friday Agreement between the governments of...
The Democratic System in Today’s Political Climate
Feb 13, 2019 | Boston University
The increasing polarization in the American two-party system may be a step towards democratic erosion. By Adelyn Davidson The democratic system was adopted in the United States to unite the nation...
The Specter of Voter Fraud: Donald Trump and the Delegitimization of Election Integrity by Benjamin Wuesthoff
Feb 13, 2019 | Boston University
During the final Presidential debate of the 2016 election, then candidate Donald Trump alarmed pundits and politicians alike as he declined to confirm whether or not he would accept the results of...
Serbia’s democratic backsliding sees no end in sight by Ryan Stolz
Feb 13, 2019 | Boston University
Within the past few days, Serbia has been downgraded by democracy watchdog Freedom House from a “free” country to a “partly free” country. This decision by Freedom House is no surprise as Serbia and...
Ivory Coast’s Democratic Transgression by Dylan Gleeman
Feb 13, 2019 | Boston University
Ivory Coast is in a clearly defined erosion of their democracy. Democratic erosion is a gradual process that transpires when elected leaders progressively undermine democracy. Oftentimes, it is...