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.

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...

Strong Parental Guidance?: How Film Censorship in the Philippines Affects Democracy

While cinema is often dismissed as mere entertainment, censoring it poses significant threats to information accessibility and, by extension, to democracy.

Exporting Hindutva: The Dangers of Hindu Nationalism’s Transformation into Islamophobia on the Global Stage

Nov 9, 2022 | Skidmore College

The Republic of India has been the most populous democracy in the world since its foundation 75 years ago. Since the meteoric rise of Hindu Nationalism, also known as...

The Duterte Way And His Legacy on Philippine Democracy

Nov 9, 2022 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

Rodrigo Duterte’s presidential candidacy in the Philippines’ 2016 elections was a breath of fresh air for a majority of Filipinos. In a society of frustrated poor and...

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...

Nigerian President’s Recent Actions and Electoral Opposition Indicate Likely Decline of Democracy by Nick Cook

Feb 13, 2019 | Boston University

As Nigerians prepare to cast votes for the presidency, recent actions by sitting President Muhammadu Buhari and the history of his main electoral opposition, Atiku Abubakar, indicate that democracy...

Hungary’s Democracy on Paper Is a Danger to Europe by Daniel Abramson

Feb 13, 2019 | Boston University

This past week, Freedom House published its annual report on the status of democracy around the world. In the Freedom in the World...

Why The Shutdown is Only the Beginning by Amber Chan

Feb 13, 2019 | Boston University

For over 35 days, the state of the United States was in limbo. From December 22nd until January 25th, the longest government shutdown was a stand-off between Congress and President Trump, mainly...

Stealth Authoritarianism in Practice: Cambodia’s Failed Democracy by Huy Do

Feb 12, 2019 | Boston University

On January 7, 2019, thousands of Cambodians gathered to celebrate the 40th Victory Day, the annual celebration of the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime. At the forefront of this momentous event, Prime...

Sitting In & Listening by Andrew Kim

Feb 12, 2019 | Rhode Island School of Design

On January 30, 2019 I had the opportunity to sit in on an open meeting with the City of Providence. The Economic Development Advisory Committee was meeting to progress their discussion regarding...

How The 2016 Presidential Election Shed Light on Democratic Backsliding by Sophie Secor

Feb 12, 2019 | Boston University

The 2016 Trump campaign was unlike any other campaign that America has ever seen. The highly publicized, and infamous candidate was anything but a politician. Rumors of Russian interference in the...

The “Trump of the Tropics”: How Much Danger Does Bolsonaro Pose? – by Dean Weeden

Feb 12, 2019 | Boston University

The global rise of nationalism in recent years has given rise to far-right movements across the globe, but its effects have been contained primarily in the United States, and the West (think...