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.

Donald Trump the Nazi Reincarnate?: Godwin’s Law and How This Phenomenon is Counterproductive to Understanding Democratic Erosion

What do we hope to accomplish when comparing President Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler, a tyrannical perpetrator of genocide?

The Russia-Ukraine War Bodes Poorly for Democracy, But Not in the Way You Think

The Russia-Ukraine War is a serious threat to global democracy through the growing wave of isolationism in the United States, an entity that has typically been at the forefront of fighting authoritarianism across the world.

The Trump Administration’s Attack on USAID

The Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle USAID, increase concerns about democratic backsliding as it could result in a trend with the executive undermining institutional legitimacy.

Carrots and Sticks: How the Greek Government Undermined Free and Independent Media During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Sep 1, 2022 | Dartmouth College

While Hungary and Poland dominate the discussion of democratic erosion in Europe, it is Greece that ranks last in media freedom among European Union member-states. Since the...

Drought Unlikely to Spark Democratization in Iran

Aug 31, 2022 | Dartmouth College

Over the past two years, large protests for clean drinking water spread throughout drought-stricken Iran. The protests, deemed the Uprising of the Thirsty, were largely...

Cowboy versus Team Loyalist: A Portrait of the Modern GOP by Kennedy Inman @ Georgia State University

Apr 14, 2018 | Georgia State University

While most look to President Trump for signs of democratic erosion and the rise of populism, one can find them in his adopted party, the Republican Party (or as it is colloquially known, the “GOP.”...

Egypt is Desperate for High Voter Turnout by Willie Wells @ University of Memphis

Apr 14, 2018 | University of Memphis

It has been four years since Egyptians elected their last president. They are returning to the polls this week (Mar 26-28), to re-elect Abdel- Fattah el-Sissi, their incumbent president, to another...

MLK50 Event By Ali Raza Galani @ The University of Memphis

Apr 14, 2018 | University of Memphis

I went to the MLK50 event in Memphis, TN. It commemorated the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s assassination at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, TN. Everyone present, was there to honor the late...

“Fifty Years of King’s Inspired Progress or Neglect” By, Alexander Gephart @ University of Memphis

Apr 13, 2018 | University of Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee recently held the event “MLK 50” in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the tragic loss of the great civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, who helped unify the...

A Transition of Power Will Change Little in Botswana by Dylan Quinn @ Skidmore College

Apr 13, 2018 | Skidmore College

Quietly and unsurprisingly, President Ian Khama stepped down from his position as the leader of the Republic of Botswana. The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) – the dominant force in Botswana...

Israel: Democracy or Ethnocracy? By Max Mapes @ Skidmore College

Apr 13, 2018 | Skidmore College

What Is Israel? The state of Israel is a small country—about the size of New Jersey—in the Middle East. It borders the Mediterranean Sea, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. The country also borders,...

Liberty and Justice Thrives in Huntington W.Virginia by Willie Wells @ University of Memphis

Apr 13, 2018 | University of Memphis

I attended the Shelby County Board of Commissioners meeting in Memphis, Tennessee on April 11,2018. There were 16 committee items on the agenda. I shall focus on the second item which was entitled...

Serbian Slip N Slide: Recent Democratic Erosion in Serbia by Hannah Hoey @ Skidmore College

Apr 13, 2018 | Skidmore College

Upon the ousting of Milošević from power in 2000, national and international hopes were optimistic that the new century heralded political transition for Serbia. Under the guidance of the European...

“India’s own Democratic Erosion: Declining Secularism and Pluralism” by Anne Pfeifenberger @ Skidmore College

Apr 13, 2018 | Skidmore College

Current conversation in the United States focused on democratic decline represents broader discussion and observation of democracies across the globe. Democratic ranking indexes, such as Freedom...