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.

El Salvador: Authoritarianism Gone Viral

Aug 31, 2022 | Dartmouth College

Presidential election results in El Salvador, the tiny, Latin American nation may seem to be trivial to most Americans. This outlook, however, is far from the truth....

Italy’s Hidden Fractures: A Democracy Dependent on the Unelected

Aug 30, 2022 | Dartmouth College

On July 14, 2022, Italy’s adolescent “national unity” government narrowly escaped complete collapse. Prime Minister (PM) Mario Draghi’s dramatic resignation ended in...

Four reasons why Catalonia is not going to become independent any time soon by Yanebi Blanco @Skidmore College

Apr 13, 2018 | Skidmore College

Half a year after the problematic referendum for independence in the Spanish region of Catalonia, it is fair to call into question what is going to happen next. As a Spaniard studying abroad this...

Racial slurs on campus: The first amendment and freedom of the press By : John Blake Stayton @ The University of Memphis

Apr 13, 2018 | University of Memphis

On March 16th 2018, I participated in a philanthropy hosted by a sorority on campus. The event was a lip sync and dance routine that was attended by over 900 members of the campus community....

Kenya’s Latest Election Posing Serious Risks To Its Democracy by Wyeth Taylor @ Skidmore College

Apr 13, 2018 | Skidmore College

The Republic of Kenya has a long and contentious past, and since it became independent from Great Britain in 1963 it has struggled to become a free and fair democracy. Freedom House, an organization...

Lebanon: Caught in the Crossfire by Jillian Seigel @Skidmore College

Apr 13, 2018 | Skidmore College

International relations between countries come with very high stakes. The geopolitical climate of the Middle East has perpetuated conflict to spread throughout the world but has also receive the...

Could curing Ebola also cure backsliding in Sierra Leone? by Wallace Anne Cloud @ Skidmore College

Apr 13, 2018 | Skidmore College

Sierra Leone has made a dramatic leap of progress towards democracy with peaceful transitions of power over the past couple of decades since the end of the civil war. Freedom House had even awarded...

Case Study on Hungary: From a Post-Communist Success Story to a Frankenstate by Jack Galardi @ Skidmore College

Apr 13, 2018 | Skidmore College

Hungary has been a European Union member state for the past 14 years. It has been ranked as a “free” democracy by Freedom House during that entire span. Sadly, neither of these pieces of information...

Chile Shows All Democracies Bend, Not All Break by Austin Albertson @ Skidmore College

Apr 13, 2018 | Skidmore College

Despite the youth of its democracy, the Chilean government consistently scores highly with third-party rating groups like Freedom House and The Economist Intelligence Unit. Like many South American...

Slavery, military intervention and oppression of the press: three barriers to democratic growth in Mauritania by: Isabelle Bertolozzi @ Skidmore College

Apr 12, 2018 | Skidmore College

The government in Mauritania, while in theory a presidential republic, is, in reality, not even close to being democratic. In fact, Mauritania is listed as an authoritarian regime by the Economist...