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.

Does Bulgaria Really Support Ukraine?

Jun 12, 2022 | Koç University

Following the Russian aggression against Ukraine, it was generally questioned whether Bulgaria really supports Ukraine, but recent developments have solidified the country’s...

Almost Three Decades under ‘Lukashenkism’ Rule and the Consequences for Belarus

Jun 12, 2022 | Koç University

‘‘An authoritarian style of rule is a characteristic of me, and I have always admitted it’’. This brave but problematic statement was made 19 years ago by the Belarusian...

Understanding the Disintegration of the Dominican Republic by Melissa Ma @ Ohio State University

Mar 23, 2018 | Ohio State University

Early spring marks the brutality of midterms, papers and presentations for most college students. What is even more grueling is the fact that Midwesterners will often meet this new season with...

A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing: Lebanon’s New Electoral Law Entrenches the Power of Political Elites under the Guise of Reform by Jackson Schumacher @ The Ohio State University

Mar 23, 2018 | Ohio State University

Lebanon is set to have its first parliamentary election in 9 years this May and with the new elections will come new electoral laws. The passage of the new electoral law was no small task and the 9...

Democracy With a Side of Corruption: the Political Menu of Argentina by Sunder Sai @ The Ohio State University

Mar 23, 2018 | Ohio State University

What’s cooking in Argentina’s political kitchen? Democracy with a side of corruption is certainly featured on the menu. Here in this post I am bringing out the handy-dandy democratic...

“Panama Papers” Show Panama’s Democracy Could Improve through Civic Engagement by Madeleine Haas @ Ohio State University

Mar 23, 2018 | Ohio State University

Civic engagement is a vital component of any democracy, however immature or struggling. Panama is one such young and struggling democracy. The response of citizens and government officials to the...

The Checks of Democracy are Working in Uruguay by Garrett Rethman @ Ohio State University

Mar 23, 2018 | Ohio State University

In South America’s leading democracy, there is no escaping the rule of democratic law. Uruguay, a small nation wedged between Argentina and Brazil, is the gold standard of democracy within South...

Slavery and the Limitation of Human Rights in Mauritania by Jamie O’Neill @ the Ohio State University

Mar 23, 2018 | Ohio State University

Mauritania, or the Islamic Republic of Mauritania was the last country in the world to legally abolish slavery in 2007, however today a large portion of the Afro-Mauritanian population is still...

A Polarizing Alliance: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Germany’s Grand Coalition by Sarah Stradling @ Ohio State University

Mar 23, 2018 | Ohio State University

The 2017 German election left many people in shock. Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), a far right populist party, gained unprecedented ground in the Parliamentary elections. This led to problems...

NICARAGUA’S BACKSLIDING DEMOCRACY BY HANNAH FRANCES C. BODEGON@UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES, DILIMAN

Mar 23, 2018 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

Daniel Ortega and the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) played a key role in topping down the Somoza dictatorship in 1979. Through a long and heavy struggle, democracy was...

Is Europe’s Migrant Crisis a Potential Threat to Finnish Democracy? By Abby Nutter @ The Ohio State University

Mar 22, 2018 | Ohio State University

By many quantitative measures, Finnish democracy is in seemingly great shape. But while this European nation outwardly sets inspirational international standards for democracy, actions by the...