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.

How Identity Politics Polarize Social Media Even Further

Jun 10, 2022 | University of California, San Diego

The more social media increases, the more identity politics and echo chambers will grow as well, increasing political polarization within the U.S. With the rise of...

On the January 6th Hearings: The GOP Needs to Drain Its Own Swamp

Jun 10, 2022 | University of California, San Diego

Trump’s acquittal for his second impeachment sets a dangerous precedent for rising players in the GOP, who attempt to follow his lead. The main questions that arose from his...

Maduro is No Chávez: Death of Demoracy in Venezuela by Adja Hudson @ University of California, Los Angeles

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

Since 2012, Venezuela’s economic condition has been on a downward spiral and the country is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis. The political climate has worsened as democracy is continually...

Hugo Chavez; Populism aiding Democratic Erosion by Marcella Pensamiento @UCLA

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

Many argue that Venezuela’s current state of democracy is directly linked to Hugo Chavez’s leftovers as a 15 year president. Specifically, Chavez’s changes of the political agents in power are...

How Hugo Chavez killed Democracy in Venezuela

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

Hugo Chavez was Venezuela’s most successful president and democracy’s worst nightmare. His socialist rhetoric and policies were the catalyst for a devastating democratic backslide in Venezuela....

Analyzing the Democratic Erosion in Turkey by Joshua Varela @ University of California, Los Angeles

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

On July 15, 2016, an event occurred in Turkey that rarely occurs in mature democracies. The Turkish armed forces initiated a coup d’état against Turkish governmental institutions, namely Turkish...

Bibi, Bribes, and Backslide: Erosion of Israeli Democracy under Netanyahu by Noga Tour @ UCLA

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

Pink champagne and fine cigars abound at Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Jerusalem home. What does this luxurious lifestyle have to do with the state of Israel’s democracy? Quite a bit,...

Democracy to Dictatorship: Venezuela on the Brink under Maduro by Donovan Williams @ University of California, Los Angeles.

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

Hugo Chavez, Venezuela’s former President now deceased, left the nation in a good condition. The economy was thriving, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) doubled, unemployment and poverty rates...

Democratic Erosion University Course Student Blog

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

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

The Trump Administration’s Attack on USAID

How Identity Politics Polarize Social Media Even Further

On the January 6th Hearings: The GOP Needs to Drain Its Own Swamp

Maduro is No Chávez: Death of Demoracy in Venezuela by Adja Hudson @ University of California, Los Angeles

Hugo Chavez; Populism aiding Democratic Erosion by Marcella Pensamiento @UCLA

How Hugo Chavez killed Democracy in Venezuela

Analyzing the Democratic Erosion in Turkey by Joshua Varela @ University of California, Los Angeles

Bibi, Bribes, and Backslide: Erosion of Israeli Democracy under Netanyahu by Noga Tour @ UCLA

Democracy to Dictatorship: Venezuela on the Brink under Maduro by Donovan Williams @ University of California, Los Angeles.

Hungary Slips into the Shadows

Instability and Death of Democracy in Venezuela by Julio Chavez @ University of California, Los Angeles

Path to Venezuelan Failure Paved By Chavez, walked by Maduro by Leonard Cisneros @ UCLA

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