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.

Demagogues: Turning America into the Child Left Behind

The emergence of technofascist demagogues in American politics pose a significant threat to democracy and education, highlighting the urgent need for critical thinking and informed choices to protect the nation’s future.

Trump’s Evolved Form of Populism Works… and Hurts.

President Donald Trump’s second term in office has brought forth a more evolved form of populism; by incorporating authoritarian methods of governing with populist tactics, Trump is doing significant damage to America’s democracy.

The Judicial Branch’s Downfall

By ruling with bias, the Judicial Branch is overstepping its constitutional role and threatening the integrity of our separation of powers and system of checks and balances.

Ohio Continues To Have a Districting Issue

Sep 30, 2022 | Ohio State University

As of 2022, the state of Ohio has yet to fix its gerrymandering issue. With the new census results showing clear drops in Ohio’s population, the state has lost a district...

Is Democracy in the United States Backsliding?

Sep 30, 2022 | Ohio State University

In recent years the state of democracy, even in the United States, has been questioned and even described as democratically backsliding. This seems to be a scary thought for...

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...

Ghana’s Biometric Voter Register Fights Voter Fraud Without Harming Elections by Thomas Baumgarten @ Ohio State University

Mar 22, 2018 | Ohio State University

After achieving independence on March 6th, 1957 and finally establishing a multiparty democracy in 1992[1], Ghana appears to be on the right track to having a lasting democracy. From then on,...

Trusting the Austrian System by Ron Fornaro @ Ohio State University

Mar 22, 2018 | Ohio State University

Intro On Monday, March 12th, 2018 an Austrian court struck down a law that would have taken away the rights of refugees and other migrant groups to receive health care and other benefits[1]. This...

Political Strife Over “President for Life:” Bolivia’s Outcry Over Morales’ Fourth Term By Cassandra Dula @ The Ohio State University

Mar 21, 2018 | Ohio State University

Despite the results of a referendum held in 2016, Bolivian President Evo Morales has decided to try and run for a fourth term in 2019. As of December 2017, the highest court in Bolivia has given him...

Displaced Puerto Rican Students in CT by Valeria Menendez @ Yale University.

Mar 21, 2018 | Yale University

According to the Connecticut State Department of Education, there were 1,745 displaced students from Puerto Rico in Connecticut schools as of mid-February. Even months after Hurricane Maria left...

Municipal Government in New Haven by Wabantu Hlophe @ Yale University

Mar 21, 2018 | Yale University

When trying to understand what drives democratic erosion, complacency by politicians at the grassroots is often ignored; a worrisome omission, to say the least. Here, we turn our attention to the...