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.

These blogs reflect the views of the student authors, and not those of the Democratic Erosion Consortium.

Fear Over Freedom: ICE in Trump’s America

Why EU Membership Isn’t Saving Croatia’s Democracy

More than a decade after joining the European Union, Croatia still struggles with corruption, weak courts, and low public trust. This raises a puzzle: if EU membership is supposed to lock in democratic stability, why do these problems persist? The answer lies in a key...

In Illinois, Donors Narrowed Democracy… Again

The 2026 primaries in Illinois depict how large-scale outside spending legally reshapes candidate viability at the nomination stage, narrowing democratic choice without altering the formal mechanics of voting.

Does Media Coverage of Corruption Help Populists?

Dec 27, 2022 | Skidmore College

Earlier this month, right-wing nationalist Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power in Israel, despite facing multiple federal corruption charges. Many Israelis have expressed...

Is it Elon Musk, Twitter, or the Already Growing Populism in the US?

Dec 27, 2022 | Sabanci University

Blog Post The Case of Hunter Biden’s Laptop Elon Musk recently bought Twitter, a social media platform that has over 200 million users worldwide. After his purchase Musk...

Bureaucracy and democracy needs each other by Yunyao Gu

Feb 6, 2019 | Rhode Island School of Design

"Recent reconstruction programs for Providence RIPTA bus service have received funds around 74 million dollars from Rhode Island Government." said by Greg Nordin, Director of Planning in RIPTA bus....

Exemplify the Love : A Lecture With Dr. Cornel West by Jack Wulf

Feb 6, 2019 | Rhode Island School of Design

Dr. Cornel West, a philosopher, author, professor, and activist, believes that we as people need to preserve the love of truth and beauty. On January 23, 2019, Dr. Cornel West shared his...

One Bite at A Time to Devour Chinese Authoritarianism | by Zitian Sun

Feb 5, 2019 | American University

An Author's Note: This blog post was developed partially based on an on-going research project on the 1989 Tiananmen Student Protest. Two-Third of the U.S. Population on the Move? Considering...

Retirement System: Democratic Institution by Soeun Yoon

Feb 5, 2019 | Rhode Island School of Design

On a Wednesday morning at 10:30 am, I had the opportunity to attend an open meeting with a friend about Retirement with the Board of the Employees' Retirement System. The event was held on the third...

Demystifying Democracy: Understanding Rhode Island House Rules

Feb 5, 2019 | Rhode Island School of Design

Many in Rhode Island vote for their representative, but few know the ins and outs of the House of representatives. The mission of the organization Common Cause is...

On the Path of Spotting Hope in Our Democracy

Feb 5, 2019 | Rhode Island School of Design

Today, our democracy is more accessible to us than ever. While cases of exceptions to the political inclusion still exist, people of all races, beliefs, and genders are all given the rights to...

Mystifying Democracy by Summer Zheng

Feb 5, 2019 | Rhode Island School of Design

Are the speakers of the Rhode Island House dictatorial wolves concealed underneath a democratic sheep skin? Are the speakers of the Rhode Island House dictatorial wolves concealed underneath a...

Polish Polarization and Conspiracy: Social Media, Democratic Decay, and the Construction of Separate Worlds.

Feb 5, 2019 | American University

By Conor Gleeson The Polish authoritarian-friendly government led by the Law and Justice Party has created an environment conducive to spreading institutional distrust, anti-Semetic conspiracies,...

Democracy in Open Meetings of the City of Providence by Mook Lim

Feb 5, 2019 | Rhode Island School of Design

It is citizens’ own right and obligation to participate in state and local government. Citizens’ active engagement in the governance will be able to foster better changes in the environment of the...