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.

History Repeats: Why Strong Global Defense is Key to Preventing Autocracy

A strong and consistent global defense by democratic nations is crucial to preventing the rise of autocratic regimes, as history shows—from the Cold War doctrines to the failed democratization of Afghanistan—that without committed follow-through and structural reform, authoritarian forces will exploit weaknesses and reclaim power.

Women in Political Dynasties: The Illusion of Choice and Democratic Erosion in the Philippines

Political dynasties have long controlled Philippine politics, with powerful families passing down leadership positions across generations. Despite the imposition of term limits discouraging dynastic rule, these families have found their way around the constitutional...

From Stardom to Senate: The Alarming Trend of Celebrity Politics in the Philippines

The intersection of celebrity and politics in the Philippines is nothing new. The phenomenon of celebrity politicians—actors, athletes, and other public figures who go from the big screen or stage to the corridors of power—has become a defining aspect of the country's...

Exchanges of Stealth Authoritarianism Abroad: 2022 UK Elections Act

Oct 16, 2022 | Boston University

The US has for years used gerrymandering, felony disenfranchisement, voter ID, and many other measures to suppress the vote. Through these measures, US conservatives not...

Populism Is a Problem. More Democracy Is Not the Solution.

Oct 16, 2022 | Boston University

Trump’s brand of populism created the single most politically spectacular event in the US’s history, when the pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6th, 2021 to prevent...

President Gurib-Fakim of Mauritius Resigns in the Face of Scandal: A Lesson in Accountability By: Bailey Markowski @ The Ohio State University

Mar 29, 2018 | Ohio State University

One of the most important aspects of a functioning democracy is its ability to hold its leaders accountable. A lack of checks and balances or of electoral accountability can lead to democratic...

Moreno’s Transition to Power: Ecuador’s Uncertain Political Future by Valeria Menendez @ Yale University

Mar 29, 2018 | Yale University

Ecuador's former president, Rafael Correa, was elected three times with over 55% of the vote in 2006, 2009 and 2013. Correa's Alianza Pais (AP) party has dominated parliament for quite a long time....

How President Trump Lies and Fires His Way Towards Authoritarianism by Dominique Kren @American University

Mar 29, 2018 | American University

On March 23, CNN Politics released an article titled “This White House Just Keeps Not Telling the Truth Over and Over and Over Again”, a sentiment which has been repeated across news outlets since...

Ian Khama’s Abuse of the Executive in Botswana by Seth Bartlett @ Yale University

Mar 28, 2018 | Yale University

Botswana is often considered the poster child of post-colonial democratic transition in Sub-Saharan Africa. It has been lauded for maintaining apparently free and fair elections as well as for its...

A Well Regulated Resistance by Jake Farris @ American University

Mar 28, 2018 | American University

#ThoughtsAndPrayers We see this phrase trod out after every mass shooting in America, but little has been done to galvanize citizenry, let alone the legislature, to make impactful changes to gun...

In Northern Ireland, Ideological Binaries Give Way to Ebbs and Flows of Democratic Backsliding by Emil Friedman @ Yale University

Mar 28, 2018 | Yale University

The story of modern democracy in Northern Ireland is a story of intense path dependency. And at the start of that path was the Good Friday (Belfast) Agreement of April 1998, which introduced two...

Zuma’s out, so where does this leave South Africa’s democracy? by Ruchi Kirtikar @ Columbia University

Mar 28, 2018 | Columbia University

Nietzsche has likened corruption to the annual arrival of autumn. In some countries, this changing season may be manufactured by a coup, the potential beginning of democratic backsliding. In others,...

In His Consolidated Authoritarian Regime, Putin Masquerades Democracy by Sarah Armstrong @ Yale University

Mar 28, 2018 | Yale University

While Russia masquerades characteristics of democracy, President Vladimir Putin presides over an authoritarian political system with power concentrated entirely in his regime. Lacking an independent...

Does the Deteriorating Legitimacy of Several of Ghana’s Democratic Institutions Threaten its Status as a Model Democracy for Africa? by Tyler Morley @ Yale University

Mar 28, 2018 | Yale University

The 2016 Presidential election in Ghana was one of the more anticipated sub-Saharan election in recent history. As Ghana is often referred to as a “model democracy” for sub-Saharan Africa,...