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.

First 100 Days, More Like First 100 Hours: How Trump’s First 100 Days Played Out Against Trump’s Second 100 Hours

Indiana Senator Jim Banks, a staunch Trump ally, predicted that President Trump’s return to power would be characterized by “shock and awe.” In many ways, the events of President Trump’s first 100 hours in office during his second term have lived up to that promise....

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...

Democracy in Puerto Rico

Oct 17, 2022 | Boston University

This past September, Puerto Rico was hit by Hurricane Fiona which left many parts of the island without power. In 2017, Hurricane Maria, a category 5 storm hit the island,...

The Election of Narendra Modi: A Turning Point in the Indian Democracy

Oct 17, 2022 | Boston University

In 2022, India sits as the world’s most populous country of around 1.38 billion people, making it the largest democracy in the world. The Indian government is modeled after...

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,...

Repeated State of Emergency Declaration (SOE) in Ethiopia, a Risk of a Slide to a Closed Autocracy by Soli Gebremichael @American University

Mar 28, 2018 | American University

Befekadu Hailu, a renowned blogger; was taken from his house by civilian clothed security forces on November 11th, 2016 morning. He spent the followed 33 days in a detention camp, being forced of...

Constitutional Change Leads to Democratic Erosion in Bolivia by Emma Nelson @ Georgia State University

Mar 27, 2018 | Georgia State University

Even though it would seem that when a country analyzes and rewrites parts of their constitution it would be a step forward, is this actually the case? Thomas Jefferson once said that a constitution...