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.

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.

Israel’s Judicial Reforms: A Potential Danger to Democracy?

Israel’s suggested judicial reforms pose a risk to democratic checks and balances by undermining the independence of the judiciary, centralizing executive authority, and potentially weakening democratic principles, similar to what has been observed in countries like Poland.

Arresting Opposition and Squashing Protests: Democratic Backsliding in Turkey Under Erdoğan

Turkey has been inching towards autocracy under Erdoğan and the AKP for the last 22 years.

Drawing Lines: Redistricting and Democratic Backslide in Ohio

Sep 30, 2022 | Ohio State University

Manipulation of electoral districts has been a tool of American politics since at least the early 1800s. In today’s America, this strategy is as prevalent, or perhaps more...

Which Pandemic is Worse: COVID-19 or the Spread of Misinformation?

Sep 30, 2022 | Ohio State University

COVID-19, also known as coronavirus, was (and still is) a virus that has taken the lives of over four million people in the last three years. The virus spreads through the...

“Democratic Erosion in Venezuela” by Audrey Rogers @ The University of California, Los Angeles

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

Democracy in South and Latin America has been eroding over the past couple of decades. Particularly, Venezuela has become more obvious about their active erosion of their democratic state. Maduro...

“General Election in Kenya Creates a Shaky Democracy” by Esther Ekwueme @ University of California, Los Angeles.

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

Fall of 2017 up until today has been a very interesting political period for Kenya as a country and its people. In August of 2017 a general election was held where the "current" president,...

The Spanish Dilemma by Jashan Kashyap @University of California, Los Angeles

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

For many people in the Catalan region, the central government of Spain is viewed as a foreign institution. In many ways, the Catalans’ views are correct. Catalonia is known to be a cultural and...

How President Maduro is Changing Venezuela’s Once Thriving Democracy into an Autocracy: The Death of Democracy in Venezuela by Osny Calderon @ University of California, Los Angeles

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

Following the death of extremely popular president of Venezuela Hugo Chavez in 2013, his vice president and handpicked successor Nicolás Maduro was appointed and later narrowly elected President...

The Unraveling of the Polish Courts, Another Potential Step Towards Democratic Backsliding by Benjamin Lee @ University of California, Los Angeles

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

On January 15, 2018, Dariusz Zawistowski, the president of Poland's National Council of the Judiciary (KRS), the body in charge of maintaining the impartiality of Polish courts, resigned from his...

Italy and Their Ongoing Struggle by Armida Reyes @ University of California, Los Angeles

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

There are many different events happening all around the world at the moment that affect people on the daily whether through politics or economics. Italy is currently going through some political...

The Migrant Crisis in Venezuela and How It Relates to Democratic Erosion by Karla Aparicio @ University of California Los Angeles

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

It is no secret that Venezuela’s economic and political worlds have been at a breaking point for some time. Economic downfalls and crises lead to uncertainty within its citizens in the 1980’s....

Democratic backsliding within Turkey

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

Democratic backsliding occurs when there is a disconnection between government officials and the people in which the population is made up of. There are many different variations of misconduct that...

Egypt’s Presidential Election: Will Democracy Survive? Will a Frankenstate Rise? by Sabrina Amaya @ UCLA

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

During the last nine years Egypt’s government has transitioned from a dictatorship to a presidential-parliamentary system. In 2011, Egyptians decided to remove then President Hosni Mubarak who had...