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.

The January 6th Insurrection: Culmination of Democratic Backsliding

Sep 29, 2022 | Ohio State University

A prime example of the US democracy being in danger of falling apart was the attack on the US Capitol on January 6th, 2021. This was a result of Donald Trump, the President...

Ohio’s Voter Roll Maintenance Process Impedes Democratic Voter Participation

Sep 29, 2022 | Ohio State University

“Limit voter fraud at the expense of disenfranchising eligible voters.” That’s the message that the Ohio state legislature and the U.S. Supreme Court are sending with their...

Democracy to Dictatorship: Venezuela on the Brink under Maduro by Donovan Williams @ University of California, Los Angeles.

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

Hugo Chavez, Venezuela’s former President now deceased, left the nation in a good condition. The economy was thriving, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) doubled, unemployment and poverty rates...

Hungary Slips into the Shadows

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

In central Europe there have recently been some alarming events that perfectly portray symptoms of democratic erosion, caused by the mechanism of populism. Other than the gradual decline in the...

Instability and Death of Democracy in Venezuela by Julio Chavez @ University of California, Los Angeles

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

The death of Democracy in Venezuela has been slow but nonetheless there. Under President Maduro, democracy in Venezuela is close to nonexistent, and with it, the rights of the people. It is...

Path to Venezuelan Failure Paved By Chavez, walked by Maduro by Leonard Cisneros @ UCLA

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

After Hugo Chavez passed the gauntlet to Nicolas Maduro back in 2013 in seemed that Maduro lead the country into an economic collapse; however, the failure of Maduro’s regime was not initiated by...

“South Korea, the Timely Greenhouse for Populism” by Jaeyoon Min @UCLA

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

When the candlelight vigil had finally led to the impeachment of South Korea’s 18th president, Park Geun-hye, its people staged to the world that their democracy prevails. However, the 2016 Park...

Italy First? A Big Win for Populism in Italy by Anais Lopez @ University of California, Los Angeles

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

Last year, Luigi Di Maio, leader of the Five-Star Movement (M5S), a far-right populist party in Italy, stated, “The only possibility for the other parties is to support a Five Star government. We...

What Went Wrong in Burundi by Isaiah Holmes @ University of California, Los Angeles

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

The crisis in Burundi started in April of 2015 when the President of Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza, decided to stand for a third term in office. The problem that everyone had with him standing for a...

A TURKISH TRAGEDY by JONAH KAY @ UCLA

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

A Turkish Tragedy Recent actions taken by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have put the country in the spotlight due to the proliferate democratic erosion that has been unfolding....

Democracy not doing so well in Italy, can the Fascists win? by Leslie Gonzalez @ UCLA

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

Italy just had their political election and it did not go so well for the far left wing. Italy is at a political deadlock because groups such as Five-Star Movement received as many votes as the left...