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 Danger of Electing Election Deniers

Sep 28, 2022 | Ohio State University

Across the country, sixty percent of Americans will have an election denier on their ballot. At least 16 states will have a candidate running for secretary of state (or...

The Consequences of the Demise of the “Chevron Deference”

Sep 28, 2022 | Ohio State University

Murky water runs through your backyard, clouding the water that comes out of your faucet and into the vegetables you wash, the water you use to brush your teeth. However,...

Poland: Eastern Europe’s Trendsetter? by Justin Van Beurden @ University of California, Los Angeles

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

Once viewed as a source of inspiration for countries transitioning to democracy, Poland now appears as if it is representative of another political trend in Eastern Europe: democratic backsliding....

Populism in Greece by Carolina Armenta @ University of California, Los Angeles

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

Populism emerged in Greece for many reasons. The increase in refugees and government overspending of the nation's money to name the two biggest reasons. Greece is a country that does not put the...

KENYA’S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION EXEMPLIFIES THEIR DETERIORATION OF DEMOCRACY BY KEVIN KENDALL @ UCLA

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

Kenya's politics are public, equal, and free. In 1991, the transformation from a single party to a multiparty democracy was one of the biggest changes within their country. Kenya went from having...

Is it the End of Democracy for Cambodia? by Abigail Valdez @ University of California Los Angeles

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

On February 2017, the Cambodian People’s Party amended the Law on Political Parties to automatically dissolve any political party whose leader has criminal convictions [1]. The passing of this...

Venezuela’s Downward Spiral: A Look at Nicolás Maduro’s Corrupt Elections By Patrick French @ University of California, Los Angeles

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

What started with the defeat of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro in the December 6, 2015 legislative election has turned into a full fledged attempt to consolidate power by president Maduro. The...

One Man’s Dominion in Moldova by Dan Zhukov @ University of California, Los Angeles

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

On July 20th, 2017, the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova voted to adopt a new mixed electoral system that would replace the old proportional one. According to the proposal, voted for by 74...

“EU”-rosion in Poland by Emmanuel Iheke, Jr. @ University of California, Los Angeles

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

As we speak, Poland continues to take more and more steps away from the commonly held European Union tradition of democracy. This process - the erosion of democratic values and transition towards an...

The Threat Fake News Poses to Democracy and its Impact on the 2017 German Election by Caitlin Buckley @ University of California, Los Angeles

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

As the 2017 September election approached, German Chancellor Angela Merkel found herself preparing to takeon a familiar entity on an unfamiliar scale. This entity, one that had already...

Venezuela’s Transition to Dictatorship by Sam Glick @ UCLA

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

Venezuela’s Plunging Democracy Over the span of twenty years, democracy in Latin America has eroded. Venezuela’s longstanding democracy is on the brink of destruction after Nicolás Maduro took over...