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 are student blog posts written by student participants in the Democratic Erosion Course. These posts were not written by nor represent the views of the Democratic Erosion Consortium.

At What Point Does Protecting Democracy Become Undemocratic?

The classical understanding of democracy rests on the abstract concept of the “common good” and the idea that people elect representatives to carry out their collective will, a conception Schumpeter famously critiqued. While scholars tend to differ in the principles...

Social Media is Bad for American Democracy

Social media hurts American Democracy. As Waldner and Lust describe, democracy relies on two forms of accountability to function. One is vertical accountability, meaning that citizens can hold officials accountable through elections, which pressures representatives to...

States of Exception: The Successful Rejection of Executive Overreach in Chile

After storming to the presidency in the 2025 presidential elections,[1] Chilean President José Antonio Kast has wasted no time attempting to enact his campaign agenda. In August, the President presented the Chilean Congress with a reform to address organized crime and...

Unions and Their Importance in the 2024 U.S. Election

Oct 8, 2024 | Ohio State University

It was inspiring to see a group of people come together to learn more about unions and the important role they play in the United States. Ohio State College Democrats hosted...

How Did We Get Here? A Look at How Immigration Has Accelerated Populism in the Netherlands

Sep 17, 2024 | University of Denver

How did we get here? This is a question that many across Europe might be asking themselves when looking at the current health of their democracy. The Netherlands is no...

The independence of central banks

Apr 15, 2019 | Rollins College

It’s been a long time since a political-economic article has grabbed my attention like The Economist’s “The independence of central banks is under threat from politics.” The article opens with “This...

Why Elizabeth Warren is a Populist

Apr 15, 2019 | Rollins College

Elizabeth Warren is affiliated with the Democratic Party of the United States and is the current senator of the state of Massachusetts. Prior to her political career, she was a prominent academic --...

Populism in the 2020 Presidential Race?

Apr 15, 2019 | Rollins College

When we think of populism, or the rise of populism, it’s pretty easy to think of Donald Trump. We think of his rants against immigrants. We think of his campaign against the elites, his cries to...

ACLU: An Important Resource

Apr 15, 2019 | Suffolk University

I recently attended a lecture given by Rahsaan Hall, director of Racial Justice Program for the ACLU of Massachusetts. I found this lecture to be extremely interesting and relative to the current...

Symptoms of Democratic Erosion in the United States, Stemming from the Simplest Roots of government

Apr 14, 2019 | Suffolk University

During the spring semester of 2019, I attended a Governor’s Council hearing at the Massachusetts State house. I was lucky enough to be invited to the hearing by my aunt who is currently serving her...

CEO Makes Millions but Does Not Pay Employees a Living Wage – Economic Inequality and Democratic Erosion in the US

Apr 14, 2019 | Rollins College

In a recent opinion piece by Paul Waldman of the Washington Post, he references a hearing in the House of Representatives, in which freshman representative Katie Porter (D.-Calif) questions Jamie...

“How Democracies Die” by Lukus Berber

Apr 14, 2019 | University of Chicago

“How Democracies Die”, by Levitsky, paints a truly dire picture for American democracy. The current political moment in the United States is feisty to say the very least. Historically, the US has...

Democratic Erosion: Propaganda Has Failed Us

Apr 14, 2019 | Georgia State University

Once a month, the Newton County, Georgia Republican Committee hold meetings to discuss two-year plans, new tactics on propaganda, and how the party can spread their ideas and policies throughout the...

The United States of Acting Officials – Samantha Rip

Apr 13, 2019 | American University

On Sunday, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristjen Nielsen resigned after overseeing one of the most controversial immigration policies in recent history. That same day, it was revealed that Kevin...