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.

Dangerous Determination: Uber Eroding Democracy

Jul 24, 2022 | Dartmouth College

This month, former Uber lobbyist Mark MacGann revealed over 124,000 documents of extensive notes and messages between world leaders and Uber executives around the world,...

Is Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro a Dictator? by Michael Townsend at University of California, Los Angeles

Mar 13, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

Nicolas Maduro, who is the President for Venezuela, has been in office since 2013 and took over after Hugo Chavez. Because Maduro continued Chavez’s policies, Venezuela's economy declined with...

The Democratic Tipping Point in Slovakia by Emma Shahabi @ UCLA

Mar 13, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

Slovakia has been struggling in recent days to recover some sort of stability following the murders of journalist, Jan Kuciak and his fiancée, Martina Kusnirova. Kuciak was a journalist...

Hungary for Power by Narmeen Mundh @ University of California, Los Angeles

Mar 13, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

The issue of democratic backsliding in certain EU countries has been the topic of discussion and increasing concern worldwide. Hungary tops this list due to the rapid introduction and implementation...

A New World Order? How China’s Abolishment of Presidential Term Limits Might Become the Norm for Global Democracy

Mar 13, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

In a mostly ceremonial parliamentary vote on Sunday March 11, the National People’s Congress of China voted to allow the abolishment of term limits for President Xi Jinping, allowing him to stay in...

A Streetcar named ‘Democracy:’ An Analysis of Democratic Erosion in Turkey by Sam Wieske @ University of California, Los Angeles

Mar 13, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

A few decades ago, Turkey was the poster-boy of a democracy in the Islamic world. Fast forward to present day and Turkey is far from being a paragon of democracy, in light of the recent coup and...

Democratic Erosion University Course Student Blog

The Judicial Branch’s Downfall

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

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

Dangerous Determination: Uber Eroding Democracy

Is Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro a Dictator? by Michael Townsend at University of California, Los Angeles

The Democratic Tipping Point in Slovakia by Emma Shahabi @ UCLA

Hungary for Power by Narmeen Mundh @ University of California, Los Angeles

A New World Order? How China’s Abolishment of Presidential Term Limits Might Become the Norm for Global Democracy

A Streetcar named ‘Democracy:’ An Analysis of Democratic Erosion in Turkey by Sam Wieske @ University of California, Los Angeles

Re-militarizing Japan. Abe’s abuse of overwhelming power by Ippei Kato @ University of California, Los Angeles

A Single Referendum in Turkey by Julia Robinson @ University of California, Los Angeles

The Orban Road to Autocracy by Lasini Piyadigama @ University of California, Los Angeles

Possibility of Democratic Backsliding in Slovakia by Mouthcheata Se @ University of California, Los Angeles

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