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.

Donald Trump the Nazi Reincarnate?: Godwin’s Law and How This Phenomenon is Counterproductive to Understanding Democratic Erosion

What do we hope to accomplish when comparing President Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler, a tyrannical perpetrator of genocide?

The Russia-Ukraine War Bodes Poorly for Democracy, But Not in the Way You Think

The Russia-Ukraine War is a serious threat to global democracy through the growing wave of isolationism in the United States, an entity that has typically been at the forefront of fighting authoritarianism across the world.

The Trump Administration’s Attack on USAID

The Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle USAID, increase concerns about democratic backsliding as it could result in a trend with the executive undermining institutional legitimacy.

Violence Against Muslims and Silencing of the Press in India

Jun 6, 2022 | University of California, San Diego

Narendra Modi, the current Prime Minister of India has been in power since 2014. His party- the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)- is a right-wing party known for strong Hindu...

News Burnout And Incompetence in Our American Leaders

Jun 6, 2022 | University of California, San Diego

We live in an age of social media where most young adults are chronically online. If you were to ask a handful of young adults where they get their news from, most people...

Progress Is Not the Primary Concern for Progressives at the March for Racial Justice by Alexis Viera @ Brown University

Nov 17, 2017 | Brown University

The March for Racial Justice in Providence was not a march at all. A group of Providence’s activists and allies gathered on a green in India Point Park, forming a largely white crowd that hung on...

Polarization, Intersectionality, and Activism: The March for Racial Justice, RI by Rachel Risoleo @Brown University

Nov 17, 2017 | Brown University

On October 1, 2017, protestors in twenty cities across the country mobilized for the March for Racial Justice (“M4RJ”), a national effort that was spearheaded by activists in Washington, DC. I...

Have journalists figured out how to handle Trump? by Victor Brechenmacher @ Brown University

Nov 17, 2017 | Boston University

It's become a received wisdom of sorts that the media failed to grasp Donald Trump's rise in 2016 ahead of time because "the press [took] him literally, but not seriously; his supporters [took] him...

What Can the March for Racial Justice Teach Us About Democracy? by Dakota Fenn @ Brown University

Nov 17, 2017 | Brown University

On October 1st, nearly 11 months after the 2016 presidential election, I attended the “March for Racial Justice RI”. Although it is impossible to guess what the event would have looked like had...

Gun Control Victory in Providence, RI by Will Conard @ Brown University

Nov 17, 2017 | Brown University

On Monday October 30th at 1:45PM the Governor of Rhode Island, Gina Raimondo, signed the Protect Rhode Island Families Act into Law. The act itself aims to prevent domestic abusers from obtaining...

Back to the Drawing Board by Roxana Sanchez @ Brown University

Nov 17, 2017 | Brown University

On September 9th 2017 I attended the DACA rally held in front of the Rhode Island Statehouse, in support of the DREAMERS. Two days earlier, on September 5th, the Trump Administration had made the...

Democrats Won Important Races in Virginia and New Jersey by Yifei Shen @Boston University

Nov 17, 2017 | Boston University

As we are heading towards the midterm elections in 2018, many Democratic candidates won several significant races against their Republican counterparts recently in Virginia and New Jersey....

To Build or Not to Build? A Look at the RI CRMC LNG Hearing by Jonathan Silin @ Brown University

Nov 17, 2017 | Brown University

This Tuesday, on a cold November evening, approximately fifty Rhode Island residents packed into the Administration Building cafeteria at One Capitol Hill in Providence. Some held signs emblazoned...

Citywide Conversation with the Providence Mayor by Artur Avkhadiev @ Brown University

Nov 17, 2017 | Brown University

On October 11, I joined a "Citywide conversation" with the Providence mayor Jorge O. Elorza. As part of the effort to remain in touch with Providence residents, the city council has organized these...