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.

How Mexico’s Femicide Exposes Its Corruption

Jun 5, 2022 | University of California, San Diego

Femicide is broadly defined by the World Health Organization as the intentional killing of women because they are women. Mexico has been facing a femicide crisis since at...

The Power of the Platform: Democratic Advocacy for the LGBTQ+ Community on TikTok and Mass Media

Jun 4, 2022 | University of California, San Diego

With 115.6 Million views and counting, the TikTok hashtag, “#DontSayGayBill” continues to receive much online attention weeks after its creation. The hashtag itself is...

Do Trump’s Judicial Nominees Pose a Threat to Democracy? By Jarred Barlow @Boston University

Nov 15, 2017 | Boston University

President Donald J. Trump once again lies in the pit of controversy—this time, for a handful of “not qualified” judicial nominations. If Trump continues to nominate questionable candidates over the...

How to Govern an Ideologically Fractured Party by Alexander Henshaw-Greene @ Boston University

Nov 15, 2017 | Boston University

In Economic Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy, Acemoglu and Robinson defines society as two groups; a rich elite dedicated to protecting property rights and favorable to non-democratic policy...

Is Climate Change (and Trump’s Attitude) Threatening to Democracy? by Julia Banas @ Boston University

Nov 15, 2017 | Boston University

Climate change and democracy are not often thought of as topics that go together, but the two intertwine more than one would expect. The United States is currently the only country that is not in...

Fake News and Its Strain on Democracy by Sam Beermann @ Boston University

Nov 15, 2017 | Boston University

“Fake News” has been a hot topic ever since the Presidential election in 2016. One main question people have is what exactly constitutes “fake news”? The Cambridge Dictionary defines the term fake...

The Future of the American Presidency by Rohan Joshi @ Boston University

Nov 15, 2017 | Boston University

One of the cornerstones of American democracy is the executive branch, led by a democratically elected president who represents the views of the majority of the American electorate. This president...

123s, ACABs: The Problem with the American Police State by Victoria Saeed @ Boston University

Nov 14, 2017 | Boston University

Since its first appearance in 2013, following the acquittal of George Zimmerman for the murder of Trayvon Martin, #BlackLivesMatter has become a highly-controversial statement for a nation reluctant...

SENSOR ON CAMPUS by KAYLIE PIECUCH @ BOSTON UNIVERSITY

Nov 14, 2017 | Boston University

Colleges to some resemble grassy knolls where young intellectuals empty their wallets and toss Frisbees, for others, it’s a place of aggressive opinion holders who have found an outlet for constant...

Polarization and the NRA by Emma Shaw @ Boston University

Nov 14, 2017 | Boston University

2017 has seen 389 mass shootings in 314 days. While all agree that these events are tragedies and all too common, the necessity of political action has been the source of disagreement for...

What About “Whataboutism” is Dangerous to Democracy? By Gianpaulo Pons @ Boston University.

Nov 14, 2017 | Boston University

The American population has seen Donald Trump interact and debate in politics for over two years now, and many of his speech tactics have been studied to understand how he’s able to communicate so...