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.

Populist Rhetoric, Human Psychology, and the Battle For Gun Reform in the United States

Jun 4, 2022 | University of California, San Diego

On May 24, an 18 year old entered a classroom at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas and murdered 19 children and 2 teachers. This event, coupled with a different mass...

Looking for Its First Leftist Leader, Colombia’s Second Round of Presidential Elections Take a Right Turn

Jun 3, 2022 | University of California, San Diego

Following the first round of presidential elections, in which no candidate received a majority of the votes, Colombia's top two candidates will compete in a runoff election...

In the Name of Guns: Nonviolent Resistance and the NRA by Rachel Burke @ Boston University

Nov 14, 2017 | Boston University

In 2013, President Obama addressed the nation with tears in his eyes regarding the massacre of twenty first graders at Sandy Hook Elementary school. Now, it is 2017, and the death toll at Sandy Hook...

The Culture of Silence on Sexual Harassment is Broken and Women are the New Political Actors by Dorothy Spector @ Boston University

Nov 14, 2017 | Boston University

Due to the media’s exposure of Harvey Weinstein’s history of sexual misconduct, a new awareness of sexual harassment and consciousness of male power abuse has been created. For years women have...

Polarization and Pokemon Go? by Naba Khan @ Boston University

Nov 14, 2017 | Boston University

In the months since November 2016, countless news sources have reported Russian interference in the American election. The stories behind this manipulation vary. One Russian group pretended to be a...

Looking beyond Laws: Lessons from Activists in Pawtucket by Micah Rosen @ Brown University

Nov 14, 2017 | Brown University

It is easy to think of democracy in terms of laws and policies. If everyone is allowed to participate in a democracy, then even if they do not, how could democracy be threatened? But as my...

Mr. Thirty Percent: How did Abe Manage to Win Reelection? by Jonathan Silin @ Brown University

Nov 14, 2017 | Brown University

In my previous post, I discussed the fact that while Abe employs populist-leaning tendencies in his policymaking, he himself is not a populist. Nevertheless, Abe’s rule has not been benign for...

Reflections on Public Service and Democracy with Preet Bharara by Matthew Jarrell @ Brown University

Nov 14, 2017 | Brown University

John Adams famously wrote that the infant United States, as a new republic, was a nation of laws and not of men—by which he presumably meant no single personality, no matter how large or formidable,...

Trump’s Changes to the Judiciary Could Pose Some Threat to Democracy by Anna Spier @ Boston University

Nov 13, 2017 | Boston University

During the year that Donald Trump has been in office, plans have been made to reshape the federal appeals court with younger judges whose beliefs are more conservative. Trump, who entered the office...

President Trump’s Election Commission: Enforcing a Narrative or Pushing Antidemocratic Policy? By Chance Rogala @ Boston University

Nov 13, 2017 | Boston University

Throughout his candidacy and Presidency, President Donald Trump has made statements like “Serious voter fraud in Virginia, New Hampshire, and California – so why isn’t the media reporting on this?...

How Empowering the Freedom of Speech Has Been Throughout this Wave of Sexual Violence Accusations by Maxine Moore @ Boston University

Nov 13, 2017 | Boston University

The freedom of the press is a fundamental right ensured by the First Amendment of the Constitution. It is at the forefront of democracy. The First Amendment is twofold: it ensures the freedom of...