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 Erosion of an Already Weak Democracy: The Rise and Fall of Jovenel Moïse

Jovenel Moïse's presidency marked a dangerous shift from Haiti's already shaky democracy to overt authoritarianism. Delayed elections, unchecked abuse of executive power, and violent suppression of resistance became the norm. By the time of his assassination in 2021,...

Undermining the Feedback Loop: How Trump’s Educational Policies Hinder Democratic Accountability

In a larger trend of censoring opinions which the Trump administration views as undesirable, the Trump administration’s actions towards schools and universities has a negative impact on democracy as a whole. Such a system depends on the free transmission of...

Democracy Six Feet Under: How Disinformation is Burying Philippine Democracy Alive

Philippine democracy is in great danger once again now that the two families who benefited the most from disinformation – the Marcoses and Dutertes, are in power and have turned against one another. As both camps sling disinformation against each other, the...

The Consequences of the Demise of the “Chevron Deference”

Sep 28, 2022 | Ohio State University

Murky water runs through your backyard, clouding the water that comes out of your faucet and into the vegetables you wash, the water you use to brush your teeth. However,...

Who Should Control the Flow of Information in the Information Age: Private Businesses?

Sep 16, 2022 | Suffolk University

Apple iPhone, with many social media apps We practically live on our phones, the average use time on an iPhone is 5-6 hours a day. Given the fact that we are constantly...

Does Recent Data Suggest Democratic Attrition? by Wyeth Taylor @ Skidmore College

Feb 16, 2018 | Skidmore College

In today’s polarized political time, there is division about everything relating to democracy, including the state of our democracy itself. A large part of this viewpoint centers on one’s political...

Blip or Backslide: The State of Democracy in the USA by Jane Huber @ Skidmore College

Feb 16, 2018 | Skidmore College

November 9th, 2016. I woke up, read the news, and was convinced our country was deteriorating to shambles. From my perspective, democracy in the United States was failing, but was it really? The...

What does the data tell us and not tell us? by Jillian Seigel @ Skidmore College

Feb 16, 2018 | Skidmore College

Within the last 18 months US Citizens have witnessed a polarizing election, a presidential transition, a government shutdown, and the eruption of international interference and the questioning of...

Free and Fixed Elections? by Isabelle Bertolozzi @ Skidmore College

Feb 16, 2018 | Skidmore College

Bright Line Watch is an organization that, according to their website, “brings together a group of political scientists to monitor democratic practices, their resilience, and potential threats.” The...

A New President and Referendum in Ecuador: An Ebbing Pink Tide? Or More of the Same? by Sandra Sugata @ Columbia University

Feb 15, 2018 | Columbia University

In a referendum that came on the heels of Lenin Moreno’s presidential victory, an overwhelming majority of Ecuadorian voters hammered the final nail in Rafael Correa’s proverbial political coffin....

Democratic Erosion University Course Student Blog

The Erosion of an Already Weak Democracy: The Rise and Fall of Jovenel Moïse

Undermining the Feedback Loop: How Trump’s Educational Policies Hinder Democratic Accountability

Democracy Six Feet Under: How Disinformation is Burying Philippine Democracy Alive

The Consequences of the Demise of the “Chevron Deference”

Who Should Control the Flow of Information in the Information Age: Private Businesses?

Does Recent Data Suggest Democratic Attrition? by Wyeth Taylor @ Skidmore College

Blip or Backslide: The State of Democracy in the USA by Jane Huber @ Skidmore College

What does the data tell us and not tell us? by Jillian Seigel @ Skidmore College

Free and Fixed Elections? by Isabelle Bertolozzi @ Skidmore College

A New President and Referendum in Ecuador: An Ebbing Pink Tide? Or More of the Same? by Sandra Sugata @ Columbia University

Populism is Dead, Long Live Populism? Macron’s Innovative Populism by Imane @ Columbia University

Bright Line Watch: Is Data a Friend or Foe? by Woeser Dolma @ Skidmore College

The Coup Attempt and Turkey’s Rising Anti-Westernism by George Golden @ Columbia University

Austria: Another Case of Western European Populism? by Max Bottinger @ Columbia University

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