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.

These blogs reflect the views of the student authors, and not those of the Democratic Erosion Consortium.

Women in Political Dynasties: The Illusion of Choice and Democratic Erosion in the Philippines

Political dynasties have long controlled Philippine politics, with powerful families passing down leadership positions across generations. Despite the imposition of term limits discouraging dynastic rule, these families have found their way around the constitutional...

From Stardom to Senate: The Alarming Trend of Celebrity Politics in the Philippines

The intersection of celebrity and politics in the Philippines is nothing new. The phenomenon of celebrity politicians—actors, athletes, and other public figures who go from the big screen or stage to the corridors of power—has become a defining aspect of the country's...

Strong Parental Guidance?: How Film Censorship in the Philippines Affects Democracy

While cinema is often dismissed as mere entertainment, censoring it poses significant threats to information accessibility and, by extension, to democracy.

Drought Unlikely to Spark Democratization in Iran

Aug 31, 2022 | Dartmouth College

Over the past two years, large protests for clean drinking water spread throughout drought-stricken Iran. The protests, deemed the Uprising of the Thirsty, were largely...

El Salvador: Authoritarianism Gone Viral

Aug 31, 2022 | Dartmouth College

Presidential election results in El Salvador, the tiny, Latin American nation may seem to be trivial to most Americans. This outlook, however, is far from the truth....

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...

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...