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.

First 100 Days, More Like First 100 Hours: How Trump’s First 100 Days Played Out Against Trump’s Second 100 Hours

Indiana Senator Jim Banks, a staunch Trump ally, predicted that President Trump’s return to power would be characterized by “shock and awe.” In many ways, the events of President Trump’s first 100 hours in office during his second term have lived up to that promise....

History Repeats: Why Strong Global Defense is Key to Preventing Autocracy

A strong and consistent global defense by democratic nations is crucial to preventing the rise of autocratic regimes, as history shows—from the Cold War doctrines to the failed democratization of Afghanistan—that without committed follow-through and structural reform, authoritarian forces will exploit weaknesses and reclaim power.

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...

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....

Liberal Intellectuals’ Moral Focus Draws Them to Anti-Trump Resistance by Talia Brenner @ Brown University

Oct 31, 2017 | Brown University

In a week, a year will have passed since Donald Trump’s election. In this time, we have seen a flourishing of political involvement among the intellectual left. Pink knit hats, blue ACLU ribbons,...

Polarization Fuels Erdogan’s Consolidation of Power in Turkey by Cody Duane-McGlashan @ Brown University

Oct 30, 2017 | Brown University

In the past fifteen years, Turkey has gone from economic ruin to burgeoning democracy held up as a model for the world to a state in the midst of severe democratic and liberal backsliding. All these...

How Experts and the Public See Democracy Differently. By Aidan Calvelli @ Brown University

Oct 29, 2017 | Brown University

In February 2017, a group of political scientists founded Bright Line Watch, a group focused on surveying experts and the public to assess their perceptions of the state of American democracy. The...

“Wartime Iraq and Gender Ideologies” by Allante’ Boykin @ University of Memphis

Oct 29, 2017 | University of Memphis

In war time Iraq, conflict spills from the battlefield into civilian life. As a consequence, the dynamics of the family is corrupted, and homes are left unattended. Woman-headed households are...

For God or Country? Religion and Israeli Democracy by Matthew Jarrell @ Brown University

Oct 26, 2017 | Brown University

Israel is a small nation, about the size of New York City in population and the state of New Jersey in land area. It was established in 1948 as a Jewish state, and its national symbols,...

Ratings don’t only Reflect Democracy, They Affect It by Micah Rosen @ Brown University

Oct 25, 2017 | Brown University

It’s hard to have an optimistic conversation about US politics. Recent surveys confirm widespread negativity among the American public. Results from Bright Line Watch (BLW) surveys demonstrate that...

What Gives: Why Hasn’t Populism Reached Japan? by Jonathan Silin @ Brown University

Oct 23, 2017 | Brown University

Populism is thriving across the developed world. Yet populists do not always succeed in places that seem ripe for populism. Despite sharing many of the same problems with the United States and the...

The Impossible Dream of Democracy by Ebenezer Akomolafe @ University of Memphis

Oct 21, 2017 | University of Memphis

On the 10th of October 2017, I attended a political event that was organized by the Young Americans for Freedom at the University of Memphis. The central theme of the speaker’s speech (Dinesh...

American Exceptionalism and Partisanship: An Evening With Dinesh D’Souza by Grant Beatty @ University of Memphis

Oct 17, 2017 | University of Memphis

The room was abuzz and nearly filled to capacity when I arrived to see Dinesh D’Souza speak. The notorious conservative author and filmmaker is an Ivy League-educated Indian American who has been a...