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.

Fighting Fake News: Lessons from the World’s Top Target

2018 was a year of awakening in Taiwan. Two high-profile events threw the consequences of fake news into relief. First, Su Chii-cherng, the envoy to Osaka for the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, took his own life in September 2018 after false reports about him...

Can Democracies Wait Another 2,500 Years to Meet Today’s Needs?

In 500 BC, during Athens' golden age of democracy, the voting age was set at 18. Over 2,500 years later, this threshold remains the same in the vast majority (90%) of countries. However, as democracies grapple with rising populism, authoritarianism, marginalization of...

Présidence Impériale: Executive Aggrandizement in Macron’s France

Amidst significant challenges to France’s democracy, President Emmanuel Macron has ignored democratic norms and abused constitutional articles to expand his own power—periling France’s democracy.

Panic at the Polls: How the Words of a Leader Changed How Americans View Their Elections

Ohio State University

An “I Voted” sticker is seen as a badge of honor. A symbol of one’s dedication to their country and its future leaders. A sign that someone has actively participated in...

Is Democratic Erosion a Threat in the 2024 U.S. Election?

Ohio State University

As we start the 2024 United States election cycle, campaign commercials, political slander, and discussions about immigration, healthcare, and taxation are all common....

White Christian Nationalists “ReAwaken” America

Sabanci University

For a little bit over 20 minutes, he enlightened his followers on how to “Save This God-Given Republic” from enemies both foreign and domestic. After he finished his speech, he turned to the crowd...

The Power Vacuum in Regime Transition

Skidmore College

The first anniversary of Sudan’s latest military coup has been marked by protests in the capital city of Khartoum, as well as Port Sudan and South Kordofan. On October 26th, the protestors’ call for...

Rishi Sunak and the Post-Post-Racial Politics of Identity

Skidmore College

Can Britain's trailblazing new prime minister be more than a wolf in sleek clothing? On October 24th, following the historically short-lived reign of Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak became the third...

Democracy and Climate: The United States and COP27

Skidmore College

From November 6 to 18, the United Nations is meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt for the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), known as...

Learning From Silvio Berlusconi’s Reign Over Media

Boston University

Precursors In Italian journalism, clearly defined political stances take precedence over objective reporting. Radiotelevisione Italiana (RAI), the country’s state-owned broadcaster, designates its...

Covertly Culpable: The Role of Political Norms, Parties, and Legal Institutions in Democratic Erosion

University of Denver

It is difficult to understand why a country’s leader would erode the same system that elected him or her to power. One would assume a person would have great respect for and an immense desire to...

Italian Neo-Fascism’s Rise and Return to Government

SUNY-Binghamton

Italy’s general election saw the country elect its first Neo-Fascist Premier since Mussolini in a considerable victory, In which Georgia Meloni of the Brotherhood of Italy Party won 26% of the vote....

Democratic Erosion and a Coup in Myanmar

SUNY-Binghamton

Democratic Erosion and a Coup in Myanmar Myanmar, or Burma, is a Southeast Asian country that neighbors Thailand. It is a nation now-controlled by its military. Prior to February 2021, Myanmar was a...

Democratic Backsliding in the Philippines and the Power of Fake News

SUNY-Binghamton

Since the Philippines became a democratic nation in 1986 following the deposition of theDictator Ferdinand Marcos, the stability of liberal democratic institutions in the country havebeen unstable....

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