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 house is burning from the inside out: American democracy is dying

” There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide” - James Adams. If the average empire fails at 250 years and America is 248 years old, could we say that the death of democracy was something foreseeable and the uprise in authoritarian form of government...

Demagogues: Turning America into the Child Left Behind

The emergence of technofascist demagogues in American politics pose a significant threat to democracy and education, highlighting the urgent need for critical thinking and informed choices to protect the nation’s future.

Germany’s Defense of Democracy

Populism is rising in Germany, with the far-right political party, Alternative for Germany, gaining more and more popularity that echo dangerous anti-democratic trends from Germany, raising concerns about the future of Germany’s democracy.

Populism as Democratic Medicine: Reiwa Shinsengumi and Japan’s Political Apathy

Apr 18, 2025 | Boston University

Revisiting Japan’s Democratic Stagnation Populism is often portrayed as a toxin to democracy—an anti-pluralist, anti-institutional movement that undermines liberal norms....

The Alien Enemies Act: Mass Deportation as a Pathway to Democratic Erosion

Apr 18, 2025 | Boston University

Trump’s notorious anti-immigration plans have remained ambitious during his second term in office, promising he “will launch the largest deportation program in...

Ballots and Bullets: How Political Violence Is Undermining Democracy in Mexico

Apr 7, 2025 | Tartu University

Ballots and Bullets: How Political Violence Is Undermining Democracy in Mexico In 2024, Mexico held one of the largest and most consequential elections in its recent history—electing over 20,000...

Anti-Government Protests and Democratic Erosion in Slovakia

Apr 7, 2025 | Tartu University

Anti-Government Protests and Democratic Erosion in Slovakia In its 2025 report, Transparency International highlighted Slovakia as a "country to watch”, noting that the reforms implemented by Prime...

Punished for Protest: International Students Detained for Opposing the Genocide in Gaza

Apr 5, 2025 | Boston University

On March 9th, Mahmoud Khalil was detained in his apartment in New York. President Trump claimed at the beginning of his term that he would ensure the investigation and detainment of international...

How far is too far for South Korea’s presidential pardons?

Apr 2, 2025 | The University of Alabama

On December 3, 2024, at 10:50 P.M., South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol held an emergency address to the nation. Yoon vowed he would protect his country from communists and pro-North Korea...

How tolerating and encouraging violence fuels democratic backsliding in Georgia

Apr 1, 2025 | Tartu University

How tolerating and encouraging violence fuels democratic backsliding in Georgia During the past few months, the streets of Tbilisi—the capital of Georgia—have been constantly...

Repression on Repeat: From Kyiv to Minsk to Tbilisi

Apr 1, 2025 | Tartu University

Repression on Repeat: From Kyiv to Minsk to Tbilisi Last October, parliamentary elections were held in Georgia. Many considered them as important as a referendum because Georgian citizens...

The People, the Fear, and the Exhaustion Machine: How Populist Elites in Georgia and Serbia Rule by Chaos

Mar 31, 2025 | Tartu University

The People, the Fear, and the Exhaustion Machine: How Populist Elites in Georgia and Serbia Rule by Chaos In recent elections, during political crises, in every speech and briefing held after...

From Democratic Revolutionaries to Genocidaire Apologists: How the UAE Corrupted Sudanese Civil Society Leaders

Mar 17, 2025 | The University of Alabama

It is an open secret that Emirati planes are touching down at remote Chadian military bases with boxes of “humanitarian aid” - aid that is instead guns, ammo, and drones, destined for the...

Donald Trump the Nazi Reincarnate?: Godwin’s Law and How This Phenomenon is Counterproductive to Understanding Democratic Erosion

Mar 7, 2025 | The University of Alabama

“The assumption was that voters would be turned off by seeing Trump for what he is — authoritarian, pitiless, hateful — and would recognize him as a kind of Hitler.” “Russian Foreign Minister Sergei...