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.

Can “Asia’s Trump” Make a Political Comeback?

Brown University

He used methods of intimidation and subverted the rule of law to attack his political enemies. He played the “strong man” to weaken institutional mechanisms and checks...

Cash for Votes: How Pervasive Clientelism Undermines India’s Democracy

Brown University

“All elected leaders buy votes. Even children know that” (NPR). This is how governance in India is viewed by many of its citizens: a system that is democratic in name, with...

A Decade of Erosion Paints an Unfortunate Picture for Indonesian Democracy as Subianto Takes Office

Ohio State University

As of October 20, 2024, Indonesia has a new president. Prabowo Subianto’s political history is anything but ordinary, as he was able to assume the highest office despite his past involvement with...

The Unraveling of Bulgarian Democracy

Ohio State University

Bulgaria saw massive protests in 2020 against Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and his administration. These demonstrated the democratic backsliding that had been occurring since the mid-2010s. Jana...

Honduras: How Populism Lead to the Removal of the Extradition Treaty

Ohio State University

Honduras has struggled with gang violence and, therefore, drug trafficking since the fall of Dictator-Military Leader Rafael López Gutiérrez from 1924. To this day, Honduras efforts to dismantle the...

Party Labels and the Courts: Ohio’s Shift Toward a Partisan Judiciary

Ohio State University

On September 4th, I attended an Ohio College Democrats’ meeting and listened to Judge Lisa Forbes speak. She is currently running for a seat on the Ohio Supreme Court as a Democrat against her...

City Council: A Perfect Storm for Democratic Erosion

Ohio State University

When it comes to the city council, how much do they do? What are the inner workings of a city’s council? What are the positions of the members of the city council? Are city councils even important?...

Redrawing the Lines: Issue 1, Political Polarization between Ohio Voters

Ohio State University

Through the Franklin County Democratic party, I had the opportunity to participate in several canvasing events this past month. On October 11th and 12th I canvased the Clintonville and...

Duking-it-Out: How an Ohio Group Promotes Dialogue in their Polarized Community

Ohio State University

The League of Women Voters of Northern Portage County (LWVNPC), a small, hyperlocal voting rights and civic engagement group, operates at the edge of the Cleveland suburbs, where cul-de-sacs bleed...

How Changes To Columbus’s LEAP Program Demonstrate the Strength’s Of Our Democratic System

Ohio State University

Lead exposure is an urgent issue in Ohio. These last two weeks I had the opportunity to watch the Columbus City Council meeting discussing Columbus’ initiative to replace all lead pipes in the city...

City Council and Solving Politics

Ohio State University

Efficiency. Responsiveness. Order. They were all perfectly present in the 48th regular meeting of the Columbus City Council, an affair where proceedings were dominated by ordinance after...

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