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.

In Illinois, Donors Narrowed Democracy… Again

The 2026 primaries in Illinois depict how large-scale outside spending legally reshapes candidate viability at the nomination stage, narrowing democratic choice without altering the formal mechanics of voting.

What a shrunken Congress means for democracy in America

Congress has shirked its constitutional duty to stand up to the presidency. This has dire consequences for our democracy.

Where are our Leaders of ’16? The Need for a New Sovereign Republic

Is the UK eroding Northern Irelands democracy?

Recent Anti-Fico Protests Might Indicate a Positive Future for Slovakia’s Democracy

Dec 1, 2025 | University of Georgia

On November 17th, 2025, Slovakian citizens in Bratislava protested and slammed their leaders, specifically Prime Minister, Robert Fico, with chants such as: “We have enough...

Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court Upholds Bolsonaro’s Conviction — Hope For Democratic Resilience Remains

Nov 30, 2025 | Northeastern University

“In Brazil, impunity for those who attack democracy has always been the rule. This trial breaks that cycle” — Oscar Vilhena Vieira (2025).” Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court...

Boon and Bane at Once to PH Democracy: The Catholic Church as a Two-Edged Sword

May 25, 2024 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

Despite being known for its role in restoring democracy and its efforts to sustain it, the Catholic Church in the Philippines is regarded by progressives as an obstacle to the country's further...

People Power Euphoria to Perilous Erosion: The long, winding tale of democratic backsliding in the Philippines

May 25, 2024 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

Since its victory against the Marcos dictatorship in 1986, and its successful ouster of President Joseph "Erap" Estrada in 2001, the Philippines has become a bastion of democracy within the...

Trade Unionism in the Philippines is Deadly Work

May 24, 2024 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

More than 50 trade unionists have been killed in the Philippines since Rodrigo Duterte came to power, according to a 2022 report by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), a global trade...

Democracy in Further Peril: New Autocrats in the Philippines

May 24, 2024 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

The Philippines has not had a scarcity of strongmen in its history—from Manuel L. Quezon, Ferdinand Marcos Sr., and the most recent president, Rodrigo Duterte. Even today, we are witnessing the...

Faith vs. Fairness: How Christian Religiosity Fuels Stealth Authoritarianism in Contemporary Philippines

May 24, 2024 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

The legal assaults on drag artist Pura Luka Vega signify a chilling reality: not only the LGBTQIA+ community is under attack, but also the very foundations of Philippine democracy. Religious groups...

Expanded Inclusion, Weakened Representation: The Partylist System Decline and Philippine Democratic Erosion

May 24, 2024 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

The Philippine partylist system in 2024, based on current composition alone, is a far cry from its incarnation in the late 1990s and early 2000s. In place of having Anakpawis, Bayan Muna, and...

The Pink Movement: Restoring or Polarizing Democracy in the Philippines?

May 23, 2024 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

Antecedent to Leni Robredo’s declaration of her presidential candidacy in the 2022 Philippine elections, a vibrant pink becomes a beacon of hope initiating a people-led movement that soon rallied...

Slippery Slope Road of Constitutional Change: The Potential Damage to Philippine Democracy

May 23, 2024 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

Who would have thought that the term ‘change’ could undermine streamlining the bureaucratic process by growing the political division and recurring issues in Philippine politics? With the effects of...

Bridging the Moral Chasm: Understanding the Increasing Polarization in the Philippines

May 23, 2024 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

Dubbed by analysts as the “most significant election in the Southeast Asian nation’s recent history”, the last 2022 national elections was the most polarized and most participated with a voter...