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.

What can the Balon D’or tell us about Democratic Erosion?

Brown University

Unforgettable robbery! Corruption! Undeserved! Are these comments from the recent US Presidential Election? No, they are reactions to the announcement of the most important...

Looking Local: Why the Rise of School Takeovers Threaten American Democracy

Brown University

The 2024 election and the rise of Trump have sparked concern on the Left over the state of democracy in the United States and the consolidation of power under the incoming...

Calling for Local Engagement: The Ohio Democratic Party Phone Bank

Ohio State University

For the last two weeks, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I have volunteered for the Ohio Democratic Party’s phone bank, speaking with local candidates across the state and interacting with potential...

Rallying for Democracy: Ohio’s 2024 Senate Race

Ohio State University

I was eager to attend the rally in Columbus, Ohio, where Senator Sherrod Brown and his Republican opponent, Bernie Moreno, looked to mobilize voters on the first day of early voting for the 2024...

Polarization is Here, and You Can Find It on Your College Campus

Ohio State University

Signs of polarization are everywhere, including in your classroom and student organizations. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend a meeting of Ohio State University’s College Democrats...

A Local Stage For Big Issues

Ohio State University

Ohio’s state government is one of the most radically and staunch conservative enclaves in the United States. Yet their constituents do not quite align with this message and stance. Over the past 10...

College Democrats Meeting and Democratic Erosion: A Reflection

Ohio State University

Attending a recent College Democrats of America meeting at Ohio State University was an opportunity to not only reflect on various aspects of democratic erosion within contemporary U.S. politics but...

Are We Losing our Sense of National Pride? Vivek Ramaswamy Seems to Think So

Ohio State University

Vivek Ramaswamy, a former candidate for the Republican Party’s 2024 presidential nomination, strongly believes in putting America first in almost every scenario. I recently had the opportunity to...

Local Governments Still Embody What it Truly Means to be Democratic

Ohio State University

As Americans who value democracy, we frequently want to be able to directly sit down with our representatives and voice our opinions and be able to have civil discussion on the actions we should...

Redrawing Our Future: Issue One and the End of Gerrymandering in Ohio

Ohio State University

Issue One will be on the ballot this November for Ohioans. I spoke to Catey Wolfe, the Campaign Manager for Representative Beryl Brown Piccolantonio, about the importance of ending partisan...

Columbus City Council: How Local Government Hits Home

Ohio State University

Turns out it's not impossible for politicians to agree on some things. Or at least that's what the Columbus City Council would have you believe. Maybe it's just a local politics thing. City...

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