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 Erosion of an Already Weak Democracy: The Rise and Fall of Jovenel Moïse

Jovenel Moïse's presidency marked a dangerous shift from Haiti's already shaky democracy to overt authoritarianism. Delayed elections, unchecked abuse of executive power, and violent suppression of resistance became the norm. By the time of his assassination in 2021,...

Undermining the Feedback Loop: How Trump’s Educational Policies Hinder Democratic Accountability

In a larger trend of censoring opinions which the Trump administration views as undesirable, the Trump administration’s actions towards schools and universities has a negative impact on democracy as a whole. Such a system depends on the free transmission of...

Democracy Six Feet Under: How Disinformation is Burying Philippine Democracy Alive

Philippine democracy is in great danger once again now that the two families who benefited the most from disinformation – the Marcoses and Dutertes, are in power and have turned against one another. As both camps sling disinformation against each other, the...

The Restoration of Poland and the Desolation of the United States

Feb 14, 2025 | Boston University

From 2015 until 2023, Poland was under the process of democratic erosion; however, recently they reversed this backsliding as the PiS, Law and Justice Party, had ultimately...

Threats to American Democracy

Feb 14, 2025 | Boston University

Since the 2024 election and the inauguration of Donald Trump (and dating back to the 2016 election), democracy in the United States, along with its democratic norms and...

South Korea’s President Moves Forward with Plan to Fulfill Anti-Feminist Campaign Promises

Dec 17, 2022 | Suffolk University

The Blue House, Home of South Korea's Executive Office - Source: Unsplash The success of Yoon’s appeals to anti-feminism reflects the rise of reactionary gender politics within South Korean...

A New Far-Right in Israel: The Descent into Authoritarianism in Jerusalem

Dec 17, 2022 | Skidmore College

On November 1st, Israel held parliamentary elections for the fifth time in 3 years. Results are pointing towards another victory of Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party. His coalition government during...

6 Arrows: Does Modern Turkey Still Follow the Ideology of Ataturk?

Dec 16, 2022 | Suffolk University

Kemalism, also Ataturkism, is the ideology of Turkish nationalism put forward by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. It is still considered to be the official ideology of the Republic of Turkey. At the Congress...

Democratic Erosion: Threats in the Philippine Democracy

Dec 16, 2022 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

Democratic Erosion (also known as Democratic Backsliding) is an unsettlingly prevalent phenomenon in which competitive elections are undermined, individuals lose the right to mobilize or voice...

Economic Instability in Turkey: An Attempt to Find a New Economic Model or Political Adventure

Dec 16, 2022 | Suffolk University

This story is about an autocrat who has been in big politics for 20 years. Under his rule, the exchange rate of the national currency has collapsed several times, prices have risen incredibly in the...

Ukraine and Russia: Soviet Tensions Lead to Modern Mass Murder

Dec 15, 2022 | Suffolk University

Russia has been threatening the democratic sovereignty of Ukraine since the country declared independence from the USSR shortly before its official dissolution in the early 1990’s. Under the rule of...

Castillo’s Failed Self-Coup

Dec 15, 2022 | Sabanci University

Recently, on the 7th of December, Pedro Castillo former president of Peru attempted to give a self-coup d'état. The Peruvian congress held a vote in which it was decided whether the congress would...

The 2022 US Midterm: A Denouement of Populism

Dec 14, 2022 | Skidmore College

The November midterm elections have come and gone, and the American people have spoken: they reject populism. If the rise of election deniers is indicative of populism, then the underwhelming...

The Roles of Identity and Affective Polarization in Democratic Erosion

Dec 13, 2022 | University of Denver

Introduction What is the most salient causal explanation for democratic erosion in the U.S.? Is it economic inequality and neoliberal policy? What about the decay of political parties, norms, and...