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.

Cohabitation and a Turbulent Tribunal – The State of Polish Democracy

Nov 3, 2024 | Ohio State University

With the Government responsible for Poland's democratic backsliding losing legislative control, can its power entrenched in the courts be undone by the new Prime Minister?...

Not an Isolated Incident: Police Brutality, Extremism and Xenophobia in Greece

Nov 2, 2024 | Ohio State University

The arrest and death of Muhammad Kamran Ashiq in police custody in Greece was a tragedy. While the Greek government and Athens police may attribute his death as a rare case,...

The Media Politician: Marcos and the Philippines’ Democratic Erosion

Nov 1, 2022 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

Despite the appearances and active updates on social media of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., his plan for the Philippine government to provide a solution for inflation, is nowhere to be...

Mahsa Amini and Protests in Iran

Oct 31, 2022 | Skidmore College

For the past seven weeks, Iran has seen national protests with the gravitas to suggest the possibility of revolution. The protests were ignited by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, in...

Why Are Young People Not Voting?

Oct 20, 2022 | Suffolk University

I attended a zoom seminar titled “Youth Civic Participation: More than Just Voting” that focused on discussing why young people aren’t showing up to the polls, but are among the loudest generation...

Working Towards Building An Inclusive Democracy

Oct 20, 2022 | Suffolk University

“The 2020 Annual Freedom House Report finds that democracy, civil liberties, freedom, minority rights, and pluralism have been in decline globally for 14 consecutive years, along with the United...

The New GOP: Small-Government to Anti-Government

Oct 20, 2022 | Suffolk University

“I’m scared, Cameron. Things never used to be like this. They were never great but they’ve never been this bad.” This was my mom’s reaction to watching the news coverage of the January 6th...

Viktor Orbán and the GOP

Oct 19, 2022 | SUNY-Binghamton

On August 4, 2022, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary gave a speech in Dallas, Texas—by his own admission “more than five thousand miles” from his homeland—and was met with cheers and applause....

Democratic Backsliding in the United States: Gerrymandering Issue

Oct 18, 2022 | Boston University

What is Gerrymandering? Gerrymandering is an issue that has not only stretched through US history in different ways but is something that continues to be a problem in the United States' political...

Democrats Boosting Far-Right Candidates Could Impact GOP Long-Term

Oct 18, 2022 | Boston University

Preparing for this year’s midterms, Democrats have been releasing ads in support of far-right candidates with the belief that these more extreme candidates will be easier to defeat than moderate...

Italy’s Submersion into Populism – A Period of Instability Seized for Political Gain

Oct 18, 2022 | Boston University

With a proportional parliament, multi-layered elections, and an established separation of powers in government, Italy would appear to many as a strongly democratic nation. However, the country's...