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.

How far is too far for South Korea’s presidential pardons?

South Korea’s presidential pardons raise questions on accountability, especially in the aftermath of Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law.

How tolerating and encouraging violence fuels democratic backsliding in Georgia

During the past demonstrations, the ruling party of Georgia – Georgian Dream – made violence their primary weapon in overcoming protest. This blog emphasizes how violence used by the state implies democratic backsliding in light of the theoretical framework by Levistsky and Ziblatt.

Repression on Repeat: From Kyiv to Minsk to Tbilisi

Repression on Repeat: From Kyiv to Minsk to Tbilisi Last October, parliamentary elections were held in Georgia. Many considered them as important as a referendum because Georgian citizens were asked to choose between the ruling Georgian Dream, a Euroskeptic...

Voter Fraud: The True Threat to American Democracy?

Sep 13, 2024 | Ohio State University

Are American elections just one big rigged system? Though there have been numerous claims of voter fraud, it can be hard to know how truly concerned about it we should be....

Caution: Trump! The “Break Biden’s and Harris’s Regime” Plan is REAL!

Sep 13, 2024 | Ohio State University

Project 2025? If you think there is nothing more anti-democratic than Project 2025, YOU ARE WRONG! If Trump wins the 2024 election and, therefore, enacts his plan...

Is Democracy in the United States Backsliding?

Sep 30, 2022 | Ohio State University

In recent years the state of democracy, even in the United States, has been questioned and even described as democratically backsliding. This seems to be a scary thought for a country which prides...

National Security v. Civil Liberties – Government Surveillance and the Concerning Power of the State Secrets Privilege

Sep 30, 2022 | Ohio State University

In the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks, the United States government adopted extensive surveillance measures in the hopes of preventing further tragedies. Over time, these measures...

Unfair Elections: A Breach of Freedom

Sep 30, 2022 | Ohio State University

The concept of free and fair elections, one of the hallmarks of a functioning democracy, seems to be slipping away in the United States. While Donald Trump’s claims of election fraud in the 2020...

Trump’s Schedule F Is a Threat to Democracy

Sep 30, 2022 | Ohio State University

And you thought Trump’s 92% adviser turnover rate was bad? Former President Donald Trump has committed, upon reelection, to legally reclassify thousands of federal jobs to facilitate mass firings....

The United States Supreme Court, Constitutional Retrogression, and Stealth Authoritarianism

Sep 30, 2022 | Ohio State University

Consensus and uniform use of political norms by major actors in all branches of government is key to democratic survival. If our nation’s executives, legislators, and judges all simultaneously...

Why Democrats Spending Millions to Support Far-Right Candidates is Dangerous for American Democracy

Sep 30, 2022 | Ohio State University

A week before the January 6th insurrection at the Capitol, Doug Mastriano prayed with Christian Nationalists for Donald Trump to seize power. Why then did he receive funding from Democrats in this...

How Did We Get to January 6th?

Sep 30, 2022 | Ohio State University

January 6th was a complete disregard for democratic institutions and processes, but how did we reach that point? How did so many United States citizens get to the point where they believed that they...

Drawing Lines: Redistricting and Democratic Backslide in Ohio

Sep 30, 2022 | Ohio State University

Manipulation of electoral districts has been a tool of American politics since at least the early 1800s. In today’s America, this strategy is as prevalent, or perhaps more so, as it ever was. Since...

Which Pandemic is Worse: COVID-19 or the Spread of Misinformation?

Sep 30, 2022 | Ohio State University

COVID-19, also known as coronavirus, was (and still is) a virus that has taken the lives of over four million people in the last three years. The virus spreads through the air, most commonly from...