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.

South Africa’s Democracy Isn’t Collapsing, It’s Quietly Eroding

South Africa’s democracy remains intact on paper, but corruption, governance failures, and declining public trust reveal how democratic erosion can quietly unfold when both political elites weaken institutions and citizens lose faith in democracy’s ability to deliver real change.

Read More

Identity Survival Amongst Democratically Eroded Ethno-Religious Conflicts

When politics between religious governments turn into a contest for identity survival, democracy institutions stop being referees and start becoming weapons.

Read More

Poland’s Democratic Decline Was Reversible

In 2015, Poland experienced a significant decrease in democracy. The Law and Justice Party (PiS), under Jaroslaw Kaczyński’s leadership, secured victories in both the presidential and parliamentary elections. In a matter of months, the government acted to diminish the...
Read More

Suspicions of Speeches

Dec 8, 2023 |

Speeches are a political tool commonly used worldwide, but when they are used in a manner that distinctively promotes one's agenda and avoids accountability, it becomes weaponized communication. The...

read more