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.

Donald Trump the Nazi Reincarnate?: Godwin’s Law and How This Phenomenon is Counterproductive to Understanding Democratic Erosion

What do we hope to accomplish when comparing President Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler, a tyrannical perpetrator of genocide?

The Russia-Ukraine War Bodes Poorly for Democracy, But Not in the Way You Think

The Russia-Ukraine War is a serious threat to global democracy through the growing wave of isolationism in the United States, an entity that has typically been at the forefront of fighting authoritarianism across the world.

The Trump Administration’s Attack on USAID

The Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle USAID, increase concerns about democratic backsliding as it could result in a trend with the executive undermining institutional legitimacy.

Populism or Dictablanda? A look at Strongmen in Latin America

May 8, 2024 | Ursinus College

When we consider strongmen or populist leaders in Latin America, Nayib Bukele and Evo Morales stand out. Bukele was raised in El Salvador by the children of immigrants and...

The Only Tzar in the Castle: The Consolidation of Putin’s Rule

May 8, 2024 | Ursinus College

When most think of strongmen, it is often the caricature of Vladmir Putin that comes to mind. A ruthless leader who invokes a rhetoric of nationalism, “traditional values”,...

Democratic Erosion in Hungary

Apr 27, 2022 | University of Georgia

On April 3 of this year, Hungry re-elected their prime minister Viktor Orban for his fourth consecutive term. His political party, Fidesz won 54.18% of the national party list vote and 83% of single...

History Repeating Itself: Pakistan’s Election Crisis Is Nothing New for the Country

Apr 27, 2022 | University of Georgia

Pakistan has had a troubled history with its leadership, and despite the past few years of relative stability, it seems that trend is not about to change. Not even a few weeks prior, former cricket...

The War in Tigray

Apr 27, 2022 | University of Georgia

While the majority of western media continues its focus on the current Russian invasion of Ukraine, a plethora of armed conflicts continue to rage in the global south. One of the more violent of...

The 2022 French Presidential Election: Far-Right Ideals on the Rise

Apr 27, 2022 | University of Georgia

The 2022 French Presidential election was controversial for a variety of reasons, the largest being the fact that a far-right populist managed to reach the final stages. Marie Le Pen and her...

Banning Opposition and Democratic Backsliding in Turkey

Apr 27, 2022 | University of Georgia

Throughout recent years, Turkey has shown many characteristics of democratic backsliding under the leadership of President Erdogan and his party, the Justice and Development Party. One of the key...

Why Are We So Obsessed with Democracy?

Apr 27, 2022 | University of Georgia

Being a student of political science, I have managed to consume a lot of knowledge and information about the United States democracy and its principles. Throughout my studies, I have always come to...

White Anxiety Helped Trump to Enter the White House

Apr 27, 2022 | University of Georgia

Census projects that the US will become predominantly non-white around the year of 2045. What some people consider as a story of success, might be seen as a substantial sociocultural threat from...

No Civil Society, No Democracy

Apr 27, 2022 | University of Georgia

Civil society plays an integral part in all democracies, especially in building and strengthening democracy. First, what is civil society? Resounding sociologist Larry Diamond, defines civil society...

An Important Midterm Cycle for Democracy

Apr 26, 2022 | University of Georgia

By Thomas Charyton A democracy can only really work if people believe in it. The nation’s faith in its institutions had not faced a threat quite like that which was the Trump presidency. Using...