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.

What Do the 2024 Indian Elections Mean for the Future of the World’s Largest Democracy?

May 8, 2024 | Ursinus College

On April 19, 2024, citizens of India, the world’s largest democracy, will start to participate in the Lok Sabha elections. The Lok Sabha is the lower of the two houses that...

Stealth Authoritarian Tactics in El Salvador

May 8, 2024 | Ursinus College

El Salvador’s status as a democracy is becoming an increasingly debated subject. Still, the nation did produce legitimate democratic results on February 4th 2024, when...

Rohingya Path to Freedom is Myanmar’s Path to Democracy

Apr 26, 2022 | University of Georgia

Julia O’Neal Genocide and democracy cannot coexist. How did the Rohingya Muslims become one of the largest stateless populations in the world? The answer is intertwined with the struggles with...

Kazakh Resource Nationalism: Ex-Soviet Corruption and Dysfunction

Apr 26, 2022 | University of Georgia

Kazakh Resource Nationalism Post-Soviet states specialize in resource nationalism. Kazakhstan is one of the most resource rich countries in the world, and it is also a very politically corrupt...

Boko Haram Impedes Nigeria’s Success in Democracy: Looking for the Necessary Reforms

Apr 25, 2022 | University of Georgia

The growing prosperity in Nigeria's workforce and resource abundance presents the state with the necessary foundation for developing into a successful democracy. The chance at this success, however,...

Paranoia and Polarization

Apr 25, 2022 | University of Georgia

In a world where people are making enemies quicker than they can make friends, it is easy to freak out. Politics used to be a topic of conversation that was only whispered about during family...

Is Nuclear Energy the Path Towards a Reliable Energy Source?

Apr 25, 2022 | Suffolk University

The unfortunate heightened gas prices have citizens looking into electric vehicles at an increasing rate. Consequently there needs to be enough electricity to power all of the new appliances but...

Election Security or Voter Suppression?

Apr 25, 2022 | Suffolk University

United States of America PNG -. This Clipart Image: “USA Ballot Box PNG Clipart” Is Part Of,...

Is Democracy Slowly Dying in America?

Apr 24, 2022 | Suffolk University

In short, the answer is yes. What can we do to fix this is a question on many people’s minds? Sadly, there is not one simple answer. The United States was founded as a democratic country, and...

Social Media Influence on Young Voters Continues to Increase: Is It Dangerous?

Apr 24, 2022 | Suffolk University

The world has 3.96 active social media users, thirty-one percent of whom are within the ages of 18 to 24. Their constant feed of information from non-traditional news sources has drastically changed...

Biden’s Aggressive Climate Goals Might Be Just What the Planet Needs… But Will Congress and the Courts Prevent Them from Happening?

Apr 24, 2022 | Suffolk University

According to the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) 2022 climate report, Earth could reach a level of 1.5 °C within two decades, but that is still with a large cut to carbon emissions...