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.

Redefining the West: How JD Vance’s Speech in Munich became a Turning Point in Transatlantic Politics

On February 14, 2025, JD Vance, the Vice President of the United States, addressed the Munich Security Conference. This conference is one of the world’s most important forums on international security policy. Traditionally, it focuses on transatlantic unity, but JD...

Still Waiting in Line: How Emotional Disconnection and Democratic Erosion Shaped the 2024 Election.

The most dangerous threat to democracy is a story that convinces people they no longer need it. By weaponizing grievances, channeling emotional disconnection, and positioning himself as the only one who truly acknowledges the country’s betrayal of the working class,...

Trash-talking democracy to remain in power: Costa Rica’s changing political landscape

The election of populist President Rodrigo Chaves in 2022 has called into question Costa Rica’s reputation for democratic stability and peaceful tradition. As reflected in recent events, the group in power, led by Chaves, seems interested in delegitimizing and...

Populism and Gender: What’s the correlation?

Oct 10, 2024 | Brown University

It is no secret that populists — charismatic, strong-willed, and skilled at agitating a base — are increasingly consolidating political power. Today’s headlines are riddled...

“These Guys Are Weird”: How Overtly Anti-Democratic Ideology Made It From Online Forums to the Presidential Ticket

Oct 10, 2024 | Brown University

When now Democratic Vice Presidential Candidate Tim Walz spoke these titular words in reference to JD Vance, his opposition on the Republican ticket, the feeling resonated...

Donald Trump, Pro Wrestling, and the Future of American Politics

May 4, 2022 | University of California, San Diego

It's a head game. When you know you're faking and the audience knows you're faking and you know the audience knows you know you're faking because the fact that pro wrestling is fake has been...

A President Turns His Back on Democracy

May 4, 2022 | University of California, San Diego

Strong democratic institutions were not created from the standpoint of governments being comprised of moral representatives focused on only the collective good. If our elected officials were always...

Voting with the Head or the Heart? Empathy as a Tool to Promote Discourse

May 3, 2022 | Brown University

American politics has entered what is likely the most polarized era in its history (1). According to Pew Research’s studies, about 85% of Americans feel that in recent times, political discourse in...

New Problems Call for New Solutions: A Case for Democratizing Big Tech

May 3, 2022 | Brown University

In a previous article, I examined the effects of changes to Facebook’s News Feed algorithm to prioritize “Meaningful Social Interactions” (MSI), drawing broad conclusions about both the potential...

Constitutional Mayhem: Democratic Erosion at Brown University

May 3, 2022 | Brown University

When one thinks of democratic institutions and voting procedures it is often within the context of national and local governance. In other words, the societal apparatuses in place that allow...

Armenian Genocide Denial: A Symptom of Democratic Erosion

May 2, 2022 | Brown University

In April 2021, President Biden became the first U.S. President to refer to the systematic killing of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire in 1915 as a genocide, after years of Armenian Americans,...

The End of Hungarian Democracy?

May 2, 2022 | SUNY-Binghamton

In 1989 the Soviet Union was reaching the end of its life; the Iron Curtain had corroded, and independence movements were sprouting up in both the Soviet Republics and its many satellite...

A Threat to Humanitarian Organizations: Zimbabwe Parliament Goes After PVOs

May 2, 2022 | Ohio State University

In a country where democratic rights are already sparse, Zimbabweans involved in private voluntary organizations (PVOs) may face even more intense scrutiny from the government. A PVO is very similar...

Brazil’s Democracy Is Fighting for Life

May 1, 2022 | University of Georgia

Two parties, two charismatic leaders, and a history of struggling to maintain democracy is the backdrop to this story. The Federative Republic of Brazil has been governing Brazil since 1988 after...