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.

A Marine’s Death Exposed How Procedure Replaced Accountability in South Korea’s Democracy

South Korea’s handling of Corporal Chae Su-geun’s death shows how legal procedure can function as a shield for power rather than a path to accountability.

Read More

How the CAA and Religious Tensions Threaten India’s Democracy

In 2019, India’s government passed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which offers non-Muslim religious minorities from neighboring countries a fast-track pass to Indian citizenship. Prime Minister Narendra Modi claims that this policy intends to give sanctuary to people fleeing from religious persecution in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. However, this policy is inherently anti-democratic and is a serious concern for the state of democracy in India.

Read More

Copy-and-Paste: Why Latin America is Using El Salvador as an Anti-Crime Template

Mano dura translates to “iron fist,” broadly defined as strong-armed, anti-crime policies that much of Latin America has implemented over recent decades in response to massive rises in gang violence. The presence of gangs has long dominated the quality of life in much...
Read More