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.

The Perception Gap in the United States and How it Causes Polarization

Apr 14, 2024 | Georgia State University

The United States has faced increasing polarization in its politics in the past few decades. Politics has become more emotionally charged, which is known as affective...

How the South China Sea Dispute Jeopardizes Philippine Democracy

Apr 14, 2024 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

China is flexing its military muscles like never before. As things stand, there seems to be no end in sight to tensions in the South China Sea. In early March, Chinese...

January 6th, An Attempted Executive Coup

Mar 24, 2022 | SUNY-Binghamton

January 6th, 2021 is a day that Americans will not soon forget. The United States experienced an attack on its democracy as violent protestors stormed the Capitol, spurred by an unfounded belief...

Big Tech Involvement in Russia-Ukraine Conflict: The Dangerous Precedent it May Set

Mar 23, 2022 | SUNY-Binghamton

With the Russian Invasion of Ukraine taking place this past week, Putin has triggered the greatest military crisis on the European continent since the Cold War. Over this time the global stage has...

The Far Right and Democratic Erosion

Mar 17, 2022 | University of Georgia

Although the far right has always had a presence in American politics, especially due to the fact that American politics is slanted so far to the right, in recent years, it has become a more...

An Argument for Compulsory Voting

Mar 16, 2022 | University of Georgia

Voting has been considered a sacred practice for centuries. As one of the main pillars of a democratic society, perhaps the best way to do this in a democratic system is to vote in elections. And...

Private Arbiters of Public Discourse: Facebook, MSI, and the Political Power of the Algorithm

Mar 16, 2022 | Brown University

In the digital age, it is plausible that a minor tweak in an algorithm could erode democracy as successfully as a charismatic demagogue. Juggernaut tech corporations have monopolized the markets of...

How India Turned Away from Democracy

Mar 16, 2022 | University of Georgia

In 1947, India became independent from British imperialist rule. It became a democracy with a parliamentary system and a liberal, far-reaching constitution. Hundreds of millions of people are...

America’s Revision to False Democracy: The Impact of the Judicial System’s Reversal from Protecting the Right to Vote

Mar 16, 2022 | University of Georgia

America is seen as a beacon of democracy around the world and the right to vote is one of the key principles of democracy. Having free and fair elections is one of the most important pillars of...

Canada in Crisis…Or Not: Trudeau, Emergency Powers, and the Freedom Convoy

Mar 15, 2022 | Brown University

Through the first two months of 2022, Canada has been in the midst of one of the most unforeseen political stories to emerge in years, a Vaccine mandate protest which has grown so confrontational in...

The United States, Mexico, and Unfolding Democratic Ideals

Mar 15, 2022 | University of Georgia

The President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has taken several actions that raise concern over United States – Mexico relations as well as the state of democracy in Mexico....