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.

Arresting Opposition and Squashing Protests: Democratic Backsliding in Turkey Under Erdoğan

Turkey has been inching towards autocracy under Erdoğan and the AKP for the last 22 years.

2025 Romanian Elections: An Election Redo and a Barred Candidate

Only two weeks out from Presidential Elections, Romanian voters face a tough decision in deciding on the next leader of their country. The latest opinion polls show that nearly 40% of voters are still undecided on who to vote for. After all, most voters already cast...

Why Protecting American Democracy Means Coming Together In Protest

In the lead up to the 2020 presidential election, the Democratic Erosion Consortium's very own professors Robert Blair and Steven Rosenzweig wrote an article in The Boston Globe urging readers to “Get ready to protest like democracy depends on it.” The article was in...

UniTeam Alliance Break-Up: Political Rifts between Marcos and Duterte

Jun 2, 2024 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

In the Philippines, the late 2010s and early 2020s is a pivotal stage, to say the least, in terms of political mobility, activism, and administrative competencies. The...

Supporters of Philippine Opposition Leader Leni Robredo Greatly Contributed to Polarization. Here’s How

May 27, 2024 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

Leni Robredo is a Filipino lawyer who became vice president in 2016. She became known as an opposition leader, unafraid to raise criticisms of the Duterte administration. In...

Polarization Seen Through Partisanship, Status, and Geographical Location

Apr 19, 2022 | Rollins College

The trucker convoy made its way from Virginia's Interstate Highway into our state’s capital. Over the course of three weeks the convoy camped out, drove through, protested, and threw tailgate...

Europe’s Rotting Peace

Apr 19, 2022 | Boston University

Europe, host to much of the bloodiest fighting during both World Wars, has since experienced decades without a major conflict between member states. Some may point to a pax-Americana- a peace...

Regeme Type’s Effect on Human Rights, Especially Among Queer People

Apr 19, 2022 | University of Georgia

LGBT people have long been an extremely oppressed group in places all over the world. While many nations in the global north currently have stopped criminalizing the existence of queer people, and...

Partisan Divides Obstruct Justice Jackson’s Path to the Supreme Court

Apr 18, 2022 | Rollins College

Portrait of Ketanji Brown Jackson. On July 29, 1994, Justice Stephan Breyer was confirmed to the US Supreme court with an 87-to-9 vote. Nominated by former President Bill Clinton, Justice...

Corruption and Vested Interests: What No One is Saying About Ukraine

Apr 17, 2022 | University of Georgia

The war in Ukraine has awakened international cooperation unlike any event since World War II, as international organizations and states have come together to sanction Russia’s invasion. These...

Partisan Ingroup vs. Outgroup Tensions Boil Over

Apr 11, 2022 | SUNY-Binghamton

Ingroup vs. Outgroup Background Conflict has been stirred up in the United States for several years now. The political parties have an omnipresent hold on American life and real people are fighting...

Decline of Italian Democracy at the Hands of Matteo Salvini

Apr 8, 2022 | Rollins College

The extreme-right party, Lega Nord has gained popularity over the last 10 years and Matteo Salvini is responsible for it. Salvini now is the leader of Lega per Salvini Premier, shortened to Lega. He...

Has Peruvian Democracy Gone Off The Rails?

Apr 5, 2022 | Rollins College

Since the year 2000, Peru has had the longest period of democracy in the country's history. As a Latin American nation, the South American country struggled to achieve a stable democracy for years....

The Impact of Immigration on Democracy

Apr 5, 2022 | Rollins College

The Impact of Immigration on American Democracy: Immigration, a major determinant of political decision As of 2018, the United States was found to be the country with the most immigrants in the...