In the aftermath of the devastation brought on by Hurricane Maria, President Donald Trump has made it clear that immediate, widespread aid efforts by the federal government were not his top priority. …
Birth Control: The Latest Example of Trump’s Misuse of Democracy. by Laura Stavisky @ Boston University
Throughout the Trump presidency he has exploited democratic institutions to further his own political agenda at the expense of American democracy. Just last Friday, under the veil of the First …
The Turkish Referendum: What This Drastic Political Change Means for Democracy by Emily Masse at Boston University
How could a democratic institution, such as a referendum, potentially signal the downfall of democracy? Turkey may provide the answer. After a long history of military coups, Turkey adopted its …
Does Spain’s Response to Catalonia Serve as Evidence of Democratic Breakdown?
On October 1, Spain responded to what they deemed an illegal referendum by employing police forces to stop individuals in the region of Catalonia from voting for or against independence from Spain. …
The Rise of Stealth Authoritarianism in Cambodia By Michaela Kollin At Boston University
Stealth Authoritarianism in Cambodia Overt authoritarianism has become extremely costly, prompting trade sanctions and other international punishments, according to scholars such as Varol. In …
Campaign Finance as Stealth Authoritarianism by Rachel Bennetts @ Boston University
In his essay “Stealth Authoritarianism”, Ozan Varol argues that leaders can maintain the facade of democratic values and institutions, while really backsliding towards authoritarianism. One deceptive …
Free speech has taken a knee, but Trump doesn’t really want it to stand tall. By Gianpaulo Pons at Boston University.
Free speech, in any form of expression, has been a heavily contested topic this weekend in regards to the National Football League (NFL). It began at a rally on Friday, September 22 when President …
Authoritarian practices of Donald Trump and the Republican Party. By Alexander Henshaw-Greene at Boston University.
Stealth Authoritarianism, as expressed by Ozan Varol, refers to regime practices that make a country less democratic without outright violating laws or repressing opposition. Varol writes that stealth …