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 are student blog posts written by student participants in the Democratic Erosion Course. These posts were not written by nor represent the views of the Democratic Erosion Consortium.

Trump’s Press Ban and The Courts Response

Access to unbarred media is fundamental to maintaining the integrity of a democratic country. Without independent media, the stream of information to voters is disrupted making people's understanding of their political environment inaccurate. If the media...

Trump’s Use of the SAVE Database May Threaten Democratic Participation

On Friday, September 25th, the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to make use of the Department of Homeland Security's Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database to screen state voter lists for possible noncitizens temporarily. The...

The Press and the Limits of Presidential Power

On September 25, 2026, The Atlantic published Quinta Jurecic’s article, “The Two-Year Temper Tantrum to Come,” about President Donald Trump’s recent fight with the White House press. Just one day earlier, a federal judge had ordered the White House to restore access...

Paid for by Democracy

Oct 2, 2026 | Boston University

Ahead of the November 3rd midterm elections, President Trump aired three commercials trumpeting American exceptionalism, but they drew bipartisan criticism. Concerns about...

Federal Funding Being Used as Political Leverage in the US

Oct 2, 2026 | Boston University

In June 2026, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced new conditions for states and local governments...

Redistricting Chaos: Executive Attempts to Suppress Missourian Voters

Oct 2, 2026 | Boston University

In the November 3rd general election, 1 in 4 Missourians will vote in a different district than in the August primaries. With last-minute rulings from state and national courts, voters are...

Can Politicians Hear Americans’ Disapproval Over the Hum of Data Centers?

Oct 2, 2026 | Boston University

In early September, an AI researcher at Anthropic resigned due to his belief that his leadership and colleagues were pursuing AI development in a dangerous and reckless manner. Following the growing...

Submarine Policy in an Era of Polarization

Oct 2, 2026 | Boston University

Introduction At a time when American politics experiences extreme partisan divide, one area of policy still looks surprisingly cooperative. On July 29th, 2026, the United States Navy announced $76.6...

Constitutional Hardball and the Politics of Mail Voting

Oct 2, 2026 | Boston University

Trump's March 2026 executive order on mail voting is best understood as constitutional hardball, in Levitsky and Ziblatt's sense, rather than as ordinary election-security policy. It is dangerous...

Tunisia’s Post-Arab Spring Decline: Courts as Tools of Democratic Erosion

Oct 2, 2026 | Boston University

For much of the decade following the Arab Spring, Tunisia was celebrated as the movement’s only lasting democratic success. While uprisings elsewhere produced civil war, renewed dictatorship, or...

India’s Opposition vs. the Election Commission

Oct 2, 2026 | Boston University

India's opposition parties say the country's elections are being rigged, challenging the election institute. Their members of parliament plan to march to the Election Commission, the agency that...

Can the Threat of Federal Agents at Polling Places Undermine Democratic Participation?

Oct 2, 2026 | Boston University

What is Happening? In the upcoming midterm elections taking place November 3, 2026, the Trump administration has faced growing questions regarding whether federal law enforcement agents, including...

Political Parties Increasing Dislike of Each Other in Contemporary America

Oct 2, 2026 | Boston University

In May, a survey put out by Pew Research Center found that 58% of Democrats and 59% of Republicans viewed the opposing party in a negative and unfavorable light. Additionally, 26% of Americans view...

The Republicans’ Midterm Campaign is about Legitimacy, Not Rules

Oct 2, 2026 | Boston University

Since early 2025, the Justice Department has filed 31 lawsuits seeking states’ voter data, in an effort to obtain voter rolls containing sensitive information about registered voters in their...