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.

On the ousting of Orbán

On the lessons learned from Orbán’s ouster.

Democracy in Exchange for Security; What is Left When the Concert Ends?

Shakira’s sold-out El Salvador residency exemplifies how Bukele uses high-profile events to showcase his dramatic security transformation while obscuring the democratic erosion, economic decline, and human rights abuses that made it possible.

Counter-Gerrymandering and What it Means for American Democracy

Gerrymandering is a word well known to most with even a passing interest in politics, but to many who don’t pay attention, it’s a word they’ve just recently started hearing. Gerrymandering is the process by which elected officials are able to engineer their own...

Long Term Effects of the “Secret Club” Scandal

Apr 27, 2026 | Suffolk University

The "Secret Club” Scandal, often referred to as the "Slovenska" affair, shocked Croatian society and uncovered deep seated corruption that goes all the way to the top....

Analyzing the 2024 Mexican Judicial Reforms

Apr 27, 2026 | Tulane University

In 2024, the then-President of Mexico, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, passed a sweeping overhaul of the judiciary in Mexico. The 2024 judicial reforms introduced a dramatic...

Flip a Coin: Voting in the United States of America

Apr 26, 2026 | Suffolk University

Voting in the United States of America is portrayed as the foundation of the world's greatest democracy, the ultimate freedom amongst an endless list of freedoms. But this century has seen a shadow...

The Invisible Line: El Salvador in the Gray Zone between Democracy and Dictatorship

Apr 26, 2026 | George Mason University

Stealth authoritarianism is the process in which political elites gradually erode democratic systems not through overt force but by manipulation of the public’s fear. In this context, El Salvador...

The Quiet Death of Democracy: Benin

Apr 26, 2026 | George Mason University

What comes to mind when you hear the word "democracy"? Most people would mention elections. Elections are important for democracy, but they alone do not create it. Schmitter and Karl refer to this...

Young people are becoming increasingly desensitized to war, death, and violence…why is this happening?.

Apr 26, 2026 | Suffolk University

Young people of today’s world have seen quite a bit. From millions dying from COVID-19, to hundreds of school shootings, and global conflicts where civilian attacks and murders have become...

The Threat of The Shadow Docket

Apr 25, 2026 | Boston University

The US Supreme Court has used the shadow docket, a process to issue emergency orders, incessantly in the last few years. Since the start of Trump's second term, this expedited process has been used...

Syria is not “Stuck Between Systems.” Time is the system.

Apr 25, 2026 | Suffolk University

There's a typical method of talking about Syria that appears reasonable at first. They claim the country is “in transition.” Or it is “not there yet.” Alternatively, democracy may arrive...

Democratic erosion in Ecuador

Apr 25, 2026 | Boston University

Second Blog post On March 6, 2026, Ecuador’s electoral courts ordered the suspension of the country's largest left leaning opposition party, Revolucion Ciudadana (Citizen’s revolution). The party,...

Pernicious Polarization and the Failure of Resistance in El Salvador

Apr 24, 2026 | Boston University

The current state of democracy in El Salvador emphasizes how pernicious polarization destroys the possibility of effective resistance to democratic backsliding, as theorized by McCoy, Rahman, and...

How Democracy Erodes: A Comparison between the U.S. and Brazil

Apr 23, 2026 | Suffolk University

Both the United States under President Trump and Brazil under Jair Bolsonaro experienced a period of anti-democratic rhetoric. That led to the decline of significant indicators of stable democratic...