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.

Where are our Leaders of ’16? The Need for a New Sovereign Republic

Is the UK eroding Northern Irelands democracy?

The Rise of Independent Voters: A Crisis of Representation in American Democracy

The detailing of shifting voting patterns in American households.

Ordinary Americans rescue democracy

Do Americans have what it takes to save democracy? Irrefutably, the answer is yes. The second Trump administration has engaged in a variety of measures to steamroll the opposition. Abetted by a subservient Republican party, empowered by a complacent Supreme Court,...

President Trump Attacks News Agencies Through Legal Means

Mar 16, 2026 | Salem State University

In October 2025, Donald Trump refiled a defamation lawsuit against the New York Times after a district judge dismissed it for being too long, giving the administration 28...

Epstein’s Files Are More Than Files, They Are A Signal Of Democratic Erosion

Mar 12, 2026 | University of Houston

In a June 2024 Fox News interview, then presidential candidate Donald Trump claimed that when in office, he would support the release of the full Epstein files. These files...

LEARNING RESOURCES, INC., ET AL. v. TRUMP(2026)

Mar 11, 2026 | University of Houston

LEARNING RESOURCES, INC., ET AL. v. TRUMP(2026) The Learning Resource Inc company decision started off as being something so small from a child toy company business problem to be a very impactful...

How Federalism is Accelerating Democratic Erosion

Mar 10, 2026 | University of Houston

The US Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade illustrated the accelerating erosion of democracy at different levels of government. Roe v. Wade, a ruling that granted women the right to abortion,...

Are Prediction Markets a Threat to Democracy?

Mar 9, 2026 | University of Houston

If you have made the grave mistake of being a living human being in 2026, you have no doubt been swarmed with ads for gambling services. DraftKings and Fanduel are so heavily marketed and integrated...

Above the Law? Presdential Immunity and the Slow Shift of Democratic Power.

Mar 9, 2026 | University of Houston

In July 2024, the Supreme Court decided Trump v. United States. The ruling? Former presidents have broad immunity from criminal prosecution for “official acts” they take while in office. That...

Trump v. United States (2024)

Mar 9, 2026 | University of Houston

“Be there, will be wild!” The U.S. is closing in the 2020 presidential election between then current President Donald Trump and democrat candidate Joe Biden and states are tallying up the votes....

Democracy in Israel

Mar 9, 2026 | University of Houston

Israel has long been viewed as “the only democracy in the Middle East,” yet the system of democracy on which the country runs might not be as free and just as it may seem. Israel is a parliamentary...

Divergent Interests Between Electors and Elected: A Precursor to Democratic Erosion in America

Mar 9, 2026 | University of Houston

Divergent Interests Between Electors and Elected: A Precursor to Democratic Erosion in America In the 2014 paper “Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average...

The “No Kings” Movement. Can Public Outcry Halt Stealth Authoritarianism?

https://www.britannica.com/event/No-Kings-protests

Mar 9, 2026 | University of Houston

In the summer of 2024, the streets of Washington D.C. and cities across America echoed with a singular, rhythmic chant: "No Kings." This wasn't a protest against a foreign monarchy. It was a direct...

The SAVE America Act and Its Implications on Electoral Democracy in the U.S.

Mar 9, 2026 | University of Houston

Introduction After his defeat in the 2020 Presidential election, Donald Trump immediately began to protest against the outcome, claiming fraud and subsequently filing numerous lawsuits in hopes of...