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.

The Trend of Polarization: How Political Competition Becomes Conflict

“Us” Versus “Them” In the context of modern politics in the United States and around the world, an increasingly worrying factor that plays a role in the phenomenon of democratic erosion is polarization. Polarization is a process through which the civil and political...

The Dignity Act and the Death of Bipartisanship

For much of the late twentieth century, immigration reform in the United States was an achievable feat through bipartisan cooperation. Lawmakers disagreed on key provisions, yet they were able to engage in negotiations, ultimately producing legislation. However in...

Benin: How Quickly Democracy Can Erode

This post examines how Benin’s democracy is rapidly eroding. President Talon has pushed the country off its right trajectory toward democratic values.

When Elections Still Happen but Democracy Still Weakens: Turkey and the Crackdown on Ekrem İmamoğlu

Apr 15, 2026 | Boston University

A country does not have to cancel elections to weaken democracy. Sometimes leaders keep elections in place but make it harder for the opposition to compete fairly. I argue...

The Combo of Asset Freezes and Deterioration of Democratic Norms relegates India’s Democratic Standing

Apr 15, 2026 | Boston University

Recently, India has been experiencing some forms of democratic backsliding. According to Nancy Bermeo’s “On Democratic Backsliding”, she depicts democratic backsliding as...

https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2026/03/13/bitcoin-in-the-crossfire-what-oil-shocks-really-do-to-crypto/

Apr 14, 2026 | University of Houston

There’s this one anecdote that circulates the internet a lot. I see it every few months myself, you probably see it just as often. The Bitcoin pizzas. Some guy paid 10,000 Bitcoin for some pizzas,...

Tempering Potential Post-Election Expectations in Hungary

Apr 12, 2026 | Boston University

Hungary’s 21st century shift from liberal democracy into a “hybrid regime” – or a competitive authoritarianist state, as the phenomenon is also sometimes known – has been well-studied and quite...

Due Process Violation and Democratic Erosion in El Salvador

Apr 6, 2026 | University of Houston

In March 2022, El Salvador declared a state of emergency that would reshape not only the country's political landscape but also their legal foundation. Under the current President Nayib Bukele, the...

How weak institutions led to the fall of Afghanistan’s democracy.

Apr 6, 2026 | University of Houston

From 2004 through 2021, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan was established after the invasion by the U.S. This invasion was a response to the September 11 attacks, and to prevent any further...

Democracy in America in Historic Decline: What’s Next For the USA?

Apr 3, 2026 | Suffolk University, Uncategorized

With the release of the most recent V-Dem report on world democracy, the US has reached a 60-year low dropping all the way back to levels before the civil rights era. This has been labeled as the...

Looking at Trump’s and Obama’s State of the Unions Through the Lens of Mutual Toleration

Apr 1, 2026 | Salem State University

On February 24th, 2026, President Trump delivered the longest State of the Union Address in American history. His speech addressed a range of topics such as the U.S economy, immigration, foreign...

Is Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Actually Keeping Us Safe?

Mar 31, 2026 | Suffolk University

Voter fraud in the United States is almost nonexistent, with very little evidence suggesting that noncitizens are the ones committing it, if it does happen. Audits and research have repeatedly found...

Modern Gerrymandering and Its Damaging Effects on U.S. Electoral Democracy

Mar 30, 2026 | University of Houston

Introduction Gerrymandering is the practice of drawing electoral maps to favor one political party over another. When redrawing maps, the party in power will use two strategies: packing and...

Confusion and Control: New Voting Laws Weakening Democracy in America

Mar 30, 2026 | Uncategorized, University of Houston

A core component of democracy is representation through free and fair elections. Free and fair can be defined by who qualifies to vote and then by the actual ability of that group to vote. The SAVE...