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.

Democracy Dying by Law : A Case study of Poland’s Under PiS Era

Still water runs deep. Have you ever heard of this phrase? It means that the surface may look calm, but there is some powerful force moving underneath. What if this was happening in real life? That force has a name: stealth authoritarianism. That force wears a mask...

The New Nepal: A Model or An Outlier?

Recent uprisings in Nepal, Bangladesh, and Madagascar (just to name a few) have highlighted younger generations’ demands for anticorruption and better political representation. Specifically, the 2025 uprising in Nepal illustrates GenZ’s potential for...

Challenging Erdoğan’s Autocracy: Resistance to Democratic Erosion in Türkiye

Resistance to the Erdoğan regime in Türkiye has maintained a presence in local and national government, found multigenerational support in academia, and been energized by young Turks looking for a more democratic future for their home.

Takaichi’s Era: Democracy on the Edge?

Feb 13, 2026 | Boston University

Japan has long been regarded as a consolidated parliamentary democracy since the post–World War II constitutional reforms, a status reaffirmed by its classification as a...

Orbán and the Courts: Why Hungary’s Democracy Is at Risk

Feb 13, 2026 | Boston University

Orbán and the Courts: Why Hungary’s Democracy Is at Risk Is Hungary’s Democracy Still Alive? If you’ve been following European politics, you might have seen news about...

Democratic Backsliding in the Massachusetts State House

Oct 17, 2022 | Boston University

As we well know, democracy is not a stable thing. It is fragile and easily threatened, yet idealized and strived for all around the world. In one moment it can be strong as ever, and in the next, it...

Voice of a People: Is Trump’s Right-Wing Populist Shake-Up Detrimental to American Democracy?

Oct 17, 2022 | Boston University

“I alone can fix it”. Five simple words which have the power to jeopardize American democracy. With Trump’s use of such rhetoric at the Republican National Committee (RNC) in 2016 when referring to...

Taxation Without Representation: The 51st State

Oct 17, 2022 | Boston University

“Taxation without representation,” is not just some catchy slogan plastered across license plates. It is the reality for nearly 700,000 Americans currently living in the nation’s capital. For almost...

Flashy News & Politics Killing Democracy

Oct 17, 2022 | Boston University

In the modern world of the twenty-four-hour news cycle, the ever-rising importance of media, and the chase for viewers, news outlets are always looking for the next big story facing the...

Populism and Nationalism: Global Threats to Democracy

Oct 17, 2022 | Boston University

Populism and nationalism are two separate concepts, yet simultaneously they are deeply interconnected ideologies. Populism, as defined by Jan Mueller, is where a political leader uses...

Democracy in Puerto Rico

Oct 17, 2022 | Boston University

This past September, Puerto Rico was hit by Hurricane Fiona which left many parts of the island without power. In 2017, Hurricane Maria, a category 5 storm hit the island, and thousands died, houses...

The Election of Narendra Modi: A Turning Point in the Indian Democracy

Oct 17, 2022 | Boston University

In 2022, India sits as the world’s most populous country of around 1.38 billion people, making it the largest democracy in the world. The Indian government is modeled after the Westminster model, a...

Has Wisconsin Infringed Upon Citizens’ Voting Rights?

Oct 17, 2022 | Boston University

As of July 8, 2022, Wisconsin's Supreme Court ruled that most of the state's drop boxes are not allowed. Eligible voters cannot have another person return their absentee ballot on their behalf. This...

Who’s Suppressed Next? Partisan Polarization and Voter Suppression in Post-Trump America

Oct 17, 2022 | Boston University

One of the most notable weaknesses of American democracy is its system of voting. Claims of widespread fraud following the 2020 presidential election perpetrated by one of the candidates are just...