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.

Food Security is Rooted Abroad

Global fertilizer supply chains connect geopolitical events abroad to food production at home in ways most consumers don’t see.

The Meaning of Silence : What the moment of silence for Melissa Hortman says about American democracy

On June 14, 2025, the lives of Melissa Hortman who was a House speaker in Minnesota and her husband Mark were taken in what authorities believe to be a politically motivated act of violence. The same day Senator John Hoffman and his wife were also shot and...

The New Future of Warfare? How Social Media is Inflating Tensions Between the U.S. and Iran.

Social media is moving to the forefront of the ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Iran, with political elites from both sides of the conflict using social media as a weapon to fabricate narratives and generate AI videos to publicly denounce the actions of one...

The Deeper Implications of Trump’s Political Labeling

Feb 13, 2026 | Boston University

Most people who have been keeping up with American politics over the past few years are familiar with Donald Trump’s creative language for his opposition. He titled Joe...

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...

Thailand’s Government Continues Expanding Their Rights at the Expense of Its People

Oct 15, 2022 | Ohio State University

From a young age, we learn to make the most of the hand we’re dealt. As time goes on, we learn to adapt. We learn to use the mechanisms in place to achieve our goals. We see this in politics as...

Is Niger a Democratic State? Not Yet.

Oct 14, 2022 | Ohio State University

Is Niger a democratic state? Three years ago, the answer would’ve been a solid no. Niger's current condition after last year’s presidential election renders today’s answer as an unsteady maybe....

Weaponizing Misinformation Laws: Turkey’s Crackdown on Opposition Media

Oct 14, 2022 | Ohio State University

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan The parliament of Turkey has passed a media anti-misinformation bill proposed by the country’s authoritarian president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. While the...

Talks of a Potential Third Term Plagues Indonesia

Oct 14, 2022 | Ohio State University

As we continue to feel the effects of the Covid-19 virus, Indonesia faces a looming dilemma regarding their next important election coming in 2024. The country's current president Joko Widodo (known...

Femicides In Ecuador Weaken Foundations of Democracy

Oct 14, 2022 | Ohio State University

“Police kill, femicidal state” read the sign of a protestor standing outside of the Quito Police Headquarters on September 21st. The protest came as a response to news that broke earlier that day:...

Paraguay’s December Primary: Corruption, Assassinations, and Treaty Renegotiation

Oct 14, 2022 | Ohio State University

The history of democracy in Latin and South America has been tumultuous. In Paraguay, the ruling Colorado party is fraught with corruption and may lose its grip on power for only the second time in...

El Salvador is Objectively Becoming Safer, But at What Cost to Democracy?

Oct 14, 2022 | Ohio State University

El Salvador is a country that many Americans have heard of but very few know a lot about. The nation has experienced a long history of turmoil with several military dictatorships and a civil war...

Let’s Be Cautious of Jail Bolsonaro as Brazil Enters Round Two of Voting

Oct 14, 2022 | Ohio State University

Brazil's incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro utilized populist rhetoric and disinformation to help win his 2018 election campaign. At the beginning of this month, Bolsonaro lost to former left-wing...

Democratic Backsliding in Mali?

Oct 14, 2022 | Ohio State University

While democratic backsliding has become a question in some of the world’s biggest and most successful democracies, such as the...