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...

Italy Through the Lens of Democratic Erosion

Feb 13, 2026 | Boston University

Are We Still Living in a WEIRD World? In the last decade, the world has witnessed a growing instability of democratic institutions in countries considered to be consolidated...

Stealth Authoritarianism in El Salvador

Feb 13, 2026 | Boston University

In our assigned reading by Ozan Varol, he describes his theory of “stealth authoritarianism” as a way that “the new generation of authoritarians cloak repressive measures...

South Korea’s Candlelit Revolution and a New President – A Case in Democratic Backsliding

Oct 13, 2022 | Ohio State University

When considering democratic backsliding, South Korea’s case is not necessarily the one with the most backsliding, but it is important to consider. While the Candlelit Revolution itself is the people...

Nepal’s New “Press Office” Is Pressing Democracy

Oct 13, 2022 | Ohio State University

By now we’re all familiar with the term “fake news”. While perceptions of its magnitude and implications vary, any champion of democracy recognizes the importance of free speech and expression. And...

How Much Longer Will Corruption Persist in Honduras?

Oct 13, 2022 | Ohio State University

Honduras continues to fight a never ending battle against corruption. In a country with perpetual stories of corruption from politicians and law enforcement, this type of behavior has become...

Democratic Backsliding in the Ukraine Conflict and Renewed Prospects of Re-Democratization in Europe

Oct 13, 2022 | Boston University

The barbaric war in Ukraine seems to have a silver lining - the Russian aggressor has become a catalyst for European states to reevaluate their democratic standing and commitment to EU values....

2020 Tanzanian Election: A Disaster in Democracy

Oct 13, 2022 | SUNY-Binghamton

The 2020 Tanzanian presidential election has forever had its reputation tainted by fraud allegations and the use of voter suppression tactics. Journalists and politicians of the opposition parties...

Brexit from Liberal Democracy?

Oct 12, 2022 | SUNY-Binghamton

Brexit, the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union (EU), has been met with a multitude of criticism. Brexit, which was deemed to damage the United Kingdom’s economy, was voted on by the...

Democratic Erosion and Hardship in Turkey

Oct 12, 2022 | SUNY-Binghamton

Turkey has seen immense democratic erosion (backsliding) in the last few years of the Justice and Development party’s (AKP) rule in Turkey. Initially, the party brought about great prosperity,...

Trump’s Threat to American Democracy Should Have Been Predictable

Oct 12, 2022 | SUNY-Binghamton

How did we get here? How did the United States come so close to the overturning of a democratic election that has guaranteed the peaceful transfer of power for almost 250 years? Infamously,...

Democratic Erosion in South Africa

Oct 12, 2022 | SUNY-Binghamton

https://mg.co.za/opinion/2022-09-16-the-state-of-democracy-in-south-africa-is-cause-for-concern/ Since the beginning of the 21st century to mid-2000s, South Africa has been struggling with a...