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...

Buying Injustice: The Hidden Harms of this Act.

Are we looking to create a thriving society, or are we allowing fear into the lives of immigrant families? As new immigration policies appear, the question become, how do we prevent the changes that involve separating families and dismantling the place that...

Judicial Capture and Corruption in El Salvador: How Bukele is Hollowing Out Democracy from Within

Feb 13, 2026 | Boston University, Uncategorized

El Salvador is often portrayed as a rare success story in Latin America. Under President Nayib Bukele, the country has experienced a dramatic drop in homicide rates and a...

Nationalizing Elections – Trump Seeks More Control Over Electoral Process

Feb 13, 2026 | Boston University

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has long decried the integrity of elections, now seeking to bring control of elections under the federal government, or at...

Not Corona But Police Kills

Jun 13, 2022 | Koç University

Excessive police force against Covid-19 implications exacerbated Kenya’s harsh authoritarian climate. On August 1, 2021, police detained two brothers, Emmanuel Marura Ndwiga, 19, and Benson Njiru...

How Will Chile Heal Itself?

Jun 12, 2022 | Koç University

Democracy resembles archeological sites as it is made up of layers and Chile is a country that fought for its democratization for centuries. Even though it constructed multiple layers onto where it...

Does Bulgaria Really Support Ukraine?

Jun 12, 2022 | Koç University

Following the Russian aggression against Ukraine, it was generally questioned whether Bulgaria really supports Ukraine, but recent developments have solidified the country’s pro-Ukrainian stance,...

Almost Three Decades under ‘Lukashenkism’ Rule and the Consequences for Belarus

Jun 12, 2022 | Koç University

‘‘An authoritarian style of rule is a characteristic of me, and I have always admitted it’’. This brave but problematic statement was made 19 years ago by the Belarusian President Alexandar...

Slovenia’s Return to Democracy

Jun 12, 2022 | Koç University

Though it is true the country faced serious democratic challenges and risk of becoming an autocracy, the newest developments such as the results of elections and the promise of a new coalition...

Mongolia’s Ongi River Movement: A Case of an Active Civil Society

Jun 11, 2022 | Koç University

The Ongi River Movement (ORM) and its successor, the United Movement of Mongolian Rivers and Lakes (UMMRL), later Mongolian Nature Protection Coalition that united 11 movements, is one of the many...

Freedom of Speech and Media in Bangladesh: The Exploitation of Media and Restriction of Free Speech as a Tool to Advance Electoral Autocracy

Jun 11, 2022 | Koç University

“Four hostile newspapers are more to be feared than a thousand bayonets..” Napoleon Bonaparte Freedom of Speech is one of the fundamental pillar stones of international human rights and a...

The Rise of Far Right Populism in Spain

Jun 11, 2022 | Koç University

Photo:The far-right Vox party has been called far-right, anti-immigration and anti-Islam Vox has risen towards becoming Spain's third strongest party. As a result of its success, the government can...

The Most Vulnerable of N. Macedonia: Dangers of Two Steps Back from Democratization

Jun 11, 2022 | Koç University

The 11 years of governance by VMRO-DPMNE has seen the party engage in divisive social rhetoric and erasure of legislative institutions essential to Macedonian social rights and civil liberties. The...