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.

A Green Card Once Meant Protection: Now it is Fear

A Green Card Once Meant Protection: Now it is Fear By Fotios E. Meimeteas Imagine you are a single mother in the United States, raising four children who depend on you. You have established a new life, built a home, paid taxes, and lived in the United States for...

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 Democratic Breakdown of Benin: Extremist Groups, Counterterrorism, and Executive Stealth Authoritarianism

Feb 12, 2026 | Boston University, Uncategorized

Sub-Saharan Africa is largely autocratic, with only about 10% of the region considered to be democratic. Benin, one of the only five democracies, is now sliding down a path...

How President Trump is initiating Democratic backsliding to assert his dominance

Feb 12, 2026 | Boston University

Recently, the United States, under the guidance and control of President Trump’s administration, is at risk of a threat to democracy as he exercises abusive executive...

Xi Jinping’s Power Consolidation and the Return to Personalistic Rule; Shanghai Case Study

Jun 9, 2022 | University of California, San Diego

China’s single-party regime is in danger as Xi Jinping, the current president of China, seeks to return to the Mao era style of personalistic rule. Chairman Mao (Mao Zedong) was head of the Chinese...

Will Estonia Continue to be a Beacon of Democracy?

Jun 9, 2022 | University of California, San Diego

The Coronavirus posed a challenge to government’s world wide and response in Estonia was considered to be quick, effective and generally approved by the public. Like many other democracies the...

From Tragedy to Disinformation, from Disinformation to Misinformation, From Misinformation to Threats: How Transphobia Threatened Three Separate Women’s Safety in the Wake of the Uvalde Shooting

Jun 9, 2022 | University of California, San Diego

What does the current fixation of Republicans on Trans rights have to do with a School Shooting? In the case of the recent mass shooting in Uvalde, nothing on the surface. None of the victims were...

Democratic Erosion University Course Student Blog

A Green Card Once Meant Protection: Now it is Fear

Food Security is Rooted Abroad

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

The Democratic Breakdown of Benin: Extremist Groups, Counterterrorism, and Executive Stealth Authoritarianism

How President Trump is initiating Democratic backsliding to assert his dominance

Xi Jinping’s Power Consolidation and the Return to Personalistic Rule; Shanghai Case Study

Will Estonia Continue to be a Beacon of Democracy?

From Tragedy to Disinformation, from Disinformation to Misinformation, From Misinformation to Threats: How Transphobia Threatened Three Separate Women’s Safety in the Wake of the Uvalde Shooting

Correlation between Growing Evangelical Communities and Rising Populism

Brazilians Will Have To Choose The Lesser of Two Evils

Myanmar in Shambles with the Revival of the Death Penalty

Economic Inequality and Democratic Political Engagement

Is a New Depolarization Process Possible in Brazil?

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