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 Trump Administration’s Aggressive Rejection of Dissent Threatens Democracy

Feb 12, 2026 | Boston University

As the Trump administration enters its second year, Trump continues to push his strategy of executive aggrandizement, reducing institutions independence and eliminating...

Fifteen Years After the Jasmine Revolution: Is Democracy in Tunisia Backsliding?

Feb 12, 2026 | Boston University

On January 14, 2026, Tunisia celebrated 15 years since it ousted authoritarian leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. The Jasmine Revolution, named after the country’s national...

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

Food Security is Rooted Abroad

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

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

The Trump Administration’s Aggressive Rejection of Dissent Threatens Democracy

Fifteen Years After the Jasmine Revolution: Is Democracy in Tunisia Backsliding?

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?

When It Comes to Gun Reform, The Republicans Are Playing Dirty

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Threatens Egypt’s Economy – From Backsliding to Backsliding

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