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 blogs reflect the views of the student authors, and not those of the Democratic Erosion Consortium.

Tunisia Under Saied: The Unraveling of the Arab Spring’s Lone Success Story

On January 31, 2026, Tunisian President Kais Saied extended the country’s state of emergency once more, now marking ten consecutive years of its being in effect. While he initially framed this as a temporary measure when he first extended it in 2021, its continual...

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

A recent coup has exposed Benin’s crumbling democracy, revealing issues including the presence of extremist groups leading to flawed elite counterterrorism through international partners, and executive stealth authoritarianism.

How President Trump is initiating Democratic backsliding to assert his dominance

President Trump is using legal mechanisms to slowly undermine democratic norms, such as institutional forbearance and mutual toleration to exercise and extend total control over other democratic institutions in the United States.

Dissolving Political Parties in Thailand

Nov 4, 2024 | Ohio State University

Democratic institutions are breaking down and being taken away in Thailand. This is a direct sign of democratic erosion. Democratic erosion or backsliding occurs when there...

Cohabitation and a Turbulent Tribunal – The State of Polish Democracy

Nov 3, 2024 | Ohio State University

With the Government responsible for Poland's democratic backsliding losing legislative control, can its power entrenched in the courts be undone by the new Prime Minister?...

The Fight for the Soul of the Republican Party Just Suffered Another Loss

Feb 25, 2022 | University of Chicago

In not-so-surprising turn of events, on February 4th, the Republican National Committee (RNC) voted to censure Representatives Liz Cheney (R-WY) and Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) for their role in...

Vigilante Litigation: How Greg Abbott’s Texas Legislation is Contributing to Democratic Backsliding

Feb 25, 2022 | University of Chicago

Greg Abbott’s run as Governor of Texas has been explosive and controversial, but as the controversies continue, it becomes clear that his time in office has also become a risk to democracy. This...

Belarus and Media Censorship: How Far Will Lukashenko Go?

Feb 25, 2022 | University of Chicago

Belarus is a shockingly young country, having gained its independence in 1991 following the fall of the Soviet Union. Censorship is not a new phenomenon within the country, but it appears to be...

Media Censorship in Serbia under President Vucic

Feb 25, 2022 | University of Chicago

In Serbia today, President Aleksander Vucic is continuing Serbia’s plunge into the pool of eroding democracy by conducting soft censorship of the media. Aleksander Vucic began his political journey...

Ending Egypt’s State of Emergency: A False Image of Democratic Reform

Feb 25, 2022 | University of Chicago

On October 25th, 2021, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced that he is finally lifting Egypt’s nationwide state of emergency. On the surface, this is a positive change for Egyptian...

Congressional Gridlock and Government Shutdowns: A Sign of Party Polarization in the United States

Feb 25, 2022 | University of Chicago

Congress recently passed a short-term spending bill to narrowly avoid entering a government shutdown. The formal deadline to pass spending legislation was September 2021, but due to divisions in the...

The United States’ Silent Companion in Its Shift to the Right

Feb 25, 2022 | University of Chicago

The year 2016 brought about quite a shocking presidential candidate and elect for the United States. President Donald Trump, in his 4 years of candidacy, made himself well-known throughout the...

How Trump Inspired Wisconsin Republicans’ “Decertification” Strategy

Feb 25, 2022 | University of Chicago

One year after the 2020 elections, Wisconsin Republicans are more divided than ever. Many Republican voters have not accepted that former President Trump lost the election. According to an October...

Why Big Money Poses a Threat to Democracy

Feb 25, 2022 | University of Chicago

Under polarization, governmental institutions can lead to disproportionate influence for a certain subset of citizens. Donald Trump has increased polarization in recent years and demonstrated...