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.

The Informational Middleman: A Hidden Literacy Crisis, Who Gets to Explain Democracy?

What if you can vote but can’t understand what you’re voting on? Imagine two citizens receiving identical governmental notices before preparing to cast their votes in an upcoming election. Both have the same legal right to vote, contact their representatives, and...

How Many Resignations are Too Many Resignations?: The Political Environment of the UK Leading to Keir Starmer Relinquishing his Premiership

There has been a lot of commotion in the last years about the instability of liberal democracies, and particularly established democracies which have made a considerable amount of people question their validity and efficacy. A particularly interesting example of this...

When Legal Authority May Undermine Democracy: The Overseas Voting Forms Controversy

In late August, the Trump Administration used emergency requests to alter the federal voting form used by overseas U.S. citizens, limiting how certain voters can request ballots. The changes include the elimination of a checkbox for U.S. citizens born abroad who have...

The SAVE Act will be the Downfall of American Democracy

Feb 13, 2026 | Boston University

The Republican Party and President Trump’s approval and promotion of the SAVE Act is a major move towards Trump’s authoritarian agenda to disrupt American democracy. What...

The United States is Divided…and Scared of Thy Neighbor?: Polarization is Eroding Democracy

Feb 13, 2026 | Boston University

The Democratic and Republican parties of the US are strongly divided, with 80% of US adults saying that voters from both parties not only disagree on policy, but also on...

Social Media Influence on Young Voters Continues to Increase: Is It Dangerous?

Apr 24, 2022 | Suffolk University

The world has 3.96 active social media users, thirty-one percent of whom are within the ages of 18 to 24. Their constant feed of information from non-traditional news sources has drastically changed...

Biden’s Aggressive Climate Goals Might Be Just What the Planet Needs… But Will Congress and the Courts Prevent Them from Happening?

Apr 24, 2022 | Suffolk University

According to the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) 2022 climate report, Earth could reach a level of 1.5 °C within two decades, but that is still with a large cut to carbon emissions...

Us vs. Them: Beyond Issues, Polarization Is a Problem

Apr 24, 2022 | Suffolk University

Beyond political or social issues that may contribute to causing it, polarization has evolved into a dangerous framework of communication that is a poison to our democracy and democracies around the...

Biden and Rising Gas Prices

Apr 24, 2022 | Suffolk University

Over the past 2 months, gas prices have spiked to above $4 a gallon, a far cry from the sub $2 gas prices of the COVID pandemic. Americans are facing massive problems at the pump as their household...

Two Sides: An Opinion

Apr 24, 2022 | Suffolk University

One day in seventh grade homeroom, I was handed a sheet of paper from my teacher. I saw three checkboxes followed by three words. In the moment, I didn't really care about what was happening and...

The United States Must Be Cautious of China’s Influence on the World Stage

Apr 24, 2022 | Suffolk University

Over the course of recent world history, few countries have grown quite like China, from an economic, influential and a geopolitical standpoint. However, such a change does not happen overnight....

Is U.S. Democracy Under a State of Attack?

Apr 24, 2022 | Suffolk University

U.S. democracy is very clearly in a state of crisis. An NPR poll found that “64% of Americans believe U.S democracy is in crisis and at risk of failing.” These negative feelings about the future of...

Marine Le Pen’s Loss in France Is a Victory over Populism, For Now

Apr 24, 2022 | Boston University

Last week’s presidential election in France saw Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen advance to a run-off, with neither candidate achieving the 50% majority needed to win decisively. Incumbent Macron...

Face-off in the Magic Kingdom: Ron DeSantis vs Mickey Mouse

Apr 24, 2022 | Boston University

Last month in Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis passed the “Parental Rights in Education” bill, otherwise known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by opponents. The bill prohibits “non-age appropriate”...