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.

At What Point Does Protecting Democracy Become Undemocratic?

The classical understanding of democracy rests on the abstract concept of the “common good” and the idea that people elect representatives to carry out their collective will, a conception Schumpeter famously critiqued. While scholars tend to differ in the principles...

Social Media is Bad for American Democracy

Social media hurts American Democracy. As Waldner and Lust describe, democracy relies on two forms of accountability to function. One is vertical accountability, meaning that citizens can hold officials accountable through elections, which pressures representatives to...

States of Exception: The Successful Rejection of Executive Overreach in Chile

After storming to the presidency in the 2025 presidential elections,[1] Chilean President José Antonio Kast has wasted no time attempting to enact his campaign agenda. In August, the President presented the Chilean Congress with a reform to address organized crime and...

In Illinois, Donors Narrowed Democracy… Again

Mar 25, 2026 | Suffolk University

Before Illinois voters cast a single ballot on March 17th, outside money had already been working to decide who they would get to choose from. Roughly $125 million poured...

What a shrunken Congress means for democracy in America

Mar 24, 2026 | Suffolk University

Congress plays an essential role in our government. They are the only federal officials directly elected by the American people, yet in recent years, under Republican and...

Is Democracy Slowly Dying in America?

Apr 24, 2022 | Suffolk University

In short, the answer is yes. What can we do to fix this is a question on many people’s minds? Sadly, there is not one simple answer. The United States was founded as a democratic country, and...

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...