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...

Buying Injustice: The Hidden Harms of this Act.

Are we looking to create a thriving society, or are we allowing fear into the lives of immigrant families? As new immigration policies appear, the question become, how do we prevent the changes that involve separating families and dismantling the place that...

Lawful Erosion: Is it Legal or No? Maybe…

Oct 20, 2025 | Arizona State University

Recent reports by The New York Times share a growing consensus within the judiciary of an impending crisis, with a lack of clarity creating foreseeable conflict and...

Pulling the Alarm: From Washington to Rome, Experts Warn of Rapid Democratic Decline

Oct 19, 2025 | Arizona State University

The United States has long upheld an international reputation as the sword and shield of democracy, championing liberal ideals and warning other nations against the rise of...

Ethiopia’s Ethnic Conflict Leads to Harsh Decrease in Rights

Mar 8, 2022 | Ohio State University

Since November of 2020, Ethiopia has been consumed by the ongoing conflict between the national government and rebels from the northernmost part of the country. This conflict however, has had a wide...

Cuban Citizens Call to Action in Summer 2021

Mar 8, 2022 | Ohio State University

July 2021 brought a period of unrest in Cuba, the likes of which had not been seen since the 1959 revolution with Fidel Castro. On July 11, 2021 people came to the streets to protest against...

Invasion to Failed State: Iraq’s Democratic Mirage

Mar 7, 2022 | Ohio State University

On March 20th, 2003, President George W. Bush announced that United States forces would begin military exercises within Iraq. Among the coalition partners, it was clear the United States and NATO...

Qatar’s New Legislature Is No Real Indication of Democratization

Mar 7, 2022 | Ohio State University

In October of last year, 2021, general elections for a national legislative body were held in Qatar for the first time. The legislature (romanized from Arabic as Majlis as-Shura) is called the Shura...

Technocracy, Autocracy, and Democracy in Singapore

Mar 7, 2022 | Ohio State University

In December 2021, the United States held an international Summit For Democracy, inviting 100 nations to combat democratic backsliding. The invite list was full of liberal democracies but included...

Stealth Authoritarianism: A Threat to Democracy in Paraguay

Mar 7, 2022 | Ohio State University

Following a 35-year military dictatorship by Alfredo Stroessner that ended in 1989, Paraguay took steps toward democratization including the adoption of a constitution in 1992. In 1993, Colorado...

“Protection Bill” Passes Committee: What are its Implications in the Fight for Democracy in Iran?

Mar 7, 2022 | Ohio State University

Recent scholarship on authoritarianism, democratic backsliding and state censorship has shifted its focus. Research on explicit abuses of power has given way towards the implicit means by which...

New Erosion: Democratic Backsliding in South Sudan

Mar 7, 2022 | Ohio State University

When we think about democratic backsliding, we tend to think about nations that have existed, in one form or another, for a reasonably long time — Russia, the United States, Venezuela, etc. It’s...

The Vazrazhdane Party: A Study in Polarization in Bulgaria

Mar 7, 2022 | Ohio State University

On January 12th, 2022, a violent demonstration over vaccine and mask mandates from the far-right led to an attempt on seizing the Parliament building in Sofia. As this rift between the far-right and...