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...

Peru’s Hollow Democracy: How Congress Captured the State

Oct 19, 2025 | Arizona State University, Featured

When Peru's Congress voted unanimously on October 10, 2025, to remove President Dina Boluarte for "permanent moral incapacity," the decision was framed as a constitutional...

Democratic Means to Undemocratic Ends – How Donald Trump is Weaponizing Democracy for His Own Gain

Oct 18, 2025 | Arizona State University

Modern autocratization is often marked by executive leaders weaponizing the legal system of the democratic country they were elected to lead. It allows for an easy way of...

Autocratic Regimes: The Importance of Free Media During War

Mar 4, 2022 | University of Chicago

Now that Vladimir Putin has launched a full-scale invasion against Ukraine, it is difficult to argue with the reality that Russia should now be considered a fully autocratic regime. Putin has shown...

Targeted by All Sides and Caught in the Crossfire, Journalism Has Become Yemen’s “Death Career”

Mar 4, 2022 | Ohio State University

This month, the International Federation of Journalists along with the Yemeni Journalists’ Syndicate have launched a campaign to draw international attention to the arrest and detainment of four...

Response to Anna Katz: “The Fight for the Soul of the Republican Party Just Suffered Another Loss”

Mar 2, 2022 | Rollins College

Patriarchal Authoritarianism in Egypt: What Women’s Rights Show About Backsliding

Mar 2, 2022 | University of Chicago

The connection between authoritarian regimes and a lack of rights for women has been seen many times before. It is often even a distinguishing trait in the popular discourse, however, the struggle...

What the 2020 Protest Wave Can Tell Us About Polarization and Erosion in the United States

Mar 2, 2022 | University of Chicago

The summer of 2020 brought a fierce wave of protests and demonstrations throughout not only the United States, but much of the world. While perpetuated by the pervasive police brutality that...

Russia: Suppressing Dissent and Evading Accountability

Mar 1, 2022 | University of Chicago

People take part in a protest against Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 26, 2022, in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany. (Photo by Yann Schreiber / AFP) (Photo by YANN SCHREIBER/AFP via Getty...

To Nominate or Not to Nominate: The Challenge with Gatekeeping Donald Trump

Feb 28, 2022 | University of Chicago

It is uncommon for defeated presidential candidates to run again. But, then again, Donald Trump has never been one to follow precedent. On Saturday night, the former president hinted at...

Private Government: How Workplace Democracy Can Save American Democracy

Feb 27, 2022 | University of Chicago

In a world increasingly dominated by work, many politicians, activists, and theorists have argued for the application of democratic ideals to a new scope—the workplace. Political democracy in the...

How Donald Trump Used Populist Rhetoric to Justify Anti-Democratic Stances and Actions Related to Immigration

Feb 26, 2022 | University of Chicago

Throughout his four years in office, President Donald Trump’s rhetoric on immigration was unparalleled. Trump’s willingness to brazenly insult immigrants and ethnic minorities directly played into...