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.

When Election Results Take Too Long: What Happened in Peru

Elections are supposed to provide clarity. They tell citizens who won, who lost, and what comes next. But in Peru, the recent election did the opposite. Instead of clear results, the country faced delays, protests, and growing accusations of fraud. Thousands of people...

Legislative Capture and the Erosion of Democracy in India

After coming into power following the 2014 election, India’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has initiated an alarming backsliding of democratic institutions and practices. Having recently become the world’s most populous country, India’s dip in authoritarianism should...

Fujimori or Sánchez – How Peru Loses Either Way

In the April 2026 presidential elections in Peru there was a total of 35 candidates. As we approach the runoff vote on the top two candidates, Peruvians are going to be choosing between Keiko Fujimori and her opponent Roberto Sánchez. Both politicians are...

Analyzing the 2024 Mexican Judicial Reforms

Apr 27, 2026 | Tulane University

In 2024, the then-President of Mexico, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, passed a sweeping overhaul of the judiciary in Mexico. The 2024 judicial reforms introduced a dramatic...

Flip a Coin: Voting in the United States of America

Apr 26, 2026 | Suffolk University

Voting in the United States of America is portrayed as the foundation of the world's greatest democracy, the ultimate freedom amongst an endless list of freedoms. But this...

Due Process Violation and Democratic Erosion in El Salvador

Apr 6, 2026 | University of Houston

In March 2022, El Salvador declared a state of emergency that would reshape not only the country's political landscape but also their legal foundation. Under the current President Nayib Bukele, the...

How weak institutions led to the fall of Afghanistan’s democracy.

Apr 6, 2026 | University of Houston

From 2004 through 2021, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan was established after the invasion by the U.S. This invasion was a response to the September 11 attacks, and to prevent any further...

Democracy in America in Historic Decline: What’s Next For the USA?

Apr 3, 2026 | Suffolk University

With the release of the most recent V-Dem report on world democracy, the US has reached a 60-year low dropping all the way back to levels before the civil rights era. This has been labeled as the...

Looking at Trump’s and Obama’s State of the Unions Through the Lens of Mutual Toleration

Apr 1, 2026 | Salem State University

On February 24th, 2026, President Trump delivered the longest State of the Union Address in American history. His speech addressed a range of topics such as the U.S economy, immigration, foreign...

Is Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Actually Keeping Us Safe?

Mar 31, 2026 | Suffolk University

Voter fraud in the United States is almost nonexistent, with very little evidence suggesting that noncitizens are the ones committing it, if it does happen. Audits and research have repeatedly found...

The New Poll Tax: How Trump’s Executive Order Is Designed to Keep People From Voting

Mar 30, 2026 | Suffolk University

The New Poll Tax: How Trump's Executive Order Is Designed to Keep People From Voting Imagine being told you need a passport to vote. Not to travel abroad - to vote in the country where...

Modern Gerrymandering and Its Damaging Effects on U.S. Electoral Democracy

Mar 30, 2026 | University of Houston

Introduction Gerrymandering is the practice of drawing electoral maps to favor one political party over another. When redrawing maps, the party in power will use two strategies: packing and...

Confusion and Control: New Voting Laws Weakening Democracy in America

Mar 30, 2026 | Uncategorized, University of Houston

A core component of democracy is representation through free and fair elections. Free and fair can be defined by who qualifies to vote and then by the actual ability of that group to vote. The SAVE...

Hollowing out the State: DOGE and the Administrative Erosion of American Democracy

Mar 30, 2026 | Suffolk University, Universities

On January 20, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order establishing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a body embedded within the existing U.S. Digital Service and led by tech...