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...

Strong Parental Guidance?: How Film Censorship in the Philippines Affects Democracy

May 23, 2025 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

In 2024, a documentary about the enforced disappearance of an activist was given an X Rating by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRB). Alipato at...

Checking The Vitals Of Philippine Democracy: Symptoms Of Fatigue Or Frustration?

May 21, 2025 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

Are Filipinos truly experiencing democracy fatigue, or are they simply frustrated with a system that caged their role to the ballot box? While many assume Filipino’s...

Hungarian Democratic Backsliding During COVID-19

Feb 18, 2022 | Boston University

Viktor Orbán’s Hungary has come under increasing scrutiny and criticism since he and his party came to power in 2010. Humanitarian watchdogs, scholars, other states, and the EU have criticized his...

Why BIPOC Are on the Frontlines in the Fight Against Emerging American Authoritarianism

Feb 17, 2022 | Boston University

On June 1st, 2020, during the height of the Black Lives Matter protests and the COVID-19 pandemic, President Trump made the news once again as reports broke out of BLM protesters being violently...

January 6, 2021 and Democratic Erosion in America

Feb 17, 2022 | Boston University

The riot of the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021 was an unprecedented event in American history. That afternoon, thousands of supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol...

Poland’s Judicial Reform and Its Impacts on the Democratic Stability of Poland and EU’s Member States

Feb 16, 2022 | Boston University

"The clash between Warsaw’s supreme court and nationalist-populist government is a crisis not just for Poland, but for the whole EU. If the 28-nation bloc cannot enforce fundamental values such as...

Does the U.S. Congress Have America’s Best Interests in Mind?

Feb 16, 2022 | Boston University

The past two years of American politics have been defined by unprecedented, bizarre events such as the Capitol riots of January 6th, the rocky Presidential election of Joe Biden over Donald Trump,...

What’s Left of Poland’s Democracy?

Feb 16, 2022 | Boston University

Poland was once the model nation of a communist country fallen apart and in shambles that then came together to become a prosperous democratic country, but now Poland’s democracy is crumbling. The...

Is Australia’s Democracy as Strong as Once Believed?

Feb 16, 2022 | Boston University

Australia has long been viewed in the political world as a relatively stable democracy. In the face of the extreme partisanship that has characterised America’s political landscape over recent...

Populist Roots Behind Argentina’s Current Uncertainty

Feb 16, 2022 | Boston University

From Glory to Grains: Why Decades of Populist Chokehold Led to the Deterioration of Argentina's Economy and Leadership After juggling populism since the 1940s, the stability of Argentina’s economic...

Donald Trump’s Push to Question Election Legitimacy: Are Populist Tactics a Threat to Democracy?

Feb 16, 2022 | Boston University

What was meant to be a peaceful transition of power from the 45th to the 46th President of the United States turned into a doubting of the electoral institutions from former President Donald Trump....