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...

Politics and Populism Brazil: Increasing Polarization

May 1, 2025 | Featured, University of Memphis

Populism has played an important role in the shaping of Brazilian politics over the past century. An approach that pits "the people" against "the elite," populism thrives...

Populist or President… ?

May 1, 2025 | University of Memphis

Populist or President… ? Donald Trump is significantly taking us backward.With the growing centralization of wealth and...

What the United States Can Learn from German Elections

Dec 8, 2021 | Salem State University

On September 26th, 2021, Germany held an election which was unlike any other in the country’s last sixteen years. Angela Merkel is retiring after an overwhelmingly successful career that has shaped...

The Case of Depolarization in South Korea

Dec 8, 2021 | Georgia State University

Polarization can be observed as a phenomenon inflicting countries around the world to varying degrees. South Korea is no exception, since the founding of the Sixth Republic of Korea in 1987, the...

“El Presidente” of El Salvador: Populist or Fool?

Dec 7, 2021 | Suffolk University

Key Points: Raids on Journalist Organization, Overwhelming Public Support, Proposed Changes to the Constitution “Devuelvan lo robado...” translation “Give back what was stolen” is only one of the...

Far-Right Populism: A Threat to Poland’s Democracy

Dec 6, 2021 | University of Georgia

In recent years, we have seen how far-right populism has gained a footing in what many would consider to be some of the world’s strongest democracies. From the United States, to France, to Germany,...

There Is No Way That Polarization Is Happening in Norway, Right?

Dec 5, 2021 | Georgia State University

Norway has historically been one of the most robust and successful democracies especially since the end of World War II and Nazi occupation. The country consistently ranks high on metrics of human...

Examining the Implications of Jair Bolsonaro’s Rise to Power in Brazil

Dec 5, 2021 | Georgia State University

The intricate relationship between authoritarian forms of contemporary populism and its potential implications on democratic order is incredibly important, but also, almost entirely paradoxical. On...

Military Control in “Lawless” Pakistan by Sana Iqbal

Dec 4, 2021 | Suffolk University

Pakistan is a country in Southeast Asia where the military plays arguably the biggest part in its functionality or lack thereof. From 1951 to 2011 (60 years), the United States provided almost $67...

North Macedonia: How Peaceful Protest and Collaboration Created New Hope for Democracy

Dec 3, 2021 | Georgia State University

Throughout the late 20th and 21st centuries, a worrying trend has emerged in global politics, referred to as democratic erosion. Even large liberal democracies like the United States have not been...

Laws Ending Early Voting Will Help Republicans and Hurt Democracy

Dec 2, 2021 | Suffolk University

It has been a year since the 2020 presidential election. The ongoing discussions on voter restrictions, harsher voter laws, and voter fraud have begun to quiet down a bit. However, it is important...