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.

Georgia’s Foreign Agents Law and Quiet Death of Democratic Accountability

Georgia’s 2024 foreign agents law uses the language of transparency to legally constrain civil society, tilt electoral competition towards the incumbent Georgian Dream Party, and accelerate democratic backsliding despite domestic and international opposition.

The Boiling Point of Election Violence: Democratic Erosion in Tanzania

Once hailed for its relative stability in an otherwise politically volatile East Africa, Tanzania has exploded into violence and political protest following the controversial reelection of President Samia Suluhu Hassan.

Amnesty for Atrocities: Peru’s Democratic Backsliding in the Shadow of Fujimori

Overview of Peru bill No. 366 of 2023, which provided amnesty to those who committed crimes against humanity during the country’s internal conflict between 1980 and 2000, and its context in the country’s ongoing democratic crisis.

How the CAA and Religious Tensions Threaten India’s Democracy

Nov 14, 2025 | University of Pittsburgh

In 2019, India’s government passed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which offers non-Muslim religious minorities from neighboring countries a fast-track pass to Indian...

Copy-and-Paste: Why Latin America is Using El Salvador as an Anti-Crime Template

Nov 14, 2025 | University of Georgia

Mano dura translates to “iron fist,” broadly defined as strong-armed, anti-crime policies that much of Latin America has implemented over recent decades in response to...

Why Estonia’s decision to disenfranchise non-EU citizens is doing more harm than good

Apr 9, 2025 | Tartu University

On the 26 of March, the Estonian parliament (the Riigikogu) passed a constitutional amendment to remove the rights to vote in local elections for non-EU residents (Kangro, 2025). This was sparked by...

Democratic Backsliding or Payback to the Democrats? Unpacking Yoon’s Presidency in South Korea

Apr 8, 2025 | Tartu University

In April 2025, South Korea’s Constitutional Court unanimously confirmed the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol, officially removing him from office after he attempted to impose martial law on...

Ballots and Bullets: How Political Violence Is Undermining Democracy in Mexico

Apr 7, 2025 | Tartu University

Ballots and Bullets: How Political Violence Is Undermining Democracy in Mexico In 2024, Mexico held one of the largest and most consequential elections in its recent history—electing over 20,000...

Anti-Government Protests and Democratic Erosion in Slovakia

Apr 7, 2025 | Tartu University

Anti-Government Protests and Democratic Erosion in Slovakia In its 2025 report, Transparency International highlighted Slovakia as a "country to watch”, noting that the reforms implemented by Prime...

Punished for Protest: International Students Detained for Opposing the Genocide in Gaza

Apr 5, 2025 | Boston University

On March 9th, Mahmoud Khalil was detained in his apartment in New York. President Trump claimed at the beginning of his term that he would ensure the investigation and detainment of international...

How far is too far for South Korea’s presidential pardons?

Apr 2, 2025 | The University of Alabama

On December 3, 2024, at 10:50 P.M., South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol held an emergency address to the nation. Yoon vowed he would protect his country from communists and pro-North Korea...

How tolerating and encouraging violence fuels democratic backsliding in Georgia

Apr 1, 2025 | Tartu University

How tolerating and encouraging violence fuels democratic backsliding in Georgia During the past few months, the streets of Tbilisi—the capital of Georgia—have been constantly...

Repression on Repeat: From Kyiv to Minsk to Tbilisi

Apr 1, 2025 | Tartu University

Repression on Repeat: From Kyiv to Minsk to Tbilisi Last October, parliamentary elections were held in Georgia. Many considered them as important as a referendum because Georgian citizens...

The People, the Fear, and the Exhaustion Machine: How Populist Elites in Georgia and Serbia Rule by Chaos

Mar 31, 2025 | Tartu University

The People, the Fear, and the Exhaustion Machine: How Populist Elites in Georgia and Serbia Rule by Chaos In recent elections, during political crises, in every speech and briefing held after...