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...

The Gavel, Not The Gun: How Viktor Orbán Reinvented Backsliding

Apr 24, 2025 | Tulane University

On April 3rd, 2022, after polls predicted he would win by a 5-point margin, Viktor Orbán and his party, Fidesz, secured their fourth consecutive election victory with a...

Executive Power: The Growing Threat to Democracy

Apr 23, 2025 | University of Memphis

Executive Power: The Growing Threat to Democracy We have learned about it, and if you are a citizen of the United States of America, you have lived in it all your life. When...

Populism: The Result of a Globalized World

Nov 30, 2021 | University of Georgia

It is no question that Western democracies have seen a rise in support for populist parties in the early 21st century. What has been up for debate is why. Since the beginning of the globalization...

Causes of Democratic Erosion in India

Nov 30, 2021 | University of Georgia

Democratic erosion has become a very prevalent issue in India over the past several decades. They went from number 35 on...

The Termination of the CICIG: How Guatemala’s Democracy is in Danger of Falling to Corruption

Nov 30, 2021 | University of Georgia

Guatemala has quickly become new territory for Latin American drug cartels, specifically the Sinaloa drug cartel. These new cartels have begun to have a considerable impact on the freedom within the...

Chavez’s Era Of Stealth Authoritarianism In Venezuela

Nov 30, 2021 | University of Georgia

In 1958, Venezuelans managed to overthrow their dictator and began hosting free and fair elections(https://www.cfr.org/timeline/venezuelas-chavez-era). Venezuela became one of those countries...

The State and Results of the Brexit Movement

Nov 30, 2021 | University of Georgia

Brexit is the political movement in England to split from the European Union, which is an economic and political conciliation. In June of 2016, a vote was held about whether or not the country...

Democratic Erosion in the Czech Republic

Nov 30, 2021 | Georgia State University

Andrej Babiš lost power as a result of the 2021 elections. The former billionaire Prime Minister experienced many challenges during his term and leading up to the election. Is his leadership tied to...

The Middle East’s Only Democracy Is in Danger

Nov 30, 2021 | University of Georgia

The Middle East's only democracy is beginning to erode. Israel, although a flawed democracy, has maintained the sole title of democracy in the Middle East, which is overrun by authoritarian regimes...

The U.S. Was Added to the List of Countries Who Are Experiencing Democratic Backsliding, But There Is Still Hope

Nov 30, 2021 | University of Georgia

For the first time ever, the U.S. was recently added to the list of backsliding democracies. This event may be surprising to many people, since the U.S. is considered a voice for democratic values....

Hungary’s Democratic Decline

Nov 30, 2021 | University of Georgia

COVID-19 has plagued the world over the past year and a half. The pandemic caused countries to impose border closures and the utilization of mass digital surveillance, moves that may have once been...