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.

A Green Card Once Meant Protection: Now it is Fear

A Green Card Once Meant Protection: Now it is Fear By Fotios E. Meimeteas Imagine you are a single mother in the United States, raising four children who depend on you. You have established a new life, built a home, paid taxes, and lived in the United States for...

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...

Germany’s Defense of Democracy

Apr 20, 2025 | University of Memphis, Featured

With the recent elections in Germany, there is a clear growth in favor of populist leaders. The election saw record-breaking voter turnout, with 82.5% of eligible voters...

Trump’s Evolved Form of Populism Works… and Hurts.

Apr 20, 2025 | University of Memphis

Trump has been called a populist since his initial campaign in 2016, with his ideas being mostly the same over the years: dismantle the Department of Education, impose...

Redistricting: Killing Democratic Processes

Nov 9, 2021 | University of Georgia

Redistricting determines the extent of a party’s hold on a state’s political power for an entire decade. Sometimes, the politicians that are responsible for updating the district maps every decade...

America’s Border Crisis vs. Haiti

Nov 6, 2021 | Suffolk University

On various media platforms, there has been videos and photos circulating of Border Patrol agents on horseback clashing with Haitian migrants in Del Rio, Texas on September 19th, 2021. This caused...

Evictions Mean Losing More Than a Home

Oct 25, 2021 | Suffolk University

In the age of Covid-19, evictions are on the rise as many Americans struggle to make ends meet; but Massachusetts housing equality advocates say the eviction crisis goes deeper than housing. On...

Politics Has Become Less Issue-Focused at Every Level of Government

Oct 25, 2021 | Suffolk University

Politics is becoming less about the issues at every level of government. This past presidential election and recent administrations has United States voters up in arms over who implemented what...

Social Media Counts as Political Participation

Oct 24, 2021 | Suffolk University

For most of us, the internet drives our daily lives, and now, that includes our political participation. At any given time, we are a few clicks away from engaging with fellow constituents and...

Canvassing for Boston Mayor Candidate, Michelle Wu, Reveals Alarming Concerns in Expected Turnout Rates

Oct 24, 2021 | Suffolk University

Large percentage of constituents reported not planning on casting their ballot during canvassing 2 weeks prior to Nov. 2nd election day. In the final push to engage with constituents and increasing...

Can’t Get There From Here: Why the People in Charge of Drawing Vermont’s New Electoral Boundaries Are Unlikely To Please Anyone

Oct 24, 2021 | Suffolk University

While many commentators across the nation have called redistricting “the bloodsport of politics”. In Vermont, redistricting has been a relatively placid affair. It serves more as a decennial “finger...

#EndSARS LEKKI Memorial: Amidst Tribute to the Victims of the Lekki Shooting, the #EndSARS Movement Raises Heated Discussions

Oct 24, 2021 | Suffolk University

On October 20th 2021 , a year after the Army fired at #EndSARS protesters , hundreds of young Nigerians gathered to honor the memory of the victims. Meanwhile, others addressed the challenges faced...

From the Harbor to Honduras: Can Boston’s Revolutionary Spirit Help Reshape the U.S.’ Relationship With Central America?

Oct 24, 2021 | Suffolk University

A Meeting between Boston’s Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES) and Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) highlights how American policy fails Central America, and why...