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...

How the Economic State Impacts Politics

Apr 18, 2025 | Boston University

One connection I see between the United States right now and Weimar Germany is the economic state. The failure of the economic system in Germany, “Acted as a trigger,...

The Role of Universities in Keeping American Democracy Alive

Apr 18, 2025 | Boston University

Political scientists Matthew Cleary and Aykut Öztürk, in their article When Does Backsliding Lead to Breakdown? Uncertainty and Opposition Strategies in Democracies at Risk,...

Corruption, Lies, and Albanias’ fight for Democracy

May 4, 2021 | Georgia State University

There is no mystery that Albania is one of the most corrupt counties in all of Europe. Before the 21st century, Albania served home to corrupt companies and large charitable foundations for a Ponzi...

Brazil’s Polarization, Bolsonaro’s Pleasure

May 4, 2021 | Ursinus College

Political polarization is a phenomenon beginning to affect political cooperation and compromise in old and new democracies. What is causing an increase in polarization has been previously attributed...

Milorad Dodik: Converting Nationalism into Power

May 4, 2021 | Georgia State University

How do you use genocide denial to become the leader of the country that had the genocide committed against them? Milorad Dodik has been searching for the answer to that question for some time; and...

Burmese Call for International Intervention

May 4, 2021 | Georgia State University

Taylor Earnhart Burmese Call for International Intervention The Burmese people have been resisting an imposing junta since February 1, 2021. February 1, 2021, Myanmar’s democratically elected...

Cuba’s Privatization May Not Be a Step Towards Democracy

May 3, 2021 | Georgia State University

In times of crisis, governments have a responsibility of maintaining their power, the stability of their institutions, and protecting their citizens from deteriorating conditions of their...

Will There Really Be Elections in Palestine?

May 3, 2021 | Georgia State University Perimeter College

The world received some excellent news just this past year, in February 2020. President Mahmoud Abbas has vowed to hold...

Democratic Erosion in the United States: Protest

May 3, 2021 | Georgia State University

Within the United States constitution, the first amendment prohibits any law limiting freedom with respect to religion, expression, peaceful assembly, or the right of citizens to petition the...

Rigged Elections: Struggles in Serbia Help Show Legitimacy in the United States’ 2020 Election

May 3, 2021 | Georgia State University Perimeter College

There have been numerous claims that the 2020 election results were rigged or fraudulent. Many Americans now believe their democratic systems are falling apart, and that those that have been put...

Duterte’s Legacy: Populism in the Philippines

May 1, 2021 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

In 2016, Rodrigo Duterte won the presidential election with an astonishing 16 million votes beating the other four challengers. Despite his rape jokes, death threats, and various obscenities during...