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...

Media and Democracy In India: How Media Repression Is Linked to Polarization

Apr 18, 2025 | Boston University

In early January of 2025, freelance journalist Mukesh Chandrakar was found murderered in Bijapur, a district within Chhattisgarh, India. His body was found in a septic tank...

The Destruction of one of the Last Guardrails of Democracy in Venezuela

Apr 18, 2025 | Boston University

On January 10th, 2025, Nicolás Maduro was inaugurated to serve his third consecutive term as the president of Venezuela. This confirmed the results of the presidential...

Democratic Erosion: Kenya

Apr 29, 2021 | Georgia State University

Kenya, a colony occupied by the United Kingdom originating in 1895, was first colonized during the Scramble to Africa. At this time, European countries, predominantly Belgium, Italy, Portugal,...

Mocha and Jam

Apr 28, 2021 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

On the Pathos of Colloquial Language and the Illusion of Ethos In 2017, a University of Oxford study reported that President Rodrigo Duterte’s camp during the 2016 election spent $200,000 for paid...

Philippine Democracy at Stake in the 2022 Elections

Apr 28, 2021 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

With only one more year to go, Duterte and his tyranny will finally end. This leaves the country’s democracy in a precarious position in the next 2022 elections. Will the country vote to regain...

Democracy Erodes by Desecrating the Constitution

Apr 28, 2021 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

Beginning the 1970s, the Philippines has endured Constitutional violations committed by no less than the government. To go around the 1935 Constitution’s ban on a third consecutive term, President...

Collecting Debts and Votes: Duterte Administration’s COVID-19 Budget Politics

Apr 27, 2021 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

Instead of the usual keys and box containing small change from the previous trip or pasada, Daniel donned his face mask, grabbed a cardboard sign, and gripped an empty plastic container. His route...

Italian Populism: Shut Them Out or Address Their Concerns?

Apr 26, 2021 | Arizona State University

Italian populism has hit a temporary roadblock with the Movimento 5 Stelle (Five Star Movement M5S) changing their populist tone due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, with Salvini’s party the Lega...

Abrupt Decay: How Egypt’s Democratic Experiment Failed Too Soon for Us To See

Apr 26, 2021 | American University

Democracy in Egypt lasted less than two years between 2011 and 2013. How do new governments fail so quickly? And is democracy gone for good in Egypt? For those watching the Arab Spring unfold, we...

Democracy in America Is Not Suddenly Safe Again

Apr 23, 2021 | Boston University

Since President Joe Biden’s Inauguration in January, many have speculated about the American ‘return to normalcy’ where his administration will aim to reverse many of the policies of former...

The Great Gatekeeping Dilemma: When Efforts to Save Democracy, Subvert Democracy

Apr 22, 2021 | Boston University

After only one month in office, Marjorie Taylor Greene inflamed tensions between Republicans and Democrats. Greene is a new Republican to the House of Representatives, elected in 2020 to represent...