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...

Prosperity Does Not Equal Democracy: Economic Inequality and Democratic Erosion

Apr 15, 2025 | Boston University

The United States is rich. In fact, almost ridiculously so; to illustrate, according to the IMF’s World Economic Outlook for 2025, the U.S. sits proudly at the apex of...

The Disbandment of Hong Kong’s Democratic Party: An Example of Authoritarian Consolidation

Apr 13, 2025 | Boston University

On April 13th, 2025, Hong Kong’s largest pro-democracy party, the Democratic Party, voted to begin dissolving itself. Over 90% of the party’s remaining members backed the...

Conflicted Bosnia: Polarization, Backsliding, and Uneven Authoritarianism

Mar 12, 2021 | Northeastern University

The Balkan Wars of the 1990s was a period that saw destruction of institutions, corruption of the media, extreme polarization, and genocide in Bosnia. Following a February 29 referendum, Bosnia...

New Ideas: The Takeover of Salvador’s Establishment

Mar 12, 2021 | Northeastern University

After months of being accused as an authoritarian, President Nayib Bukele has now established a supermajority in legislative seats. This unprecedented power has allowed his party and a small allied...

France Has Dipped Two Toes Into Authoritarianism – Will It Dive In?

Mar 12, 2021 | American University

A pair of controversial bills coming to the French Senate this month have many worried about the authoritarian pandering of the current administration, leading up to the elections next year. Some...

Can Independent Electoral Commissions Save American Democracy?

Mar 11, 2021 | Northeastern University

Can independent electoral commissions save American democracy from its gridlocked legislature? Based on its international implementation, no! Independent electoral commissions in this post will be...

Orbán’s “Will of the Nation” Does Not Include LGBTQ+ Citizens

Mar 11, 2021 | Northeastern University

Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán has passed a series of measures effectively curtailing the civil liberties of the country’s LGBTQ+ citizens. A well-established populist, Orbán seeks...

Populism as a Tool: Positive Aspects of Bolivian Populism That Aided Democratic Representation

Mar 11, 2021 | Northeastern University

Populism is often derided and with good reason. The term as applied in numerous cases offers little to praise. One common perception of populism is that it erodes democracy and often devolves into...

Democratic Subversion by the Cotton King of Benin

Mar 9, 2021 | American University

Sub-Saharan Africa is a continent notorious for recalcitrant dictators, authoritarian tendencies, and extensive patron-client networks. However, since the Third Wave of Democratization, the...

The Continuing Threat of Populism to American Democracy

Mar 8, 2021 | Rollins College

Response to: https://democraticeros.wpengine.com/2020/11/18/how-the-trump-base-represents-the-danger-that-populism-continues-to-pose-to-american-democracy/ Only 4 days after Election Day,...

A Response to “The Aftermath of a Populist Leader in a Democracy”

Mar 8, 2021 | Rollins College

This is a blog post in response to the article by Sarah Penkava titled “The Aftermath of a Populist Leader in a Democracy”, published on the 3rd of December, 2020. She discusses the massive impacts...