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 blogs reflect the views of the student authors, and not those of the Democratic Erosion Consortium.

Tunisia Under Saied: The Unraveling of the Arab Spring’s Lone Success Story

On January 31, 2026, Tunisian President Kais Saied extended the country’s state of emergency once more, now marking ten consecutive years of its being in effect. While he initially framed this as a temporary measure when he first extended it in 2021, its continual...
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The Democratic Breakdown of Benin: Extremist Groups, Counterterrorism, and Executive Stealth Authoritarianism

A recent coup has exposed Benin’s crumbling democracy, revealing issues including the presence of extremist groups leading to flawed elite counterterrorism through international partners, and executive stealth authoritarianism.

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How President Trump is initiating Democratic backsliding to assert his dominance

President Trump is using legal mechanisms to slowly undermine democratic norms, such as institutional forbearance and mutual toleration to exercise and extend total control over other democratic institutions in the United States.

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A Cause To Celebrate?

Nov 15, 2020 |

This past week, The United States underwent one of the most tense elections in our history. The probability of violence with the victory of either candidate was strong. Cities all across the country...

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