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.

When Election Results Take Too Long: What Happened in Peru

Elections are supposed to provide clarity. They tell citizens who won, who lost, and what comes next. But in Peru, the recent election did the opposite. Instead of clear results, the country faced delays, protests, and growing accusations of fraud. Thousands of people...

Legislative Capture and the Erosion of Democracy in India

After coming into power following the 2014 election, India’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has initiated an alarming backsliding of democratic institutions and practices. Having recently become the world’s most populous country, India’s dip in authoritarianism should...

Fujimori or Sánchez – How Peru Loses Either Way

In the April 2026 presidential elections in Peru there was a total of 35 candidates. As we approach the runoff vote on the top two candidates, Peruvians are going to be choosing between Keiko Fujimori and her opponent Roberto Sánchez. Both politicians are...

DOJ Terminations

Feb 14, 2025 | Boston University

Recently, The White House Terminated multiple U.S. attorneys within the Justice Department, which in itself can be seen as executive aggrandizement considering The White...

Separation of Powers: The Judicial Branch’s Fight Against Trump

Feb 14, 2025 | Boston University

During his first three weeks in office, President Trump has signed over 60 executive orders covering controversial issues from DEI to immigration. Many of these executive...

Palestinians Further Forgotten in The Wake of a Pandemic

Dec 15, 2020 | Georgia State University

Palestine-Gaza, ever presently occupied by Israel, faces rising cases and concerning limits about their healthcare system. The territory, which has seen a sea, land, and air blockade from Israel and...

Amplify All Voices: The Power of Voter Outreach in Marginalized Communities

Dec 15, 2020 | Suffolk University

Marginalized communities are commonly neglected when it comes to having their needs met by legislators. However, these same legislators also ask the members of these communities for their support...

Crisis in Cameroon

Dec 14, 2020 | Georgia State University

#EndAnglophone is the current hashtag dominating Cameroon's Social Media after many killings of both children and civilians throughout the country. Over 3000 people have been killed since 2017, due...

Turkey’s Belligerent Foreign Policy Can’t Be Separated From Domestic Repression

Dec 14, 2020 | University of Georgia

Few political phenomena are as well known as the "Rally Around the Flag" effect. Tragic events or instances of conflict can shift public opinion in favor of ruling authorities. Much of the time,...

Teaming Up to Tear the Constitution Down: Pandemics and Institutional Oppression in the United States

Dec 14, 2020 | Georgia State University

As the United States faces a national reckoning over race relations and gears up for a presidential election this month, Black Americans still encounter systemic barriers to equally exercising their...

“Locking Down and Loaded: The Philippine Government’s Dogmatic Response to Coronavirus”

Dec 14, 2020 | James Madison University

With the coronavirus spreading across the globe, three interrelated issues have challenged President Duterte’s administration. First, the Philippines has had one of the worst Covid-19 outbreaks in...

Alexei Navalny: The Kremlin Treatment

Dec 14, 2020 | Georgia State University

Alexei Navalny is a name not dared to be spoken by sitting president, Vladimir Putin. The opposing force to Putin’s United Party proved to be a force despite many, some partially successful,...

Delay of Elections in Haiti are Contributing to Haitian Democratic Erosion

Dec 14, 2020 | James Madison University

Jovenel Moïse, Haiti’s current head of government, was supposed to hold presidential elections back in October of 2019. They have been continuously postponed. How are Haitians reacting to this and...

#EndSARS Resistance and Nigeria’s Reluctance

Dec 14, 2020 | Georgia State University

Bridled with unemployment, inflation and corruption, Nigeria is presently one of the world’s most impoverished countries. It is further plagued with insecurity in the forms of terrorism, kidnapping,...