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.

Fear Wins Votes: Trump’s Violations and Consistent Support

This blog evaluates how Donald Trump’s political success stems from his use of fear-based rhetoric and polarization, which reshape voter priorities, weaken democratic accountability, and allow violations of democratic norms to occur without consequence.

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Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary: A Prime Example of Authoritarian Populism

With elections in Hungary coming up this April, the country’s incumbent prime minister, Viktor Orban, is ramping up efforts to stay in power, resorting to authoritarian tactics to sway the vote in his favor once again. Orban and his Fidesz Party are facing a real...
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Donald Trump Continues to Exemplify Every Autocratic Warning Sign in the Book

               The recent launching of an air strike campaign by the United States and Israel against Iran has the international and domestic community alike holding their breath, and it only confirms long-held concerns about President Trump’s style of governing; he...
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Democracy in Israel

Mar 9, 2026 |

Israel has long been viewed as “the only democracy in the Middle East,” yet the system of democracy on which the country runs might not be as free and just as it may seem. Israel is a parliamentary...

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