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.

Looking at Trump’s and Obama’s State of the Unions Through the Lens of Mutual Toleration

How do Trump and Obama compare to one another when we analyze their state of the union speeches based on the theory of mutual toleration?

Is Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Actually Keeping Us Safe?

Voter fraud in the United States is almost nonexistent, with very little evidence suggesting that noncitizens are the ones committing it, if it does happen. Audits and research have repeatedly found only tiny numbers of such cases, often due to clerical errors rather...

Modern Gerrymandering and Its Damaging Effects on U.S. Electoral Democracy

Introduction Gerrymandering is the practice of drawing electoral maps to favor one political party over another. When redrawing maps, the party in power will use two strategies: packing and cracking. Packing is when a party tries to fit in as many of their likely...

Look at What They Took From You: MAGA Polarization Through Social Media

Mar 30, 2026 | Arizona State University

The official White House X account sits at over four million followers. Created in January of 2025, the social media page’s bio reads: “The Golden Age of America Begins...

From Secularism to Islamic Authority: Democratic Backsliding in Bangladesh

Mar 30, 2026 | University of Houston

Democratic backsliding is often characterized by institutional weakness or polarizing incumbents, but what about the topic of backsliding due to religious proliferation? In...

American Intervention in Venezuela: An Erosion of Democratic Norms

Mar 29, 2026 | Suffolk University

American Intervention in Venezuela: An Erosion of Democratic Norms In the early hours of January 3, 2026, U.S. military forces conducted an “intervention” in Venezuela’s sovereign territory,...

American Intervention in Venezuela: An Erosion of Democratic Norms

Mar 29, 2026 | Suffolk University

American Intervention in Venezuela: An Erosion of Democratic Norms In the early hours of January 3, 2026, U.S. military forces conducted an “intervention” in Venezuela’s sovereign territory,...

Fragmenting the United States Post Dobbs Decision

Mar 29, 2026 | Suffolk University

In 1973, the United States Supreme Court made a landmark decision in Roe v. Wade to legalize abortion prior to fetal viability, prohibiting any state bans. At the beginning of the 1900s, abortion...

What Syria’s Attempted Political Transition Means For Democracy

Mar 29, 2026 | Suffolk University

Syria is not transitioning to democracy. It is stuck in a political system that prevents democracy from taking hold. That may sound obvious. But it isn't. Many discussions concerning Syria's future...

Control Over Media Narratives and Global Support for Ukraine

Mar 29, 2026 | Suffolk University

Control Over Media Narratives and Global Support for Ukraine The Russian Ukrainian Conflict is a prime example of the modern decline in democracy globally, though not in the ways one might expect....

When Discretion Replaces Equality: How Immigration Enforcement Threatens Democracy

Mar 29, 2026 | Suffolk University

When Discretion Replaces Equality: How Immigration Enforcement Threatens Democracy A democracy cannot survive if the law is enforced differently depending on who you are. Yet recent developments in...

Israel’s Democracy Is Eroding by Design, Not by Chance

Mar 29, 2026 | Suffolk University

Democratic erosion in Israel did not take place overnight. Israel’s leaders built upon democratic erosion through a deliberate strategy. If the Israeli government conducted government reforms that...

Amnesty, an Age-Old Fix for Spain’s Deep Divide

Mar 29, 2026 | Suffolk University

"La Diada," a Catalan holiday, commemorates the surrender of Barcelona to Spanish forces in 1714 and the defeat of Catalan forces. As a result of this unfortunate incident in Catalan history, the...

Are you MAGA, even? How Polarization Ties Into Democratic Erosion

Mar 29, 2026 | Suffolk University

By definition, democracy requires multiple parties to function, but the proudest democracy of the modern age is facing issues as a direct result. The United States is currently experiencing one of...