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.

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...

Confusion and Control: New Voting Laws Weakening Democracy in America

A core component of democracy is representation through free and fair elections. Free and fair can be defined by who qualifies to vote and then by the actual ability of that group to vote. The SAVE Act, which presents stricter voter ID laws, with the intention of...

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...

From Left to Right-Wing Populism: Can Argentina Survive Another Movement?

Mar 30, 2026 | University of Houston

In November 2023, self-proclaimed anarcho-capitalist Javier Milei won the Argentinian presidency. His campaign ran on the promise of dismantling the existing political...

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...

How Recent Discriminatory Kansas Legislation is Accelerating Democratic Backsliding in the U.S.

Mar 28, 2026 | Suffolk University

For many across the globe, the United States of America has long been the shining ideal of a free and democratic society. However, recent voter-suppressing legislation enacted in Kansas...