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.

Democratic Erosion in Chile (1963-1975)

Chile between the period of 1964 and 1975 represents a great example of how democracy can be eroded through both internal failure, but mainly through the planned efforts of global superpowers. This blog argues that democratic erosion and the eventual collapse in Chile...

Two Presidents Walk into a Room: Daniel Noboa and Donald Trump’s Relationship

Exploring President Noboa and Donald Trump’s relationship through a framework of democratic erosion via militarization in Ecuador.

The 2026 Midterms as an Institutional Test

When Saving Democracy Looks Like Killing It: Romania’s Election Crisis and the Paradox of Militant Democracy

May 1, 2026 | Suffolk University

In December 2024, Romania's Constitutional Court did something almost without precedent in modern European history: it annulled the first round of a presidential election 48...

How the Supreme Court’s Immunity Ruling Impacts American Democracy

Apr 30, 2026 | Suffolk University

In July 2024, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a landmark decision granting presidents broad immunity from prosecution for actions taken while in office. In...

The Silver Lining of American Retreat: How U.S. Disengagement from NATO Could Forge a Stronger Europe

Apr 29, 2026 | Suffolk University

There is a peculiar irony at the heart of what is happening to NATO right now. The United States, the alliance’s founding architect and long-time guarantor, has spent the better part of the last...

Do It Anyway: Why America’s Checks & Balances Are Failing

Apr 29, 2026 | Suffolk University

One of the main campaign promises made by the Trump campaign was to bring prices down for everyday Americans. He promised (and failed to deliver) sweeping economic reforms, the implementation of...

Protecting Democracy: Indigenous-led Social Movements in Guatemala 2023

Apr 29, 2026 | Tulane University

In 2023, presidential elections were held in Guatemala, and the country chose to protect democracy. With a longstanding history of corruption entrenched throughout the political and economic...

A Nobel Laureate Suspended, A Journalist Jailed: Tunisia’s Slide into Competitive Authoritarianism

Apr 28, 2026 | Suffolk University

On April 24, 2026, Tunisian President Kais Saied’s government suspended the Tunisian League for Human Rights (LTDH). This organization shared the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize for its role in saving the...

On the ousting of Orbán

Apr 28, 2026 | Tulane University

Viktor , standard bearer of the international populist right wing and Prime Minister of Hungary since 2010, has been defeated. The election took place on April, 12th 2026 and saw Péter Magyar, a...

Democracy in Exchange for Security; What is Left When the Concert Ends?

Apr 28, 2026 | Tulane University

Hundreds of thousands of fans filled El Salvador’s national stadium to witness Shakira’s sold out five-night residency of the “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour”. Initially the residence was only...

Counter-Gerrymandering and What it Means for American Democracy

Apr 28, 2026 | University of Houston

Gerrymandering is a word well known to most with even a passing interest in politics, but to many who don’t pay attention, it’s a word they’ve just recently started hearing. Gerrymandering is the...

Long Term Effects of the “Secret Club” Scandal

Apr 27, 2026 | Suffolk University

The "Secret Club” Scandal, often referred to as the "Slovenska" affair, shocked Croatian society and uncovered deep seated corruption that goes all the way to the top. During strict COVID-19...

Analyzing the 2024 Mexican Judicial Reforms

Apr 27, 2026 | Tulane University

In 2024, the then-President of Mexico, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, passed a sweeping overhaul of the judiciary in Mexico. The 2024 judicial reforms introduced a dramatic overhaul of Mexico’s...