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.

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...

When Will It End? Stealth Authoritarianism over Female Reproductive Rights

Comparing the modern day struggles of democracy against reproductive rights to stealth authoritarianism.

Challenging Erdoğan’s Autocracy: Resistance to Democratic Erosion in Türkiye

May 5, 2026 | James Madison University

Tens of thousands of people crowded the streets of Istanbul for another night of protests in late March of 2025, waving red Turkish flags and wearing masks to protect...

Elimination of Accountability in Nicaragua under the Ortega regime

May 5, 2026 | James Madison University

Nicaragua under Daniel Ortega has seen its presidential republic downgraded from a competitive democracy to an authoritarian regime, where the government has been more...

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 Trump v. United States...

El Salvador: Trading Checks and Balances for Saftey

Apr 30, 2026 | Suffolk University

Resistances to Democratic Backsliding in Indonesia

Apr 30, 2026 | James Madison University

Indonesia has experienced continuous democratic backsliding since 2017. Despite pervasive executive aggrandizement and other continuing challenges, domestic actors have worked from above and below...

Recent President Sets Back El Salvador

Apr 30, 2026 | Boston University

El Salvador is facing democratic erosion due to its current president Nayib Bukele. Bukele at first started his presidency in 2019, winning against the two candidates of the main two historically...

America stuck in a Dilemma

Apr 30, 2026 | Boston University

The United States is at risk of losing its democracy due to its president, Donald Trump. Many are concerned with the fact that Trump is showing signs of wanting to get rid of democracy. A lot of the...

A Never-Ending Crackdown: Daniel Noboa and Ecuador’s Potential Turn toward Authoritarianism

Apr 30, 2026 | Tulane University

A Never-Ending Crackdown: Daniel Noboa and Ecuador's Potential Turn toward Authoritarianism In January 2024, masked gunmen stormed a live television broadcast in Guayaquil, Ecuador. A notorious gang...

Trump has removed the National Science Foundation Board: Where does the overreach stop?

Apr 30, 2026 | Tulane University

Event On April 27th, 2026 the Trump Administration dismissed the National Science Foundation Board which consisted of 22 independent board members. Board members received an email from the...

Born Here, Belonging Nowhere: The Constitutional Crisis of Executive Order 14,160

Apr 30, 2026 | Tulane University

On January 20, 2025, President Donald J. Trump issued executive order No. 14,160 titled “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship,” which declared that individuals born in the United...

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...