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.

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

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 its most politically polarizing climates in history, resulting in...
Read More

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

As Kansas’s discriminatory SB 244 becomes law, America is closer than ever to abandoning democracy and becoming a competitive oligarchy.

Read More

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.

Read More

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...

read more