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.

Donald Trump’s NSPM-7 Follows Domestic and International Trends In Stealth Authoritarian Power Grabs

President Donald Trump’s recent National Security Memorandum dramatically expands his ability to persecute political enemies, following a trend of erosion of democratic rule that mirrors other developments in U.S politics directed by the president and his supporters.

How Bosnia’s Postwar Framework Made Dodik Inevitable

Nearly thirty years after Dayton, Bosnia’s power-sharing system continues to institutionalize the very divisions it promised to resolve.

The Trump Administration’s Recent Attacks on First Amendment Rights May Mirror Viktor Orban’s Autocratic Ruling Style

Similarities between Donald Trump and Viktor Orban’s populist leadership styles may have dangerous ramifications for the health of the United States’ democracy.

Replacing Ballots with Bullets: How Shadow Operations are Crippling Democracy in Africa

Oct 31, 2025 | University of Georgia

Private military companies (PMCs) have long blurred the line between state power and profit, but few have done so as effectively—or destructively—as the Wagner Group....

President Trump’s Deployment of the National Guard: Frequently Asked Questions

Oct 31, 2025 | University of Georgia

In June 2025, President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles. In August, he sent National Guard troops to Washington, DC. The process...

Peru’s Hollow Democracy: How Congress Captured the State

Oct 19, 2025 | Arizona State University, Featured

When Peru's Congress voted unanimously on October 10, 2025, to remove President Dina Boluarte for "permanent moral incapacity," the decision was framed as a constitutional act. In reality, it...

Democratic Means to Undemocratic Ends – How Donald Trump is Weaponizing Democracy for His Own Gain

Oct 18, 2025 | Arizona State University

Modern autocratization is often marked by executive leaders weaponizing the legal system of the democratic country they were elected to lead. It allows for an easy way of legitimizing controversial...

Shaking Up Democracy: Is Mexico’s 2024 Judicial Reform Democratic Backsliding?

Sep 22, 2025 | Arizona State University

Judicial Reform in Mexico June 1, 2025, marked a landmark institutional shift in Mexico. For the first time in the country’s history, it held elections to select all aspects of its judiciary by...

When Violence Breaks the Surface: The Kirk Incident as a Warning for American Democracy

Sep 11, 2025 | Boston University

By Stavros Ligris The shooting of Charlie Kirk during a university event in Utah this September has been described as shocking, tragic, and destabilizing. But it should also be understood as part...

First 100 Days, More Like First 100 Hours: How Trump’s First 100 Days Played Out Against Trump’s Second 100 Hours

Jun 16, 2025 | The University of Alabama

Indiana Senator Jim Banks, a staunch Trump ally, predicted that President Trump’s return to power would be characterized by “shock and awe.” In many ways, the events of President Trump’s first 100...

History Repeats: Why Strong Global Defense is Key to Preventing Autocracy

Jun 4, 2025 | The University of Alabama

Dictators and autocratic forces capitalize on weak leadership, using diplomatic loopholes, and democratic erosion to expand their influence and destabilize vulnerable nations. History has...

Women in Political Dynasties: The Illusion of Choice and Democratic Erosion in the Philippines

May 27, 2025 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

Political dynasties have long controlled Philippine politics, with powerful families passing down leadership positions across generations. Despite the imposition of term limits discouraging dynastic...

The Future of Polish Democracy: Why the Upcoming Presidential Election Matters

May 26, 2025 | Tartu University

The Polish people are in the process of electing a new president, and these elections are among the most significant in the country's recent history. The first round of the election took place on...

From Stardom to Senate: The Alarming Trend of Celebrity Politics in the Philippines

May 23, 2025 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

The intersection of celebrity and politics in the Philippines is nothing new. The phenomenon of celebrity politicians—actors, athletes, and other public figures who go from the big screen or stage...