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 are student blog posts written by student participants in the Democratic Erosion Course. These posts were not written by nor represent the views of the Democratic Erosion Consortium.

Food Security is Rooted Abroad

Global fertilizer supply chains connect geopolitical events abroad to food production at home in ways most consumers don’t see.

The Meaning of Silence : What the moment of silence for Melissa Hortman says about American democracy

On June 14, 2025, the lives of Melissa Hortman who was a House speaker in Minnesota and her husband Mark were taken in what authorities believe to be a politically motivated act of violence. The same day Senator John Hoffman and his wife were also shot and...

The New Future of Warfare? How Social Media is Inflating Tensions Between the U.S. and Iran.

Social media is moving to the forefront of the ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Iran, with political elites from both sides of the conflict using social media as a weapon to fabricate narratives and generate AI videos to publicly denounce the actions of one...

Democratic Erosion in Japan: A Silent Crisis

Feb 14, 2025 | Boston University

Japan is often praised as a stable democracy; however, a closer look at its political and economic landscape reveals troubling signs of democratic backsliding. From...

The Foreshadowing of Elon: What DOGE Says About the Trump Administration

Feb 14, 2025 | Boston University

So far, the return of the Trump administration has been a flurry of activity with over 60 executive orders ranging in subject matter from immigration reform to climate...

The Aftermath of a Populist Leader in a Democracy

Dec 3, 2020 | University of Georgia

Populist leaders have had great success in democracies around the world throughout the past decade, including in the United States, where Donald Trump had great success in defining himself to his...

Labels Like “Correista” and “Trump Supporter” Increase Polarization Because They Enhance Populist Rhetoric

Dec 3, 2020 | Brown University

Increasing polarization in Ecuador As the Ecuadorian election draws closer, it is unclear who will become the next president. Incumbent President Lenin Moreno will not be seeking reelection, facing...

The Impact of Technology on U.S. Democracy: Beneficial, Harmful, or Neutral?

Dec 2, 2020 | Brown University

Many historic political events that occurred in the United States in 2020, such as the video of George Floyd’s arrest that sparked Black Lives Matter protests, the malfunctioning reporting app at...

The Power and Limitation of Civil Resistance in Uganda

Dec 2, 2020 | Brown University

Civil protests broke out in Uganda after the arrest of Bobi Wine, a 38-year-old singer turned politician, who is challenging the longtime leader President Yoweri Museveni in the presidential...

A Game of Tug of War Over Democracy

Dec 2, 2020 | Brown University

The European Union is failing to maintain democracy in their member states. Not only are they failing to threaten these countries into cooperating, they may also be creating an...

Orban’s COVID Authoritarianism

Dec 2, 2020 | University of Georgia

Hungary’s prime minister Viktor Orban was given immense power to rule by decree during the initial outbreak of COVID-19, and while the power to rule by decree has been repealed, Orban still retains...

Colombia: A Repressive State in the making

Dec 2, 2020 | Brown University

Former President and current Colombian Senator, Alvaro Uribe, was revered by the Bush administration as he cooperated with the US in its demands of fighting guerilla movements in the country and...

Abiy Ahmed: Yet Another Nobel Peace Prize Winner Falls from Grace

Dec 2, 2020 | Brown University

A Nobel Peace Prize cannot be revoked; however, The Norwegian Nobel committee should add a measure to it's statute to allow for the removal of this ultimate prize from its fallen angels, namely...

The Rise (and Fall) of the AfD: Germany’s Identity Crisis

Dec 2, 2020 | Brown University

Since World War II, defining what it means to be German has been a taboo subject. Celebrating national identity is seen by many Germans as a step towards the type of nationalism that led to the rise...