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.

Mexico Holds Elections. Cartels Hold the Veto.

On April 1, 2024, Bertha Gisela Gaytán stood at a campaign rally in Celaya, a city in Guanajuato that's been torn apart by a cartel turf war. She was running for mayor, promising to fix the roads and get the violence under control. Weeks before, she had asked the...

A Green Card Once Meant Protection: Now it is Fear

A Green Card Once Meant Protection: Now it is Fear By Fotios E. Meimeteas Imagine you are a single mother in the United States, raising four children who depend on you. You have established a new life, built a home, paid taxes, and lived in the United States for...

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.

Erosion of Democratic Norm in Trump’s America

Feb 14, 2025 | Boston University

The United States has long been perceived as the emblem of democracy, a perspective championed by millions of Americans. However, a closer examination of the Trump...

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...

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...

Social Media Spreading Misinformation and Disinformation in American Society

Dec 2, 2020 | University of Georgia

As the technological 21st century continues to advance, social media platforms become more numerous and more influential in American society. Though the Constitution grants freedom of the press, the...

Viktor Orbán’s Emergency Powers Push Hungary Further Towards Autocracy

Dec 2, 2020 | University of Georgia

A lurking dictator in the making, Viktor Orbán and his right-wing nationalist Fidesz party are dismantling Hungarian democracy. Through the obstruction of checks and balances, election interference,...

Misdiagnosed: Why We Can’t Blame COVID-19 for Autocratic Consolidation

Dec 2, 2020 | Brown University

Many news outlets and humanitarian organizations have reported that the COVID-19 pandemic is presenting new and unparalleled levels of decline in freedom in countries around the world. Freedom House...

Democracy or Oligarchy?

Dec 2, 2020 | Brown University

As the election results in favor of Joe Biden are becoming officially certified, and the courts are consistently denying credence to Trump’s frivolous claims of election fraud, many Americans...

Kaczyński Causes Decline of Polish Democracy

Dec 1, 2020 | University of Georgia

After the fall of the communist Soviet Union in 1991, Poland was left to be a free country. Poland was at peace with their neighbors and had the opportunity to build a country off of democratic...

Anti-Immigration Rhetoric and Its Threat to Dutch Democracy

Dec 1, 2020 | University of Georgia

Some threats to democratic health might not be as blatant as one might think. Rather they could accompany regular developments such as a country’s immigration status. In recent years the Netherlands...