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...

Buying Injustice: The Hidden Harms of this Act.

Are we looking to create a thriving society, or are we allowing fear into the lives of immigrant families? As new immigration policies appear, the question become, how do we prevent the changes that involve separating families and dismantling the place that...

Blog Post 1

Feb 13, 2025 | Boston University

One reading I’d like to touch on is Chapter One of Levitsky and Ziblatt’s book, “How Democracies Die”. At first, I didn’t understand why the Aesop passage was included in...

Georgia’s October 2024 Protests: Exposing the Dangers of Power Consolidation and Pro-Putin Corruption

Feb 13, 2025 | Boston University

In October 2024, mass protests erupted across the nation of Georgia following the release of highly contested election results that extended the power of the ruling Georgian...

Conspiracy and Right-Wing Populism: The Lasting Threat QAnon Poses to U.S. Democracy

Nov 18, 2020 | University of Chicago

Since the presidential election, QAnon followers have been forced to reckon with an identity crisis. “Q” failed to post for over a week after the election, and in that time questions about his...

Big Tech and Misinformation: How Increased Government Regulation of the Industry Can Safeguard Democracy

Nov 18, 2020 | University of Chicago

Despite their pivotal function as distributors of news, politics, and commentary to millions of users, technology companies have recently faced increased scrutiny and criticism for promoting...

Inaction Leading to Erosion

Nov 18, 2020 | University of Chicago

The European Migration Context Since September 2015, Open Arms -a Barcelona-based NGO working in the Mediterranean- has rescued 61.058 people that would have otherwise drowned in...

The Subtle (But Dangerous) Demagogues of Thailand

Nov 18, 2020 | University of Chicago

In Thai politics, hostility is not a good look. Trump-style demagoguery of directly bashing opponents can almost never be found among political leaders in Thailand. However, that does not mean that...

Media Influence on American Politics

Nov 18, 2020 | University of Chicago

As the aftermath of the presidential election continues to unfold, many citizens both in the United States and abroad are nervous about the fate of the American democracy. Trump’s refusal to accept...

3 Reasons Why the Media Needs To Act as a “Gatekeeper” To Protect America’s Democracy

Nov 18, 2020 | University of Chicago

Although Trump was narrowly defeated in the most recent elections, his presidency in the past four years has raised an important question about who is supposed to be the guardians of democracy....

Post-Trump: Doubt and Democracy

Nov 18, 2020 | University of Chicago

In recent weeks, President Trump lost re-election and subsequently refused to concede. He claimed he won and levied unsubstantiated accusations that the election was stolen. Against this backdrop,...

Unintentional Propaganda: How Flagging Fake News Might Help Demagogues

Nov 18, 2020 | University of Chicago

There is growing research on how belief in false information can damage democracy by promoting dangerous demagogues. As a response, companies like Facebook and Twitter have been creating new tools...

Compounding Crises Threaten Democracy in Peru

Nov 18, 2020 | University of Chicago

Peru’s interim president Francisco Sagasti finds himself surrounded by peril – a fragmented congress in which half the legislators are under investigation for alleged crimes, a series of deadly...